“Bacteria in Antarctica have been discovered with genes that give them natural antibiotic and antimicrobial resistance and have the potential to spread out of the polar regions, according to scientists in Chile.
“Andres Marcoleta, a researcher from the University of Chile… said that these “superpowers” which evolved to resist extreme conditions are contained in mobile DNA fragments that can easily be transferred to other bacteria…
“”It is worth asking whether climate change could have an impact on the occurrence of infectious diseases,” Marcoleta said. “In a possible scenario, these genes could leave this reservoir and promote the emergence and proliferation of infectious diseases.””
“Sydney records wettest Autumn on record.
“Sydney has recorded its wettest Autumn on record with rain expected to continue through to Winter. The city has recorded 988 millimetres [38.9 inches] of rain in three months – two and a half times it’s average.”
“26th May was a historic day in China: The city of Turpan (42,5N) had an incredible minimum temperature of 32.8C [91.04F], by far the highest in May in Chinese history.
“This pulverizes the previous national record of 30.7C (set at Dongfang) and its previous own of 29.9C (31 May 2008).”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1529779388794843136
“4 Killed After Heavy Rains Cause Landslides And Flooding In Vietnam.
“Floods and other natural disasters triggered by heavy downpours have killed four people and left four others injured in northern and central Vietnam over the past few days, the country’s Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said on Wednesday.”
“‘He never returned’: Widespread misery in India’s flooded Assam…
“The heavy pre-monsoon rains caused extensive damage to rail links and highways even as government officials said they were working “on a war-footing” to restore connectivity and provide relief. The Kopili River, a tributary of the mighty Brahmaputra, is still flowing over the danger mark.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/26/he-never-returned-widespread-misery-in-indias-flooded-assam
“At least 250 sheep were killed by lightning in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, official sources said on Wednesday.
“”The incident took place in a pasture in Hoksar area of Kokernag tehsil in Anantnag district during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday,” official sources said.”
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/lightning-kills-250-sheep-in-jks-anantnag
“‘It seems this heat will take our lives’: Pakistan city fearful after hitting 51C…
“Most workers take two hours off in the afternoon, according to Ali, and then go back to work. “When it gets too hot, we used to sit under the water handpump and use ice water. In the evening when we return home we get extremely tired and want to rest but because of the heat, we do not get enough sleep.”
“The Middle East’s $13 billion sandstorm problem is about to get worse…
“Sandstorms know no borders. They threaten to wreak havoc on a region that’s vital to the global economy, with the potential to impact everything from the price of gas at the pump in the United States to how soon a customer in Spain can receive a package from China.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/25/middleeast/climate-change-sand-storms-mime-intl/index.html
“Water crisis fuelling human wildlife conflict in Zimbabwe…
“In Zimbabwe, human wildlife conflict cases commonly involve animals like baboons, foxes, elephants and hippos due to shortage of food and water in the wild. Elephants and hippos usually destroy maize fields and encounters with wild animals can result in injury and death.”
“Ghana: Torrential Rains Flood Accra Again! … Disrupt Economic Activities, Wreak Havoc On Infrastructure.
“Disruption to work, heavy vehicular traffic, large swamps of running water on roads, breakdown of vehicles and roads being destroyed characterised yesterday’s downpour in Accra resulting in floods in many parts of the capital and adjoining areas.”
https://allafrica.com/stories/202205260299.html
“26th May was another hot day in the Mediterranean with 44.0C [111.2F] in Tunisia, over 37C in Italy, Greece and Turkey and 35.7C in North Macedonia.
“New May heat record for Rome and Vatican City (reference station is nearby Roma Macao) with 35.6C / 96.1F (15-min. high).”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1529896398962819073
“30 litres [ie mm’s] of rain within minutes, freak storm leaves path of destruction in Mallorca.
“The storm which hit the island in the early hours of this morning left a path of destruction and smashed rainfall records… The freak storm smashed numerous rainfall records. The last big rainfall record was 29 litres per square metre in Porto Pi in September 2015.”
“Hailstorm in Northern Croatia Destroys Almost Half of Country’s Flower Production.
“The hailstorm hit the area along the border with Slovenia in Krapina-Zagorje County, a number of communities and towns in Varaždin County and a part of Međimurje County. Veliki Bukovec in Varaždin County and Hum na Sutli in Krapina-Zagorje County have suffered the most extensive damage.”
“Drought in Poland threat to global food market.
“The problem of drought is, next to the war in Ukraine, a serious threat to the global food and agricultural market… Unfortunately, such severe water shortages reduce the yield potential in almost all EU countries. As a result, wheat futures contracts in world markets are rising.”
https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9430763/drought-in-poland-threat-to-global-food-market/
“Drought crisis: Belgium asks permission to ignore certain EU agricultural rules…
“The CAP sets out a series of measures for European agricultural markets. Notably, the Belgium government has asked to be excused from paying certain bonuses towards the improvement of environmental performance on farms.”
“Britain’s dying butterflies: Half of UK’s native species are now at risk of extinction because of habitat loss and climate change – with another 8 added to ‘red list’…
“This represents a 26 per cent increase in the number of at-risk species, according to wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation, which compiled the list.”
“It’s exceptionally cold in Nunavut, Northern Canada. Today Hall Beach dropped to -22.2C [-7.96F], which is a record low for late May at sea level.
“As reference Canadian June record low: -20.6C at the same Hall Beach; In Northern Hemisphere: -22.2C at Mys Sterlegova and Andreya Island (Russia).”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1529567984691183616
“Rain warnings, rising Gatineau River [[Quebec] has more residents bracing for flooding… For 3rd time in 6 years, residents on river’s edge are filling sandbags…
“”Citizens need to be prepared and they need to do what they have to do, because they do have a responsibility,” said Gatineau Mayor France Bélisle during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/gatineau-river-flooding-concerns-again-1.6465658
“Everything, everywhere, all at once: The 2022 flood season in Manitoba…
“”We’ve dealt with floods in the past, but what is different is it is coming from all angles and all directions,” Premier Heather Stefanson said at a news briefing earlier this week. “It’s affecting many more Manitobans at the same time than maybe it has in the past.””
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/flood-2022-manitoba-analysis-1.6465372
“‘We’re starting to see some of those worst-case scenarios’: Fraser Valley residents [British Columbia] warned to be prepared for potential spring flooding…
““What we’re doing here is not to try and alarm people but is to be proactive, be ready before an event happens,” said Jason Lum, chair of the FVRD.” [picture from last year’s flooding]
“California drought could nearly halve hydropower output, boost electricity prices…
“In its supplemental outlook, the EIA expects that the dip in hydropower generation would lead to an 8% increase in electricity generation from natural gas, an increase in energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 6%, and a roughly 5% increase in wholesale electricity prices throughout the West…”
“US firefighters rescue Cinder the elk calf from wildfire ashes.
“Firefighters have rescued an abandoned newborn elk calf found amid the ashes of the nation’s largest wildfire as calving season approaches its peak in New Mexico and fires rage across the American west.”
https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/05/26/us-firefighters-rescue-cinder-the-elk-calf-from-wildfire-ashes/
“Interior Department announces $33M to clean up 277 methane-spewing wells on federal land. There are millions more…
“The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates there are around 3 million idle or unproductive oil and gas wells around the nation, and orphaned wells are a subset of that number.”
“Now Even Chicken Is Getting Too Expensive?
“The world’s most popular meat has succumbed to inflation. That’s what happens when three pandemics coincide with a drought… The cost of chicken is so intimately related to the grains used to fatten broilers that analysts often study price-feed ratios, which estimate meat as a mathematical product of corn and soy prices…”
“Climate change: Could beer made from urine help water shortages? …aside from its environmental aims, drinkers seem to like the beer. “It definitely goes down smooth,” one man told the BBC. “I could probably, if I wanted to, drink a whole lot of those.””
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/beer-water-shortage-urine-climate-b2087786.html
“Israeli study: Climate change already causing storm levels only expected in 2080…
“The study, which compared previous predictions of human-caused intensification of winter storms in the Southern Hemisphere with current storm observations, found that the “bleak” reality was far worse than expected.”
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here. I’ll be back over the weekend with an ‘Economic’ thread.
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Everyone here probably already knows that at 51C and 32% humidity, the wet bulb temperature is above 35 degrees, and is therefore unsurvivable without some sort of auxiliary cooling. I suspect the humidity in Pakistan is pretty high …
Lou, this recent study suggests that the wet bulb temps situation is worse than feared:
“In summary, a wet-bulb temperature threshold cannot be applied to human adaptability across all climatic conditions and where appropriate (high humidity), that threshold is well below 35°C.”
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/japplphysiol.00738.2021
“… values were relatively constant across 36°C –40°C humid environments and averaged 30.55 ± 0.98°C but progressively decreased (higher deviation from 35°C) in hotter, dry ambient environment.”
So, ~30C, but worse as the temp goes up. Clearly, the only thing keeping those Pakistanis alive is their ingenuity and intelligence. If an individual there makes one mistake, he is dead. The statistics are no doubt being skewed by misdiagnosis (heart attack, simple exhaustion), or no diagnosis.
BTW: Color me impressed (again) that you have all this stuff at your fingertips. Amazing.
Thank you, Lou!