Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.

Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.
Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.

Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.
Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.

Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.
Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.

Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.
Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.

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Hundreds of Eastern warm records and Western cold records set this week [across the US]…

“Sometimes it feels hyperbolic to say there are too many records to count, but in this case it’s quite true when it comes to the wacky winter warmth in the East.

Climate expert Maximiliano Herrera called it the “harshest winter heat wave in history” for the region.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/02/24/february-temperature-records-heat-cold/


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It’s never been this warm in February. Here’s why that’s not a good thing…

Here’s a stark example: Before this decade, Charleston, West Virginia, had only hit 80 degrees before March three times in more than 100 years of record-keeping. But this week’s incredible warmth will mean that four of the last six years will have logged temperatures of 80 degrees, which is its normal high on June 1, in February.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/23/us/early-spring-record-warmth-impacts-climate/index.html


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Exceptional! Nashville in Tennessee reached 85F [29.4C], this pulverized its record of the highest winter day on records and it ties the highest temperature ever recorded in winter in the whole State of Tennessee.

“Hundreds and hundreds of records are being pulverized. Truly historic event.”

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1628852725776515073


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More records fell yesterday in Florida and Cuba.

Pensacola in Florida with 83F/28C had its warmest February day on records, while in Cuba exceptional 35.0C/95F at Santa Lucia in Pinar del Rio Province, is also a record for February. The station also beat also its January record.”

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1629141601384554496


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On 22 February the Cuban capital Havana (La Habana) had its hottest February day on records with 34.5C/94F. The previous was 34.0C on 12 February 2021.

This is the 3rd time the February record is beaten in the past 4 years. Last month it also beat its January record.”

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1628811923390099466


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Cuban firefighters battle raging forest fire.

“The blaze, which began on Saturday, has consumed large areas and caused extensive damage to forest plantations and coffee crops in the mountains of Pinares de Mayari in Holguin province, some 800 kilometers east of Havana. It has also caused great damage to wildlife and plants.”

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cuban-firefighters-battle-raging-forest-fire-2023-02-24/


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It’s not every day you see the subtropical jet stream dip almost down to the equator!”

[From Jennifer Francis’s Twitter feed. She knows a thing or two about jet streams.]

https://twitter.com/JFrancisClimate/status/1629238737849794562


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Rare EF2 tornado confirmed after heavy damage in New Jersey.

“Tuesday’s tornado was a rare February event for the state, leaving behind heavy damage to homes and other structures, making some uninhabitable in Lawrence and Hamilton townships, according to authorities.”

https://www.accuweather.com/en/severe-weather/possible-tornado-strikes-central-new-jersey/1486790


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Reports of a powder in the air and on some vehicles in parts of the mid-Atlantic U.S. have prompted an investigation by state environment officials in at least one state…

Social media users posted about seeing the powder in the air and on cars on Friday in West Virginia, northern Virginia and Maryland. A state lab in West Virginia will test the dust to determine if it’s related to recent dust storms in the Midwest.”

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/west-virginia-officials-investigate-reports-powder-air-97454087


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Nearly a million across US without power as wild winter storm hits…

Michigan bore the brunt of power outages on Thursday with more than 820,000 homes and businesses left cold into the evening, as the state faced one of the worst ice storms seen in decades. DTE, one of the largest power providers in the state, reported “extreme amounts of damage” to power infrastructure…”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/23/winter-storms-us-high-temperatures-snow-blizzard-winds


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Tooele [Utah] records largest 24-hour snowfall on record with 23 inches [58.4cm]…

“Many photos shared by Utah’s Weather Authority showed the intensity of the storm that pummeled Utah on Tuesday night and Wednesday, bringing at least a foot of snow to many cities.”

https://www.fox13now.com/weather/tooele-records-largest-24-hour-snowfall-on-record-with-23-inches


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Portland records snowiest day since 1943, landing at No. 2 on all-time list.

“Portland hasn’t seen this much snow all at once in 80 years. “This is a big deal,” said Tonja Fransen, a meteorologist at the local National Weather Service office. Portland International Airport recorded 10.8 inches [27.4cm] Wednesday, beating out the 9.3 inches that fell on a January day in 1956.”

https://www.oregonlive.com/weather/2023/02/portland-records-snowiest-day-since-1943-landing-at-no-2-on-all-time-list.html


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Southern California delights in rare snowfall as winter storm intensifies.

“A slow-moving winter storm intensified over California on Friday, triggering the first blizzard warning in parts of the Los Angeles area in 30 years and creating the extraordinary sight of snowflakes swirling around the iconic Hollywood sign.”

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/blizzard-warnings-extend-into-southern-california-snowflakes-brush-hollywood-2023-02-24/


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During the heat wave of the past few days, 7 stations in Peru had their warmest February day on records.

“Temperature rose up to 39C [102.2F] at San Miguel, near Piura, in the North, but records were broken even in the South of the country.”

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1629035906408624128


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Wildfires devastate Chile vines.

“Devastating wildfires wiped out around 1,000ha of land at the start of February in southern Chile, including many centenary vineyards and wineries, also leaving 25 people dead… although the full extent of the damage isn’t yet known, it’s already being called the worst such catastrophe to hit the region.”

https://drinksint.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/10493/Wildfires_devastate_Chile_vines.html


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Climate change, rampant urbanization fuel Brazil storm disasters.

“Climate change and unchecked construction in flood- and landslide-prone areas are making disasters like the violent storm that killed at least 48 people in southeastern Brazil ever more frequent, according to a leading expert.”

https://phys.org/news/2023-02-climate-rampant-urbanization-fuel-brazil.html


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England needs new reservoirs or food supplies will be at risk, warns NFU chief.

“New reservoirs are needed across England to cope with increasingly severe water shortages that are putting the UK at risk of not being able to grow the food consumers require, a farming leader has warned.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/23/england-needs-new-reservoirs-food-supplies-nfu-chief-farming-water-shortages


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France declares water restrictions, for the first time in winter.

“Christophe Bechu, the French Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, has announced an unprecedented environmental measure by ordering the limitation to water usage in parts of the country starting from 1 March.”

https://www.themayor.eu/en/a/view/france-declares-water-restrictions-for-the-first-time-in-winter-11573?trans=en-US


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Italy’s drought crisis is driving more and more wild boar into cities causing increasing death and damage and exacerbating an already critical invasion situation, farmers group Coldiretti said Friday.

“The drought has shriveled crops and dried up streams pushing boar ever more towards urban and coastal centres in search of food and water.”

https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2023/02/24/drought-driving-wild-boar-into-cities-say-farmers_e5af426b-7c92-4af6-a064-6223b524fbf9.html


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Food Shortage: Morocco Destroys 400 Tonnes of Products ‘Unfit’ for Consumption…

“The news of the food waste and violations comes at a time when big importers of Moroccan produce are complaining about the lack of supplies from the North African country. UK residents have been posting videos and pictures online of empty fruit and vegetable shelves.”

https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/02/354180/food-shortage-morocco-destroys-400-tonnes-of-products-unfit-for-consumption


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South Sudan’s oil production reduces to 140,000 barrels due to floods.

“South Sudan’s oil production has dropped to 140,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 160,000 bpd in 2022 due to recent heavy flooding in the northern oil fields, said Minister of Petroleum Puot Kang Chol on the sidelines of the economic forum in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.”

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2023/02/25/south-sudan039s-oil-production-reduces-to-140000-barrels-due-to-floods


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Flood-hit stretches of the Vaal [South Africa] are calling for the area to be declared a disaster zone…

Now, as residents try to pick up what’s left of their lives, the South African Weather Service is warning of further heavy rains as tropical storm Cyclone Freddy edges closer. Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal are bracing to receive the brunt of the storm.”

https://www.enca.com/news/vaal-floods-leave-victims-homeless


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Cyclone Freddy hits Mozambique with ‘dangerous’ rainfall.

“Tropical Cyclone Freddy dumped “dangerous and exceptional rainfall levels” over Mozambique on Friday as the long-lasting weather system continued to wreak havoc across southern Africa, the United Nations weather agency said.”

https://www.chardandilminsternews.co.uk/news/national/23345345.cyclone-freddy-hits-mozambique-dangerous-rainfall/


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Warmest and driest February for Northern India; a double whammy for farmers.

“The month of February, otherwise the rainiest winter month for the plains witnessed near extinction of wet spells this season. Sub divisions of West & East Uttar Pradesh, East & West Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi have literally been routed with rainfall deficiency of 95-100%.”

https://www.skymetweather.com/content/weather-news-and-analysis/warmest-and-driest-february-for-north-india-double-whammy-for-farmer/


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Rising Heat in India Raises Alarm on Another Energy Crunch…

“The unusually early onset of hotter weather — and forecasts that power consumption will rise as irrigation pumps and air conditioners are cranked up — is fuelling concern that the nation’s energy network will come under new strain, after two successive years of disruptions.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-24/rising-heat-in-india-is-raising-alarm-on-another-energy-crunch


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Wetter storms, deforestation: Manila [Philippines] faces worsening floods…

“The combination of development in the catchment and wetter storms caused by climate change have exacerbated flooding in Manila, said Mr Rex Cruz, a watershed management expert at the University of the Philippines.”

https://www.todayonline.com/world/wetter-storms-deforestation-manila-faces-worsening-floods-2113906


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Marine heatwaves decimate sea urchins, mollusks and more at Rottnest.

“Curtin University researchers believe rising sea temperatures are to blame for the plummeting number of invertebrates such as mollusks and sea urchins at Rottnest Island off Western Australia, with some species having declined by up to 90 percent between 2007 and 2021.”

https://phys.org/news/2023-02-marine-heatwaves-decimate-sea-urchins.html


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Australia Heat Wave:

After a very hot day, tonight it was a record hot night in some areas of South Australia with some stations breaking their records of the highest minimum temperatures recorded in February as high as 30.0C / 86F.”

https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/162908120454387712


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Intense fire risk has closed Herbert Forest [Oamaru, NZ] until further notice.

“Cycling and walking tracks in the popular recreation forest, 26km south of Oamaru, had been closed for a fortnight due to the high risk of fire, Port Blakely Ltd production and protection forester Nick Henderson said. The closure would not be reviewed until there had been significant rainfall.”

https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/forest-closed-due-risk-%E2%80%98intense%E2%80%99-fire


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Land carbon stores are increasingly destabilized.

“A new study published in the journal Nature has found that the world’s forests, as well as other habitats that store carbon in plants and soils, are losing their ability to absorb carbon due to increasingly unstable conditions caused by human activities.”

https://www.earth.com/news/land-carbon-stores-are-increasingly-destabilized/


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This ‘climate-friendly’ fuel comes with an astronomical cancer risk.

“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently gave a Chevron refinery the green light to create fuel from discarded plastics as part of a climate-friendly initiative to boost alternatives to petroleum. But, according to agency records obtained by ProPublica and the Guardian, the production of one of the fuels could emit air pollution that is so toxic, one out of four people exposed to it over a lifetime could get cancer.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/23/climate-friendly-us-program-plastics-fuel-cancer


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Ecosystem collapse ‘inevitable’ unless wildlife losses reversed.

“The steady destruction of wildlife can suddenly tip over into total ecosystem collapse, scientists studying the greatest mass extinction in Earth’s history have found… new research shows total ecosystem collapse is “inevitable”, if the losses are not reversed, the scientists said.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/24/ecosystem-collapse-wildlife-losses-permian-triassic-mass-extinction-study


You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back on Monday with an “Economic” thread.

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