“Smoke from raging forest fires in Siberia has reached the north pole for the first time in recorded history, as a Russian monitoring institute warned the blazes were worsening.
“Devastating wildfires have ripped across Siberia with increasing regularity over the past few years, which Russia’s weather officials and environmentalists have linked to climate change and an underfunded forest service.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/09/smoke-siberia-wildfires-reaches-north-pole-historic-first
“Fire, floods ravage Russia, threaten nuclear research site… Weather experts and Greenpeace spoke of the worst fires in the history of Russian record keeping.
“On the flip side, emergency crews in the Amur region, which borders China, are battling floods after heavy rainfalls. About 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) of streets and six bridges are underwater…”
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/fire-floods-ravage-russia-threaten-nuclear-research-site
“Melting permafrost in Siberia could dramatically change landscape.
“The land on the Alash Plateau of the Sayan Mountains in the southern part of Siberia used to be permanently frozen. But… Scientists from the Tomsk and Tyva state universities expect this area to be fully underwater in the not-so-distant future…”
https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/08/09/melting-permafrost-in-siberia-could-dramatically-change-landscape
“Melting ice and a high altitude dig reveal Viking secrets in Norway…
“The acquisition of this evidence also holds grim implications, since such discoveries are enabled by climate change and the rapidly melting ice that is now relinquishing these ancient artifacts.”
https://phys.org/news/2021-08-ice-high-altitude-reveal-viking.html
“The Mer de Glace, the largest glacier in France threatened with extinction.
“The largest glacier in the French Alps, the Mer de Glace has lost 146m in thickness since 1986, or around 5m per year… “In one year, we can see extremely clearly that all the rocks, which were under the glacier, appear with the melting…””
https://www.lci.fr/environnement-ecologie/video-la-mer-de-glace-le-plus-grand-glacier-de-france-menace-de-disparition-2193471.html
“Tourists wade through Venice square hit by unseasonal flood… Rare summer flooding submerged Venice’s famed Piazza San Marco in up to a metre of water overnight…
“Venice’s high water incidents are caused by a combination of factors exacerbated by climate change – from rising sea levels and unusually high tides to land subsidence…”
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/tourists-wade-through-venice-square-hit-by-unseasonal-flood-2021-08-09/
“Italy issues wildfire warnings as ‘hottest week’ arrives.
“Italy’s civil protection service has issued health and wildfire alerts for the coming days, as another intense wave of hot air from the south is expected to bring some of the highest temperatures on record.”
https://www.thelocal.it/20210809/heatwave-italy-issues-wildfire-warnings-as-hottest-week-arrives/
“Thousands of people have fled wildfires that are destroying vast swathes of pine forest and razing homes on Greece’s second-largest island, Evia, as devastating summer blazes rage from southern Europe to Siberia.
““We have ahead of us another difficult evening, another difficult night,” Greece’s deputy civil protection minister, Nikos Hardalias, said…”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/08/thousands-flee-greek-island-evia-wildfires-raze-forest-and-homes
“Paradise lost: How the Turkish wildfires destroyed one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen…
“…when wildfires broke out in more than 200 places across 47 towns, claiming the lives of at least eight people, Mazi also experienced its fair share of the damage: thousands of hectares of forests burnt to the ground.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/turkey-bodrum-mazi-wildfires-climate-b1899451.html
“Mediterranean heat Wave day #2-9 August: Tunisia day again.
“With a temperature of 49.0C [120.2F] Jendouba both recorded: 1- its hottest temperature in history 2-and beat the national record of the highest temperature in August which was just set …yesterday. More records to come.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1424805877354205190
“1.4m Kenyans surviving on food aid due to drought — Red Cross. At least 1.4 million people are surviving on donated food in Northern Kenya.
“This is due to the ongoing drought that has hit hard some of the counties in the region, including Mandera, Isiolo, Garissa, Marsabit, Tana River, Baringo and West Pokot.”
https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/north-eastern/2021-08-09-14m-kenyans-surviving-on-food-aid-due-to-drought–red-cross/
“Somaliland: Icy Rain in Hargeisa… The showers started right on the heels of thick swarms of locusts that have blanketed the city with wave after wave passing over it flying – mostly – eastwards.
“As alarming as that was, then started intermittent spurts of cold showers which sooner than said built up to torrential strengths.”
https://menafn.com/1102594578/Somaliland-Icy-Rain-in-Hargeisa&source=30
“Another heat wave in the Caspian Area of Central Asia. On 6 August Baku (photo) the capital of Azerbaijan recorded 41.9C [107.4F] its highest temperature ever recorded in August.
“In Kazakhstan 45.7C at Akkuduk…
“…in Russia 42.0C at Dosang.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1424490603216314375
“Madhya Pradesh [India] floods: Death toll climbs to 24; 145 stranded villagers rescued from Guna district.
“Around 1,250 villages are still reeling in the aftermath of floods triggered by torrential rains in the districts of Gwalior, Shivpuri, Guna, Sheopur, Datia, Ashoknagar, Bhind and Morena.”
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/madhya-pradesh-floods-death-toll-climbs-to-24-1838325-2021-08-08
“Chinese authorities said that more than 440,000 people in southwestern Sichuan Province have been affected in the aftermath of torrential rains and floods.
“Heavy rains of up to nearly 9 inches that began Friday caused rivers to swell and flooded six cities or regions in the province, including Luzhou, Mianyang, Nanchong, Dazhou, Bazhong and Ganzi…”
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/08/09/china-China-evacuate-Sichuan-province-flood-disaster/8101628526618/
“Raging flood destroys bridge in Taiwan after typhoon hits coast. A bridge in southern Taiwan was destroyed and washed away by raging floods on Saturday.
“Elsewhere in Taoyuan City, locals gathered to watch a reservoir overflow.” Video:
https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/climate/taiwan-floods-typhoon-bridge-destroyed-v06cb1656
“8th August was one of the hottest days in history in Japan.
“Temperatures soared to 40.6C [105.1F] at Tajimi only 0.5C from the national record. The heat was specially fierce in Gifu,Aichi and Mie Prefectures. After a 3 weeks long record breaking heat wave,at last a cooling is on the way.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1424300908377255940
“The global water cycle has become more intense: New Zealand’s wet regions wetter, and dry ones drier.
“Projections for the future continue this theme, becoming wetter in the west, while the eastern regions and the far north continue to dry, especially in winter and spring… The overall average warming brings an increase in hot days around the country and more frequent marine heatwaves…”
https://phys.org/news/2021-08-global-intense-zealand-regions-wetter.html
“Brazil’s Government Fears Bigger Coffee Losses From Frost Blow.
“Government officials in Brazil are bracing for coffee crop losses that amount to more than a third of what Americans drink in a year after a heavy frost ravaged fields in the world’s biggest producer… Crop damage in world’s biggest supplier signals price hikes…”
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-09/brazil-could-face-losses-of-up-to-10m-bags-of-coffee-amid-frost
“Forest fires in Bolivia consume vast area: official.
“Forest fires this year have consumed more than 147,000 hectares (360,000 acres) in Bolivia’s eastern Santa Cruz department, the regional government reported Saturday. As in neighboring Brazil, the fires have been aggravated by widespread deforestation aimed at expanding farming or pasture land.”
https://phys.org/news/2021-08-forest-bolivia-consume-vast-area.html
“Dixie Fire becomes largest single wildfire in California’s history. Dixie has destroyed 268 homes, almost wiping the historic town of Greenville off the map. Five residents remain unaccounted for, according to the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office.
“Fire CA records have confirmed the Dixie Fire is now the largest single, continuous wildfire in Californian history.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/dixie-fire-largest-wildfire-california-b1899136.html
“Historic drought threatens California farms supplying much US food. State and local authorities, fearful that there may not be enough water for city dwellers or wildlife, have abruptly cut supplies to farms, provoking anger and consternation.
“Along the roads between major farming operations, billboards have popped up everywhere, urging: “Save California’s Water.”
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210809-historic-drought-threatens-california-farms-supplying-much-us-food
“Triple digit heat, ‘dangerously hot conditions’ brewing in Pacific Northwest…
“It’s been a summer marred by record-shattering, deadly heat in the Pacific Northwest and yet another significant heat wave is on the way. Triple-digit temperatures will roast cities like Portland, Ore., Medford and Spokane, while the risk of wildfires ramps up over the region.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/08/09/pacific-northwest-heatwave-fires-california/
“Hot, dry weather means more grasshoppers feasting on Saskatchewan crops…
“Grasshopper numbers are high across Saskatchewan this year, according to reports from growers, agronomists and industry representatives, he said. When they find food they like, they eat a crop’s marketable flowers and seeds.”
https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/hot-dry-weather-means-more-grasshoppers-feasting-on-sask-crops-1.5540276
“Chilling video shows people up to their necks in water in elevator during Omaha flash floods…
“Torrential rains drenched eastern Nebraska on Saturday night, leading to flash flooding… accompanied by 60 mph winds and hail. Several other videos have emerged from the region, revealing the extent of the devastation.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/omaha-nebraska-floods-elevator-video-b1899355.html
“Tropical storm watches issued as Potential Tropical Cyclone 6 heads for Caribbean.
“A long quiet spell for tropical activity in the Atlantic has drawn to a close with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) designation of Potential Tropical Cyclone 6 at 5 p.m. EDT Monday, August 9…
“…headed for the Greater Antilles.”
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/08/tropical-storm-watches-issued-as-potential-tropical-cyclone-6-heads-for-caribbean/
“Record-breaking extreme heat and cold events may result from similar underlying mechanisms…
“Abrupt temperature increases in an upper layer of the atmosphere, called sudden stratospheric warming, can drastically alter how the polar vortex and jet stream behave and interact, according to Zhang. The resulting weather can become even more extreme when complicated by changeable ocean temperatures and Arctic Ocean sea ice.”
https://phys.org/news/2021-08-record-breaking-extreme-cold-events-result.html
“Vanishing ice and threat of extinction of polar bears – dire Arctic forecast from Fyodor Konyukhov… One of the world’s most renowned travellers, Fyodor, 69, said he couldn’t find old ice (that survived at least one season of melting) on which to set up the scientific station.
“‘The Arctic is changing so much,’ he said. ‘I’ve witnessed global changes in the ice situation in the Arctic Ocean. ’90% of ice crushed by the icebreaker on the way to the North Pole was new ice formed during winter 2020-2021.”
https://siberiantimes.com/other/others/news/vanishing-ice-and-threat-of-extinction-to-polar-bears-dire-arctic-forecast-from-explorer-fyodor-konyukhov/
“Human activity is changing the Earth’s climate in ways “unprecedented” in thousands or hundreds of thousands of years, with some of the changes now inevitable and “irreversible”, climate scientists have warned.
“Within the next two decades, temperatures are likely to rise by more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, breaching the ambition of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, and bringing widespread devastation and extreme weather.”
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/aug/09/humans-have-caused-unprecedented-and-irreversible-change-to-climate-scientists-warn
The climate not the only threat we face, of course: “They’re in our oceans, our suncream and our seafood, but what are microplastics doing to our health?
“…Early evidence suggests that plastic accumulation may not be at all good for the body… [Research points to] DNA damage, inflammatory and immune reactions, and neurotoxic effects in brain cells.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/oceans-suncream-seafood-microplastics-health/
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an ‘Economic’ thread.
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