“Panama Canal: Drought threatens one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
“A lack of rainfall has forced the Panama Canal to reduce shipping traffic. The water supply crisis is threatening the future of this important maritime route which links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
“Around six per cent of all global maritime shipping passes through the canal, mostly from the US, China and Japan. For the fifth time this drought season, which lasts from January to May, the Panamanian Canal Authority (ACP) has had to limit the largest ships passing through.”
“California communities bracing for heavy flooding as record high temperatures melt record amounts of snow.
“The influx of rainfall has already saturated reservoirs and rivers, but a rampant rise in temperatures will quickly melt the incredible amount of snowpack that accumulated along the Sierra Nevada mountain range.”
“Yosemite closes parts of park as warm weather raises flood threat.
“Most of Yosemite Valley – the tourist center of the famed national park – will close this weekend as rising temperatures threaten the region with a surge in snowmelt that’s expected to push the Merced River beyond its banks.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/25/yosemite-weekend-closure-floods-melting-snowpack
“Counties along the Mississippi River brace for potentially record-breaking flood levels.
“Gov. Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster proclamation as counties along the Mississippi River prepare for potentially record-breaking water levels. The areas along the Mississippi River have been facing flood conditions for the past two weeks as the river’s water levels have risen due to melting snow.”
“Little Rock [Arkansas] makes record with wettest start to year ever.
“Data from our THV11 Weather Team shows that since records first started being collected in the late 1800s, we’ve had more rain than any other year through this time. Landscapers aren’t the only ones who have had to dodge the raindrops, farmers have also been keeping an eye on the sky.”
“Warmest start on record [Baltimore]… Records date back to 1873.
” It has been a warm year so far. In fact it is the warmest start ever! We will take the time frame of Jan. 1st to April 25th (that is the data we had when this blog was written). Then look at the average temperature for that period… 2023 ranks number 1 at 48.5°F.”
https://www.wmar2news.com/weather/weather-blogs/warmest-start-on-record
“State of the Climate report: Temperature, sea level continue to rise in New Jersey.
“New Jersey’s summer of 2022, with the warmest August on record and the lowest rainfall levels seen in more than 50 years, offers a glimpse into how climate change may affect future summers in the Garden State, according to a new report…”
https://phys.org/news/2023-04-state-climate-temperature-sea-jersey.html
“Spring wildfires in the eastern US got off to a roaring start this year…
“Wildfires have scorched 351,821 acres so far this year, and firefighters throughout the mid-Atlantic and South remain on alert, with “red flag” warnings and burn bans across multiple states.”
https://grist.org/climate/spring-wildfires-in-the-eastern-us-got-off-to-a-roaring-start-this-year/
“Arctic sea ice loss and fierce storms leave Kivalina’s volunteer search and rescue fighting to protect their island from climate disasters [Alaska]…
“With protective sea ice declining and warming Pacific waters supercharging fall storms in the Bering and Chukchi seas, Alaska Native villages like Kivalina are experiencing growing risks to coastal livelihoods and critical infrastructure, including runways.”
“Another incredible record in Nunavut, Canada. The temperature reached +11.1C/52F at Brevoort Island, pulverizing the monthly record.
“Keep in mind that by this time of the year temperature has hardly ever reached above freezing before. Previous earliest +10C was on May 22nd!”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1651322552080375810
“The Netherlands will be colder on King’s Day than on New Year’s Day [April 27th]…
“While this certainly isn’t great news, it isn’t quite as dramatic as you may fear; January 1, 2023, was exceptionally mild, with temperatures reaching as high as 15,6 degrees at the Dutch Weather Institute (KNMI) in De Bilt.”
https://www.iamexpat.nl/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/netherlands-will-be-colder-kings-day-new-years-day
“Alpine ski resorts struggle under effects of climate change…
“Ski resorts in the Alps last winter faced an uphill battle. The opening of runs in many places was delayed by the lack of snow as the region suffered from unseasonably warm conditions. Most shocking of all was an alpine heatwave, with record-breaking temperatures recorded over Christmas and New Year, as parts of Switzerland wilted in 20C heat.”
“‘Deep wounds’: Lake Garda just over a third full as Italy braces for second year of drought.
“Water storage levels in parts of Italy are less than half their normal levels, experts have warned. After little rain and meagre Alpine snowfalls over winter, Italy is bracing for a second consecutive year of severe drought.”
“Recent violent hailstorms have caused significant damage to fruit and vegetable crops in many parts of [Italy], farmers’ association Coldiretti said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Hailstorms and heavy rainfall were reported in several regions in the north and centre on Monday and Tuesday as two stormfronts crossed the country from the north in quick succession.”
“Spain pleads for EU crisis funds as extreme drought hits farmers…
““There is drought, there are high temperatures, but they are much more accentuated in the case of the Iberian Peninsula,” Planas added following a cabinet meeting, describing the release urgent financial assistance as of “the utmost importance.””
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/spain-pleads-for-eu-crisis-funds-as-extreme-drought-hits-farmers
“Fish rescued from dried-out river as drought, torrid heat hit Spain…
“In the northeastern city of Girona, officials used small electric shocks to stun fish in the river Onyar before putting them into plastic bags and transferring them to the Ter river 10 km (six miles) away, which has significantly higher water levels.”
“Day 2 of the Iberian Heat Wave with records pulverized by huge margin:
“37.3 [99.1F] El Granado; 37.1 Moron de la Frontera; 37.0 Seville; 36.7 Ecija; 36.6 Cordoba AP; 35.8 Huelva; 34.4 Granada AP; 33.4 Badajoz AP; Almost 35C in Portugal.
“Much Hotter tomorrow [ie today] with 3 national records coming!”
Update: I’ll do the country by country breakdown on Saturday – and no doubt more records will have fallen by then – but weather historian Maximiliano Herrera has just reported on Twitter that Europe has broken its April heat record with Cordoba Airport in Spain reaching 38.7C / 101.7F, beating the 38.6C recorded at Elche in April of 2011.
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1651272406051299328
“Brutal heat wave in Morocco, with some monthly records being destroyed by 3C/4C and more margins:
“40.1 Nouasseur [104F]; 39.7 Ben Guerir; 39.6 Marrakech; 39.2 Beni Mallal; 37.2 Meknes; 36.5 Chefchaouen; 36.5 Kenitra; 35.1 Nador; 34.8 Tanger… In Senegal a monster 47.1C [116.8F] at Matam a new 2023 high!”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1651297384838594569
“Drought Hits 60% of Tunisia’s Grains.
“Agricultural experts in Tunisia have predicted that the country’s upcoming crop yield is anticipated to be a maximum of 2.5 million quintals of grain, a significant drop from the 7.4 million quintals harvested during the previous agricultural season.”
https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4293291/drought-hits-60-tunisia%E2%80%99s-grains
“Fish farmers in the Nile River Delta: Empty lakes and dirty waters…
“Year after year, their fish are getting smaller and less healthy, their production decreases, and they are forced to take out loans they are later unable to pay back. The people who for generations have worked a job that represents an important economic and cultural value for Egypt today suffer from a combination of climate-related and man-made stresses.”
https://www.mei.edu/publications/fish-farmers-nile-river-delta-empty-lakes-and-dirty-waters
“Climate change threatens Namibia’s desert elephants with extinction…
“The population of the desert-adapted elephants of the Namib is around 150. It is estimated they numbered 300 at peak. Climate change has emerged as the biggest threat to their existence, a grim reality of the impact of the long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.”
“Climate change caused catastrophic East Africa drought, scientists say.
“Rising global temperatures… have disrupted the weather patterns that typically bring rainfall to Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, the scientists found. Last fall, the once-dependable rains failed for a record-setting fifth season in a row. Hotter conditions have also caused more moisture to evaporate from the landscape, desiccating croplands and causing millions of livestock to starve.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/04/27/climate-change-drought-east-africa/
“Heat Waves, Cyclones Are Impacting Stock Markets Across Asia.
“Stock pickers in some of Asia’s key markets are being battered by a series of extreme weather events from heat waves to flooding, signaling the difficulties ahead as El Nino-related risks rise and climate change accelerates.”
“Nine cities in Pakistan recorded temperatures of 40 degrees centigrade [104F] and above during the ongoing month of April 2023…
“The study revealed that unprecedented heat wave has also hit several other Asian countries during the ongoing month and broke temperature records in Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar also.”
“Nepal braces for its most polluted year with over 9,000 forest fires…
““This year, we have estimated that forest fire incidents may cross 9,000,” South Asia’s coordinator of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Sundar Sharma, told EFE. Thus, this year Nepal is expected to surpass the record of 6,279 forest fires registered in 2021.”
https://www.laprensalatina.com/nepal-braces-for-its-most-polluted-year-with-over-9000-forest-fires/
“Endless record heat in SE Asia,with weeks of records falling every day. Last Monthly records broken in Myanmar:
“Yesterday: 43.0C [109.4F] Theinzayet; 42.7C Shwekyin; 41.7C Belin; 41.0C Thaton; Today: 42.2C Bago ALL TIME record tied =April 2019, May 2020). All stations with >50 years of data.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1651209942034939906
“2023 set be the hottest year on record in Myanmar.
“This year is likely to go down as Myanmar’s hottest year so far, as temperatures in at least 10 cities have broken 40C, according to figures released by the meteorological department. On April 18th, places like Kalewa and Nyaung-U saw temperatures exceeding 44C [111.2F].
https://www.thaipbsworld.com/2023-set-be-the-hottest-year-on-record-in-myanmar/
“Teacher in the Philippines holds class outdoors, as school bakes amid heatwave…
“The Philippines, along with many other nations in Asia, are being scorched by a heatwave that one prominent climatologist said could be the continent’s worst ever. Temperatures in India, Myanmar and Thailand have been hitting 45 deg C [113F].”
“Extreme drought in southwestern and southern Uruguay.
“According to a bulletin released here, in these territories there are values of less than 15 percent of water available in soil, and very low in the reservoirs of the southern basin… meteorologists are “especially focused on the drought situation that the country has been going through since 2020.””
https://www.prensa-latina.cu/2023/04/27/sequia-extrema-en-suroeste-y-sur-de-uruguay
“Exceptional warmth in Argentine Patagonia.
“Yesterday the temperature at Trelew (43S) reached an impressive 32.1C [89.8F], being already the second half of autumn. Temperatures are set to increase in the North next days with more 30C expected including in the Buenos Aires Province.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1651015226798624768
“Records warmth are happening in all Continents including Antarctica which already beat many earlier this month.
“Very exceptional near the freezing point temperatures up to 75S latitude with April records broken at Belgrano II Base (Argentina)+1.5C (34F) and Halley Base (UK) -1.0C.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1651357344935157764
“Record ocean temperatures put Earth in ‘uncharted territory’, say scientists…
“The rapid acceleration of ocean temperatures in the last month is an anomaly that scientists have yet to explain… the El Niño system is yet to develop, so this oscillation cannot explain the recent rapid heating, at a time of year when ocean temperatures are normally declining from their annual March and April peaks.”
[Graph credit to Professor Eliot Jacobson]
“Power Grids Start to Sizzle as Heat Waves Portend Blazing Summer.
“It’s only April, but hot weather is already starting to stretch power grids around the world, providing a sneak preview of what’s to come in the Northern Hemisphere this summer… The threat posed by climate change is pushing governments to prepare for another searing summer.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
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