“Another sign things are getting weird: Lightning around the North Pole increased dramatically in 2021…
“Vaisala, an environmental monitoring company that tracks lightning around the world, reported 7,278 lightning strokes occurred last year north of 80 degrees latitude, nearly twice as many as the previous nine years combined.”
“Highest minimum temperatures ever for December recorded at seven weather stations [Ireland].
“If you thought December to be milder than usual, you were not wrong, as seven weather stations in Ireland recorded their highest minimum temperature for December ever last month, Met Éireann has said.”
“Christmas Day broke record for highest daily rainfall in December…
“Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford [Ireland] weather station recorded 58.9mm daily total rainfall on Saturday 25th December, its wettest December day since its records began 80 years ago.”
“Living on the edge! Hundreds of caravans are now just yards from the precipice of Devon cliff [UK] after huge landslide sent tons of cliff crashing onto the beach below…
“It follows a number of cliff falls in the area over the last 18 months, with Exmouth and Sidmouth seeing some of the most severe.”
“5th January was the warmest January day on record for Moldova:
“With 17.4C [63.3F] Tiraspol recorded a new January national record smashing the 16.0C of Dubosari on 21 January 2007. 5 days into 2022 and already 5 countries broke their January record of highest temperature.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1478796919212236809
“Deforestation Has Doubled Risk of Flash Flooding in Fast-Growing West African Coastal Cities…
“The frequency of thunderstorms in some fast-growing African coastal cities has doubled over the past 30 years, with much of this increase linked to the impact of deforestation on the local climate, a study has found.”
“In Madagascar, beekeepers persist in the face of fires and forest loss…
“The Anjozorobe Angavo forest corridor is one of the few remaining primary forests in the Central Highlands of Madagascar. Home to a number of rare and endemic species, this primary forest is undergoing a rapid decline, driven primarily by fires.”
“Failed Rainy Seasons Bring Famine Concerns to Eastern Africa.
“Following three consecutive failed rainy seasons, more than 20 million people in eastern Africa now face some of the worst food security risks in 35 years. Climate and agriculture experts are advising governments and relief agencies to expect a significant need for food assistance in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia.”
“Torrential rain wreaks havoc in Kasur, Balochistan [Pakistan]… At least three people on Thursday have lost their lives while six others sustained severe injuries in two separate rain-related mishaps in Kasur…
“Balochistan is facing worst rain disaster as emergency has been imposed in Kech and Pasni.”
https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/635733-Torrential-rain-wreaks-havoc-Kasur-Balochistan
“Afghanistan: 11 killed, 23 injured in snow avalanches, floods across Afghanistan on Wednesday… [I hope this at least brings some drought relief.]
“Citing officials of the Taliban-led Afghan government, Bakhtar News Agency said that 90 per cent of the country’s territory witnessed snow or rainfall that led to financial loss besides the deaths and injuries…”
“Pahang floods [Malaysia] claim lives of over 17,000 animals.
“The floods in Pahang have claimed the lives of a total of 17,403 livestock and pets, incurring an estimated loss of over RM1.4 million as of Wednesday, said state Veterinary Services Department director, Dr Kamaliah Ghazali.”
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/01/761038/pahang-floods-claim-lives-over-17000-animals
“Nadma orders disaster control centres in Sabah, Sarawak [Timur Malaysia] to brace for floods.
“State and district level disaster operation control centres in Sarawak and Sabah have been ordered to make preparations, including activating on-site control posts, to face the possibility of floods.”
“Jayapura in Papua is currently devastated by widespread flooding as the region experienced heavy rainfall on Thursday, January 6. It caused a number of landslides that unfortunately killed seven people and injured six.
“The Papua Disaster Mitigation Agency announced that other areas affected by the 2-3 meter floods are North Jayapura, Abepura, and Muara Tami, Antaranews reported.”
https://en.tempo.co/read/1547536/major-flooding-in-jayapura-papua-caused-by-heavy-rainfall
“Australia Links Increasing Megafires to Climate Change.
“Climate change has driven a measurable increase in Australia’s forest fire activity over the last 30 years, finds new research conducted by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO… Australia’s mean temperature has increased by 1.4 degrees Celsius since 1910, with a rapid increase in extreme heat events….”
https://ens-newswire.com/australia-links-increasing-megafires-to-climate-change/
“Argentine Patagonia hit by devastating fire covering over 80,000 hectares…
“Some 226 firefighters were deployed, in addition to nine planes, eight helicopters, six lorries and other equipment to put down the flames.
“The incident began last Saturday down National Route 3, making it necessary to evacuate the town of Puerto Pirámides.”
“Heatwave to hit Argentina, further stressing corn, soybean crops.
“Most of Argentina’s agricultural region will be hit in the coming days by a heatwave accompanied by little or no rainfall, adding pressure to adverse conditions that its corn and soybean crops have suffered for weeks, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said on Thursday.”
“The Paraguayan government announced a series of contingency measures to help the productive sector affected by the drought, the Paraguayan Information Agency (IP) announced…
“…he highlighted the climatic factor that is already hitting the country…”
“The bodies of four swimmers have been found mauled by piranhas in a spate of attacks that has sent shockwaves throughout South America.
“The attacks happened in Paraguay, where people have visited local rivers in large numbers during the current [unprecedented] heatwave in order to cool down.”
“More flooding brings misery to Brazil after very heavy rain.
“Latest deluge sees around 823 people impacted by the floods, with more than 200 families being forced out of their homes.” [Video]
https://news.sky.com/video/more-flooding-brings-misery-to-brazil-after-very-heavy-rain-12510619
“On 1st January the station of Gallinas in Mexico, with fohn effect, rose to 41.7C [107.1F], the highest reliable temperature ever recorded in North America in January (previous 41.5C in San Miguel, El Salvador in 1959) and at record levels for the whole Hemisphere in the 1st decade of January.“
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1479150802224787458
“Heavy rains, warm winters and broken records: 2021 was a year of weather extremes in El Paso [Texas]. Scientists agree that climate change caused by human activity pushes up temperatures across the United States, particularly in the Southwest.
“2021 will be remembered as one of El Paso’s hottest years and wettest monsoon seasons dating back to 1879…”
“Dust Is a Growing Problem [US]. What Role Does Farmland Play?
“As hurricane force, record-breaking winds blew through eastern Colorado in mid-December, the skies took on an eerie sepia glow… a massive dust storm roiled through the Great Plains states, impacting 100 million people. Two weeks later, high winds and severe drought led to the devastating Marshall wildfire in urban northern Colorado.”
https://civileats.com/2022/01/06/dust-growing-problem-farmland-pollution-soil-cover-crops-tillage/
“Colorado authorities say last week’s wildfire caused $513 million in damage and destroyed 1,084 homes and structures.
“It’s the first estimate of economic damage for the Dec. 30 blaze, the most destructive wildfire in state history.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/colorado-boulder-denver-b1988407.html
“‘Everything is at risk’: flood survivors urge Congress to change inadequate insurance.
“With towns and cities across the US increasingly deluged by ferocious storms and rising sea levels, a group of disaster survivors has pleaded with the federal government to overhaul a flood insurance system they say is ill-equipped for an era of climate crisis.”
“Early data ranks 2021 as Earth’s fifth warmest year. The ranking signals that the temporary cooling influence of a moderate La Niña event in the tropical Pacific Ocean cannot do much to dampen the influence of human-caused global warming.“
https://www.axios.com/earth-fifth-warmest-year-2021-294a8527-ad08-45a8-9b01-c0de5dbba87d.html
“How chemical pollution is suffocating the sea.
“Since the 1960s, the extent of open ocean with low oxygen has increased by roughly the area of the European Union. More than 500 low-oxygen sites have been identified in coastal waters. These “dead zones” can cause mass killings of fish and are contributing to climate change. But the problem starts on land, with chemical pollution.”
https://www.economist.com/films/2022/01/06/how-chemical-pollution-is-suffocating-the-sea
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here. I’ll be back over the weekend with (probably) an ‘Economic’ thread.
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