Thank you to all my readers and especially paying subscribers for their patience in my absence. I hope February is treating you kindly. I’ll be back at my station for the foreseeable now…
“There are signs of an “extraordinary marine heatwave” in the Antarctic, a scientist monitoring ocean temperatures in the region has warned.
“While the south pole previously appeared to buck the trend of global heating seen elsewhere, cooling until the 1980s, the continent is now one of the fastest-warming places on the planet – and is seeing record-high temperatures as sea ice levels hit new lows.”
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/extraordinary-marine-heatwave-could-threaten-173212921.html
“New Zealand declared a national state of emergency for only the third time in its history on Tuesday as Cyclone Gabrielle caused widespread flooding, landslides and huge ocean swells, forcing evacuations and stranding people on roof tops.
“Cancelled flights stranded thousands of people, while hundreds of thousands remained without power.”
“Cyclone Gabrielle notable stats:
“-Whangārei had its wettest Feb day on record
-Napier had its 2nd wettest Feb day on record
-Auckland has had over 55% of its annual normal rainfall in 45 days!”
https://twitter.com/NiwaWeather/status/1625273891131379712
“Bushfires flare out of control in south-west Queensland as residents urged to flee.
“Communities in south-west Queensland have been evacuated and homes hit by fast-moving bushfires, as residents of Myall Park and Hookswood near the town of Miles were urged to leave immediately.”
“The Government of Chile reported that there are about 300 active fires in the country.
“The Chilean Government has reported on Monday that there are 303 fires detected in the country as a whole, of which 82 are “in combat”, that is, uncontrolled, three more than on Sunday.”
Image of fire tornado in Chile:
https://twitter.com/Gsk339/status/1625139729275445250
“This is by a huge margin the hottest summer ever recorded in Argentina. The extreme heat started in November (last meteorological spring month but with full summer conditions).
“The Nov 2022-Jan 2023 record warm period is being joined by a stifling February.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1624770300658466827
“Historic heat also in Uruguay.
“The town of Colonia with 40.8C [105.4F] had its highest temperature on records, the Carrasco AP of the capital Montevideo with 41.0C tied its record of January 2022. Monthly records: Durazno, Tacuarembo, Rocha 39.0 (tied),Treinta y Tres (today).”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1625253483019644928
“Peru mudslides leave villagers with ‘nothing left’.
“Torrential rain late last week in Mariano Valcarel district of the southwestern Arequipa region provoked a mudslide on the San Martin mountain. Several communes were buried under mud and rocks, leaving 18 dead and around 20 others missing.”
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230212-peru-mudslides-leave-villagers-with-nothing-left
“‘Double-edged sword’: why the badly needed rains in California could fuel catastrophic fires.
“…the rains that hammered California this winter came as a mixed blessing, delivering badly needed relief while posing new risks. Along with seeding the tinder of tomorrow, the inclement weather hampered efforts to perform essential landscape treatments needed to mitigate the risks of catastrophic fire.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/13/california-storms-rains-drought-fires
“Following an unseasonably warm winter, spring has arrived historically early in parts of the US, despite Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions of a long winter.
“Parts of the South are seeing either the earliest spring on record or a spring that only occurs this early every 40 years, according to the National Phenology Network.”
“The National Weather Service reports that the average temperature for the month of January on Martha’s Vineyard was just over 40° [4.4C], the warmest on record.
“The weather service has been tracking temperatures on the Island since 1946… That beats out the previous record of 38.9°, recorded in 2006.”
https://www.mvtimes.com/2023/02/13/hottest-january-record-marthas-vineyard/
“Authorities in Vermont are warning ice fishers to stay off the ice of a lake after three people died after falling into the lake last week.
“According to the U.S. National Weather Service Burlington, the area has experienced temperatures between 7 degrees to 15 degrees above normal in the past week, saying Tuesday that it’s been an “abnormally warm” February so far.”
https://abcnews.go.com/US/3-fisherman-dead-after-falling-icy-lake-vermont/story?id=97101697
“Great Lakes ice cover reaches record low.
“A much milder-than-average weather pattern across the Great Lakes for most of this winter has produced the lowest ice cover on record for the Great Lakes… As of Monday, ice covered only 8 percent of the Great Lakes.”
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/02/13/great-lakes-ice-cover-reaches-record-low
“‘Race against time’: Rideau Canal skating rink faces 1st year without opening.
“The opening of Canada’s iconic Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa has been pushed back continually this year as the nation’s capital and much of Ontario are experiencing an unusually “mild” winter season. The famous canal-turned-ice-rink has opened to the public every year since 1971.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/9483102/rideau-canal-skateway-closed-ottawa-weather/
“[Canada’s] Tornado count in 2022 tied all-time record – report.
“The researchers of Western University’s Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) have confirmed that 117 tornadoes were reported across Canada in 2022 – matching the all-time record set by the year prior, 2021… Ontario had the most number of tornadoes last year, with 51.”
“‘Exceptional’ warming: January temperatures 2.2 degrees higher than average in Europe…
“The month started with a record-breaking heatwave, as New Year’s Day saw an alarming number of heat records fall across the continent, with at least eight countries experiencing their warmest-ever January day. The climatologist Maximiliano Herrera… told CNN at the time that it was “the most extreme heat wave in European history.””
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/10/europe/europe-extreme-heat-january-climate-intl/index.html
“Kenya seeks divine help to end crippling, ongoing drought.
“With the prospect of a sixth consecutive failed rainy season in the east and Horn of Africa, Kenya’s president is hoping the heavens will finally open with the help of a national day of mass prayer on Tuesday. William Ruto announced the plans for the country’s first ever day of prayer on Sunday…”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ap-kenya-nairobi-horn-of-africa-nakuru-b2281712.html
“Floods claim 88 lives Mozambique…
“Since early February, heavy rains (reaching up to 100 mm in 24 hours) hit the southern region of Mozambique over the past ten days, causing widespread flooding and structural damages, particularly in Maputo city and Maputo province. At least 30,600 people (5,721 families) have reportedly been affected by flooding…”
https://www.cajnewsafrica.com/2023/02/13/floods-claim-88-lives-mozambique/
“South Africa Declares National State of Disaster Over Floods…
“It was the second such pronouncement in less than a week. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday declared a national state of disaster over an energy crisis that’s crippling the nation’s economy… The floods have damaged homes, businesses, basic infrastructure, roads, bridges and affected crops and livestock…”
“Global Warming Making India Vulnerable to Extreme Weather Events…
““The extremes are increasing — hot is becoming hotter and cold is becoming colder,” said M. Ravichandran, the top bureaucrat at the country’s earth sciences ministry. This trend is only going to intensify every year, driven by a warming planet, he said in an interview…”
“The rapid melting of glaciers in Kashmir and Ladakh has worried experts who say it would enhance serious implications for regional water availability and hydrological regimes…
“Kolahoi, the largest glacier of Kashmir valley’s Jhelum Basin, is retreating rapidly due to spurt rise in temperature triggered by global warming and extreme pollution.”
https://www.greaterkashmir.com/todays-paper/front-page/glaciers-in-kashmir-ladakh-melting-rapidly
“Central Asia is boiling under an unprecedented heat wave for early February with temperatures reaching:
“38.8C [101.8F] in India at Karwar, 38.3C at Ratnagir, 37.9C at Goa. 38.6C in NE Thailand at Mukdahan. Further West in Saudi Arabia 37.0C at Sharurah at 720m above sea level. Next heat wave: Pakistan.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1625140235704336384
“In recent days, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has seen strong winds.
“Today, 20 stations have recorded gusts of ＞30 m/s, and Everest Base Camp Station has recorded gusts of 60.0m/s [134.2mph], breaking the record of wind speed in Tibet! Strong wind blew sand, and stained the clouds yellow.”
https://twitter.com/yangyubin1998/status/1624748281283870720
“Historic heat wave in Taiwan with temperatures never seen before in February.
“36.3C [97.3F] at Dawu destroys the previous Taiwanese record 35.2C set at the same town on 24 February 1942. 36.0C at Neimen, 35.8C at Yujing. Monthly record also at Taichung with 33.2C and many others.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1625104291072466944
“New data gives NOAA more extensive picture of global climate.
“The new version of NOAA’s Global Temperature dataset shows similar warming trends in the Earth’s climate when compared to the previous version… This new information comes at a critical time in the Earth’s climate history.”
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-noaa-extensive-picture-global-climate.html
“Why Methane Surged in 2020…
“When NOAA released its 2020 numbers for atmospheric methane, many scientists were surprised. Though economic data showed that COVID-19-related lockdowns had led to improvements in air quality and reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, atmospheric methane still soared…
““The research team attributed about half of the increase in the 2020 growth rate to heightened emissions from wetlands… The scientists attributed the other half of the increase in the growth rate to a decline in emissions of NOx due to COVID-19 lockdowns.”
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/150967/why-methane-surged-in-2020
“Myth-buster: Why two degrees of global warming is worse than it sounds.
“…impacts will only intensify as the temperature continues to tick up… With every degree of warming, there’s also an increased likelihood of reduced crop yields, loss of biodiversity, and coral reef die-off, underscoring the fact that a seemingly small change can have major consequences.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
If you found value in this content, please help me continue this work by becoming a patron of my work via Patreon. And if you are already a subscriber or have donated – thank you! It is an enormous help as the cost-of-living crisis ratchets up here in the UK.
Welcome home, panopticon 🎈
I thought of you last night, watching an old Christmas special episode of Call the Midwife set on location in the Hebrides.
Another gloomy post on the climate. I was saddened about the Rideau Canal, I visited there in Feb 2005 and was so delighted by seeing the skaters, even commuting office-workers skating to work, and babies and little-uns in prams-with-skids (slide on/off wheels and skids) sliding along.
In south-east Oz, I have almost forgotten such things. After 3 years of non-stop rain and cool to cold temps in all 4 seasons, we finally had our first warm sunny genuine summer day on Xmas Eve. Since then, it’s been an “old” normal summer in my local region.
Thanks, Rain. I hope you are managing to keep in good spirits – the relentless rain and grey skies must be very trying. Even a week or two without seeing a blue sky is enough to have me questioning the point of it all.
Oh, the rain and chill has eased off a lot since late December. We didn’t have a spring, and summer was just very late starting for us unlike other southern hemisphere countries, Plenty of sun, even a mild 3-days-only heat-wave or two. So far. And the few bits of rain have been light, or overnight. Its like “Old normal” from 20 years ago has returned. Even here in the mountains having mostly cool chilly nights, just like we are supposed to get at our altitude!
A friend of mine who works at the Met office, said the La Nina will continue to ease until March when it should return to ENSO neutral for our autumn.
In June the Pacific Ocean temps will warn of an El Nino, and if it is to happen, whether it will be mild, moderate or severe.
But there are still grey skies, so to speak. I have connections, friends-of-the-family, in Turkey, Syria, Ukraine and New Zealand so phone calls snapping around in my life. So far, all are well enough, though the kiwi-cousins have lost their home and their insurance company has gone broke.
“…the kiwi-cousins have lost their home and their insurance company has gone broke.” What a nightmare.
“The insurance industry is in trouble. Let’s put aside the global economic downturn, and pull back from the wider financial sector. The long-term threat facing the industry is its inability to respond to climate change… When catastrophe strikes, insurance customers are often in dire need of a speedy payout, not years of legal disputes…”
https://www.altfi.com/article/10396_climate-change-is-triggering-a-generational-capital-crunch-across-insurance
hello Panopticon,
Back from away, hopefully you have a nice catch up with your family.
While you were away the earth shook and trembled. The biggest natural disaster in Europe for a century.
As I have many Turkish friends also in the affected areas, I could ‘feel’ and experience how insignificant we as humans are. Lives, families, homes and dreams and the work of years and generations gone in one fell swoop. Irreparable and relentless. How the ‘ small economy’ that nobody ever writes about is supposed to recover for all those broken families, the lost animals and torn up orchards nobody knows.
We rant on in our general reflections and leave the rubble to those ‘ affected by it’
Well and then this winter… since a week the weather has turned around here high in the mountains. Sunshine every day and ‘ warm’ as you point out. Winter heatwave…. Thanks to this heatwave, ‘ we’ have made it as far as energy is concerned.
No blackouts at all and energy bills are dropping. Miraculously, both France and the Netherlands indicate that their economies continue to grow. The divide between rich and poor is increasing that much is clear.
Thank you, Zip – it was actually a very successful trip. Of course I heard about the quake and saw the horrendous pictures on the TV. I’m afraid one of my very gloomy thoughts was to wonder how long it will be before extreme weather events start notching up body counts on that scale. Not long, I fear.
On marine heatwaves, we have a significant one around NZ right now and this is having a devastating impact on seabirds. Basically the young-ones can’t get to their food sources as they have gone deeper to find cooler water. A recent article indicated 90% of our birds are under threat. NZ happens to be a stop-off point for many migratory birds.
Panopticon – your daily updates are important and sobering. Keep up the great work.
Craig, thank you for the kind words. I hope you are not affected by the floods and now the quake!
Not affected where we are in the South Island but friends in the North have been pretty battered. It terms of impact this is the worst storm since Cyclone Bola, however this one has had more widespread impacts mainly because it arrived on top of two atmospheric river events that flooded Auckland and other areas a few weeks ago. The soil was already saturated and there was no buffer left so any rain immediately turned small streams into torrents.
Thanks for the intel, Craig. I’d not heard of Cyclone Bola before; it pre-dates my compulsive news-gathering. 😬😆 …My goodness, peak winds of 121 mph – sounds fearsome! It’s around the same strength as Storm Eunice last February, which brought with it England’s strongest gust of wind on record at 122mph.