[Also of interest, although not in the press – the Maldives and Niger both recently set new December heat records].
“Just days after bushfires threatened an Australian World Heritage site, thousands were bracing for floods on the subtropical east coast on Sunday, with beaches closed and the authorities urging people to sandbag their homes.
“With as much as 475 millimetres (18.7 inches) of rain in the previous 24 hours, the Bureau of Meteorology issued a “severe weather warning” for the border area between New South Wales and Queensland states, a heavily populated area that includes the Queensland state capital Brisbane.”
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-australia-weather-idUKKBN28N03C
“Byron Bay locals say damage to the town’s main beach is “the worst in a generation” as heavy rain, abnormally high tides and wild surf, combined with long term erosion problems, washed away much of the remaining sand.
“Storms have battered a 1,000km stretch of the Queensland and northern NSW coastline for several days…”
“Australia’s disastrous 2019-2020 fire season blew so much smoke into the upper atmosphere that it blocked sunlight from reaching Earth’s surface, potentially causing a brief global cooling effect comparable to a moderate volcanic eruption, new research has found.
“In late 2019 and early 2020, raging wildfires in southeastern Australia spawned a rash of rare fire-induced thunderclouds…”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/12/12/australia-wildfires-volcanoes-global-effects/
“Search and rescue teams [Philippines]… on Sunday rescued eight persons, including one with disability, who were trapped on the other side of a river due to a flash flood that affected low-lying villages here.
“A spot report of the municipal government unit of Pudtol said incessant heavy rains since Saturday night caused sudden flooding in Barangays Cabatacan, San Mariano, Alem and Imelda.”
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1124610
“Two days of floods leaves fish swimming through houses in Java, Indonesia.
December 13.”
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQia9UrJank&t=106s
“A U.S.-funded project using satellites to track and publish water levels at Chinese dams on the Mekong river was announced on Monday, adding to the superpowers’ rivalry in Southeast Asia.
“The 4,350-kilometer waterway — known as the Lancang in China and flowing south through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam — has become a focus of competition.”
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/12/14/asia-pacific/china-dams-mekong-us-rivalry/
“More than four months since the major oil spill event on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, many questions still swirl around how the Japanese vessel ended up grounded on Mauritius’ coral reefs in July.
“Now the Japanese shipowner behind the Wakashio, Nagashiki Shipping, is attempting to hide behind a screen of corporate secrecy to not disclose material information to the shipwreck inquiry…”
“Fungal disease looms over Cyclone Burevi affected paddy crops [India].
“It appears like farmers would not get respite from nature’s vagaries as the agriculture department has warned that paddy crop inundated by rain during cyclone Burevi are likely to be affected by Grain Discoloration Disease (Nel Manigal Niram Maarum Noi).”
“In Pakistan, the number of migratory birds has decreased from 1.7 million in 1992 to less than 1 million in recent times. Migratory birds have changed their routes from Pakistan.
“Climate change is also altering the timing of reproductive cycles of fishes and plants in Pakistan.”
https://nation.com.pk/13-Dec-2020/climate-change-and-migratory-birds
“A woman was crushed to death when her house collapsed, while dozens of homes were damaged after a twister tore through five villages outside Middledrift in the Eastern Cape [South Africa]…
“The tornado struck around 21:00 on Thursday, according to villagers.”
“Croatian Agriculture Minister Marija Vuckovic said on Friday that the government would do everything to repair the damage from the floods in the Vrgorac area…
“Recalling that such a flood had not occurred in that area for more than 50 years, Vuckovic warned that the damage from this year’s flood was severe.”
https://www.croatiaweek.com/video-big-floods-in-vrgorac-government-to-help/
“Low water after dry weather in past weeks continues to prevent cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the river Rhine in Germany, traders said on Monday.
“Low water is hampering shipping in the northern and central sections of the river, especially around Cologne and Kaub, traders said.”
“In the three years since the tiny Caribbean community of Barbuda was ravaged by Hurricane Irma, locals have been engaged in a David-and-Goliath battle with powerful, well-connected US developers building luxury beachfront resorts for the ultra-rich…
“The Barbuda council wrote that the CLNP designated wetland was under threat “as a result of the actions of those who believe that their monied wealth should supersede the rights of the many”.”
“Looking back at the top weather events of 2020, “record-setting,” “unprecedented” and “historic” are just a few of the words to describe this year’s volatile weather and extreme events.
“This is the sixth consecutive year in which 10 or more billion-dollar weather events have occurred in the United States.”
“Could Americans become the next wave of refugees?
“As our climate changes and nations battle, the number of displaced persons will rise. And, as wildfires, hurricanes, droughts and pandemics increase, we are just as likely to be among the 80 million refugees worldwide who will seek safety and prosperity at someone’s border this year?”
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/12/13/opinion-could-americans-become-the-next-wave-of-refugees/
“Sunflower sea stars may never recover from a marine epidemic that emerged in 2013, according to a population study led by Oregon State University.
“As a result of this research, the sunflower sea star has been listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.”
https://www.earth.com/news/sunflower-sea-stars-are-vanishing-after-mass-mortality-event/
“Equinor [Norwegian oil company] expands in oil on thawing permafrost in Siberia: In November, the Norwegian oil giant announced big ambitions to become a net-zero energy company.
““The stake in the North Danilovskoye development seems to be at odds with the strategy to reduce its carbon footprint,” says Aage Borchgrevink, author of a book about the Norwegian oil giant’s history.”
https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/2020/12/equinor-expands-oil-thawing-permafrost-siberia-0
“Thinning ice in the Arctic Ocean made this year’s navigation season for natural gas tankers the longest on record, the latest sign that the pace of climate change is accelerating in the Earth’s northernmost latitudes.
“The Northern Sea Route, stretching more than 3,000 nautical miles between the Barents Sea west of Russia and the Bering Strait in the country’s east, traditionally opens from June through October, when higher temperatures break up ice. This year, voyages started a month early and will continue until at least the end of December.”
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/12/12/world/arctic-sailing-season-climate/
“Glaciers: The hidden source of pandemics? We all need to remain vigilant of the increasing pace of glacier melting and the consequent biological disasters it could unleash…
“With the melting of glacier ice, the world faces an ever-increasing possibility of the release of ancient viruses and bacteria buried deep within the frozen mass.”
http://tehelka.com/glaciers-the-hidden-source-of-pandemics/
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an ‘Economic’ thread.
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