“Extreme heat event ongoing in Texas: Falcon Lake in Texas just hit 104F/40C – this is the earliest 104F/40C ever recorded in the climatic history of the United States with even hotter conditions expected tomorrow…
“Update: 105F/40.6C now at Falcon Lake, extraordinary event with even hotter conditions expected tomorrow.” [You may recall that Falcon Lake recorded the US’s hottest ever January temp in Jan 2022 – 99F / 37.2C.]
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1631043899392245760
“West Texas town looks like Mars after mighty dust storm blankets region.
“An epic dust storm, also called a haboob, is pounding West Texas’ biggest cities this week. The dust coated Lubbock and other cities in the region starting late last week. Houston and the surrounding areas saw varying levels of hazy conditions and unusually vivid sunsets as a result.”
https://www.chron.com/weather/article/dust-storm-texas-17810928.php
“Gulf of Mexico warming at faster rate than global ocean, study finds.
“For decades, scientists have been saying that the polar ice caps are melting due to rising global temperatures. And they’ve got the data to support that. But a more immediate worry for Texans is the Gulf of Mexico, which scientists now say is warming at twice the speed of the rest of the oceans on earth.”
“And Mexico keeps burning… 43.6C [110.5F] yesterday at Puente Mezcal is the 2nd highest temperature ever recorded in winter in the whole North America (including Central America and Caribbeans) and the highest in 62 years.
“Temperatures at record levels in almost the whole country.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1630730822239023104
“Feel like a warm winter? February was the hottest in Jacksonville’s history.
“Nine of the past 40 days have tied or broke record highs, and last month was the hottest February in Jacksonville’s history, according to weather records. The average daily high last month was 79.4 degrees [26.3C], almost 11 degrees warmer than normal.”
https://news.wjct.org/first-coast/2023-03-01/record-heat-february-jacksonville
“Mobile sets all-time temperature record for February.
“The last day of meteorological winter felt more like summer for the Mobile area. The National Weather Service in Mobile said the metro area hit 85 degrees on Tuesday, the last day of February and the last day of meteorological winter.”
https://www.al.com/news/2023/03/mobile-sets-all-time-temperature-record-for-february.html
“Historic and unprecedented warmth in Eastern USA continues: hundreds of stations are having their highest temperatures on records for this time of the year.
“83F in Indiana it’s the earliest 82/83F ever recorded in the State, also earliest 82F in Ohio history. 83F also in Kentucky.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1631027326258491396
“The National Weather Service Miami confirmed Wednesday morning that Naples [Fla] experienced no recorded rainfall during the entire month of February.
“The last two recorded rainless Februarys for Naples were in 1948 and 1949. Luke Culver, NWS Miami meteorologist, said that since 1942, there have only been 10 rainless months in Naples.”
“California’s snowpack is a whopping 186% of normal to date and 162% of the peak April 1 normal, not including any snow that’s fallen today.
“With another prolonged winter storm beginning this upcoming weekend, expect this supersized snowpack to become even more giant.”
https://twitter.com/US_Stormwatch/status/1630754579993464832
“Yosemite National Park closed indefinitely after record-breaking snowfall.
“The popular tourist destination was due to reopen on Wednesday (1 March) but will remain closed as 15ft of snow is covering some of the roads. Yosemite is located in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains and broke its snow record in recent days, with 40 inches on the ground, passing the previous high of 36 inches in 1969.”
“Chile’s Arauco warns of $50 million hit from wildfires.
“Chilean pulp and wood panel maker Arauco (ANTCOC.UL), the forestry arm of industrial group Empresas Copec (COPEC.SN), on Wednesday estimated it could take a $50 million hit due to fires raging in the country’s south.”
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/chiles-arauco-warns-50-million-hit-wildfires-2023-03-01/
“New heat wave raises fears of resurgence of forest fires in southern Chile.
“The Meteorological Directorate of Chile issued on Wednesday an alert for a new heat wave in the center-south of the country that will affect from Wednesday until the weekend between the regions of Valparaíso and Ñuble, which has generated great concern among the authorities due to a possible resurgence of forest fires.”
“90% of ice around Antarctica has disappeared in less than a decade.
“Scientists say Antarctic sea ice has reached record low levels for the second time in less than a decade. CNN’s chief climate correspondent Bill Weir reports.” [Video]
https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/03/01/antarctic-sea-ice-record-climate-change-weir-vpx.cnn
“Ilulissat’s icebergs have vanished from Disko Bay, Greenland…
“Greenland is out of balance with more frequent calving, and surface melt, where the ice volume lost is not replaced with snowfall. It is the beginning stages of the Greenland tipping point. The sea ice is the Achilles heel of the Arctic…”
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/3/1/2155705/-Ilulissat-s-icebergs-have-vanished
“Svalbard: The remote Arctic island warming seven times faster than the global average.
“There is less sea ice on the planet than at any time since records began. Summer in Antarctica has seen the ice retreat further than ever before, while winter in the Arctic has not been cold enough to produce the ice that once filled the seas around Svalbard.”
“In 2020, [Arctic] Siberia’s Temperature Climbed Above 100° F—In January 2023, it Fell Below Minus 80°.
“…as permafrost in places like Siberia continues to warm and thaw, decomposing organic materials that have long been trapped in frozen layers may release millions of tons of greenhouse gases. As with the release of stored carbon gases caused by deforestation, melting permafrost is likely to worsen the overall problem.”
“Driest February in England since 1993 signals drought ahead, say experts.
“Last year, most of England was plunged into drought conditions, with farmers struggling to plant and harvest crops, and hosepipe bans in action across the country. Water companies were preparing to take drastic action…”
“A ‘monster wildfire’ ravaged France last summer. It’s still burning.
“After a historic heat wave, an extended drought and a “monster wildfire” wreaked havoc here in [Bordeaux] southwest France last summer… Researchers and French officials say what’s known as a “zombie fire” is smoldering underground. It has spread to the site of a former lignite mine, inactive for decades, but with plenty of the highly combustible mineral remaining.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/03/01/france-wildfire-zombie-fire-drought-mine/
“Catalonia announces new water restrictions amid serious drought…
““We are facing a situation of extreme seriousness, and we should react accordingly,” said Environment Minister Teresa Jorda, explaining that Catalonia has not experienced such an intense drought since 1905. The measures will affect 224 municipalities, including Barcelona and Girona.”
“Extreme weather in Europe: a very cold morning in Spanish highlands with -15.8C / 3.6F at Molina de Aragon (0.2C lower than the March record) and Tmins near +20C / 68F in the SE Mediterranean.
“In Cyprus exceptional 28.8C [83.8F] at Paphos AWS, which ties the Cypriot record for February.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1630556091472920577
“[Kenyan] Herders turn to fishing in the desert amid severe drought, putting pressure on fish population.
“As Northern Kenya’s unabating drought continues, a growing wave of pastoralists are finding it challenging to keep their livestock alive and are switching to fishing in Lake Turkana, the world’s largest desert lake.”
“‘77 new glacial lakes in Kumaon Himalayas [Uttarakhand, India], can cause flash flood’…
“The water bodies, situated at an elevation of over 3,500 metres, formed over three decades — between 1990 and 2020 — due to shrinking of snow-covered areas… The largest glacial lake, with a 2.7km diameter, was found in Gonkha. “Any future geological activities can cause the lake to burst, triggering a flash flood,” the study mentioned.”
“India to get heat waves this year after hottest February on record.
“India is likely to experience heat waves between March and May, especially in the key wheat producing central and northern states, the weather office said on Tuesday, as the country recorded its highest ever maximum temperature in February.”
“Over 26,000 evacuated as floods hit Malaysia again; 1 dead.
“Rescuers in boats retrieved families trapped on rooftops and hauled others to safety as villages and towns in parts of Malaysia were submerged in floodwaters, leading to over 26,000 people being evacuated as of Thursday. One person died when his car was swept away by floodwaters.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ap-malaysia-kuala-lumpur-singapore-data-b2292552.html
“Singapore experienced its wettest February day on Tuesday (Feb 28), with the highest daily total rainfall of 225.5mm [8.9 inches] recorded at Kallang.
“This exceeds the previous high of 159.3mm on Feb 4, 1995, the Meteorological Service Singapore said on Wednesday. ”
“The central government announced Wednesday it will enforce new water restrictions in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, next week following a lack of rain in the region…
“The government is strictly controlling the water supply from reservoirs in southern Taiwan in an effort to combat looming water shortages after minimal rainfall in the south of Taiwan since last year.”
https://focustaiwan.tw/business/202303010025
“In February, temperature in China was significantly higher, and the average temperature in Huili, Sichuan and Jingdong, Yunnan broke the highest record in February. The average temperature in China this winter ended at 0.1C higher than the average [averaged out by extreme cold in the north].”
https://twitter.com/yangyubin1998/status/1630536603260309504
“February ends with a waterfall of records in Japan:
“Besides 32 records of monthly high temperatures, there were 49 records of highest minimum temperatures: 81 records in just 1 day, mostly in Hokkaido but also in Aomori, Akita and Iwate.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1630840303606267906
“Cyclone Judy wreaks havoc across Vanuatu, Red Cross ready to respond.
“Cyclone Judy has left a massive trail of destruction in its path across Vanuatu as over 160,000 people are estimated to be affected. A category 4 cyclone with destructive winds of up to 150 km per hour and gusting to 200 km [125mph] per hour, has also caused severe damage to infrastructure, buildings, connectivity, and crops.”
https://www.ifrc.org/press-release/cyclone-judy-wreaks-havoc-across-vanuatu-red-cross-ready-respond
“Global temperatures ‘likely’ to see another spike as chances of El Nino increase…
““The first triple-dip La Nina of the 21st century is finally coming to an end. La Nina’s cooling effect put a temporary brake on rising global temperatures, even though the past eight-year period was the warmest on record,” said WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/el-nino-global-temperatures-wmo-b2291765.html
“Global warming could lead to increase in ‘hot lightning’ strikes causing more wildfires.
“A combined team of Earth scientists from multiple institutions has found evidence that suggests that in the coming years, a warming planet could lead to more “hot lightning” strikes that could cause more wildfires in many parts of the world.”
https://phys.org/news/2023-03-global-hot-lightning-wildfires.html
“Global energy-related CO2 emissions edged up to record high in 2022 – IEA…
“Deep cuts in emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, will be needed over the coming years if targets to limit a global rise in temperatures and prevent runaway climate change are to be met, scientists have said.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
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