“Just in: RECORD HEAT IN CHAD.
“Faya Largeau just hit 48C [118.4F]. This is the highest reliable temperature ever recorded in Chad. The previous record of 47.6C was set at the same place on 22 June 2010.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1661723289306411009
“A towering cotton tree which has stood for several hundred years in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, has been brought down by a heavy storm.
“President Julius Maada Bio said the tree fell after a downpour on Wednesday night. He described it as a “great loss to the nation”.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-65707394
“As drought withers Tunisian fields, state feels financial pinch.
“As rains failed, Tunisian farmers watched their crops wither this spring, harvesting early to salvage some as animal feed and piling costs on a state struggling to afford wheat imports with bakeries running out of bread.”
“Rescue operations continue as floods kill two children in eastern Algeria…
“The floods have trapped dozens of citizens in their homes, schools and cars. Houses were also damaged or destroyed, vehicles swept from roads and transport severely disrupted… In Tunisia, authorities said that a female farmer died on Wednesday in Kasserine, in the west of the country, after heavy floods swept her away.”
“Jordan’s Bedouins take on the struggles of climate change…
““My family used make a living through herding sheep and camels. But as [it] started raining less, it became difficult to keep the animals and sustain a living. We had to move to the village and sell our animals,” al-Zalabeih told Al Jazeera.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/26/jordans-bedouins-take-on-the-struggles-of-climate-change
“Dust storm sends over 180 to hospital in Kirkuk…
“Dust storms are not uncommon in Iraq but are becoming more frequent due to drought, desertification, and rising temperatures. Iraq is one of the countries most affected by climate change.”
https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/260520231
“At least 13 people have been killed and dozens injured in torrential rains and flash floods that have struck a dozen provinces in Afghanistan.
“The worst-affected areas were in the central province of Ghor, a remote and impoverished region where at least six people died.”
https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-flooding-humanitarian-aid/32429245.html
“Searing heatwave grips plains of Sindh.
“A severe heatwave has gripped the plains of Sindh where several cities witnessed daytime temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius on Friday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said, adding that the maximum temperature was recorded in Mohenjodaro where the mercury touched 48.5 degrees Celsius [119.3F].”
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1074223-searing-heatwave-grips-plains-of-sindh
“First cheetah cubs born in India in more than seven decades die in heatwave…
“The first cub died on Tuesday, prompting veterinarians in the national park in Madhya Pradesh state to closely monitor the mother and her three remaining cubs. The cubs appeared weak on Thursday afternoon – a day when temperatures reached 47C (113F) – and authorities intervened to help the cats.”
“Vietnamese cities cut public lighting to save energy amid heatwave…
“In the capital, Hanoi, street lights are being turned on 30 minutes later and turned off 30 minutes earlier than usual, the ministry said. Half the street lights along some major thoroughfares and in public parks have been completely turned off.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/26/vietnam-cities-cut-lighting-save-energy-heatwave
“BREAKING: Super Typhoon Mawar has strengthened even further. Winds are now 185mph with a minimum central pressure of 897mb!
“That makes it the strongest tropical cyclone in the West Pacific during the month of May on record [and the world’s most powerful storm since 2021].”
https://twitter.com/CollinGrossWx/status/1661907112937529344
“Auckland has had 91% of its annual rainfall – and it’s not even June…
“The average rainfall for January 1 to May 26 was 397mm – that means the city has had 2.5 times its usual rainfall for the same period of time. That 1019.2mm [40.1 inches] of rain made itself felt, causing landslides, destroying roads and permanently affecting communities all over Auckland.”
“Bird flu fells nearly 9,000 marine creatures in Chile [I wonder if the extremely warm sea temps off Peru and Chile are exacerbating this]…
“Since the beginning of 2023, more than 7,600 sea lions, 1,186 Humboldt penguins — an endangered species that breeds only in Chile and Peru — and several otters, porpoises and dolphins have been found dead along the coast, the Sernapesca service said in a statement.”
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230525-bird-flu-fells-nearly-9-000-marine-creatures-in-chile
“US Judge says fire retardant drops are polluting streams but allows use to continue.
“BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A judge ruled Friday that the U.S. government can keep using chemical retardant to fight wildfires, despite finding that the practice pollutes streams in western states in violation of federal law.”
“300 dump trucks traverse Florida neighborhood each day to restore dunes decimated by Hurricane Ian.
“Beach defenses, millions of years in the making, took Hurricane Ian half a day to tear apart in Barefoot Beach, Florida. The dunes were decimated. Now, the small neighborhood and preserve is rebuilding…”
https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/hurricane-ian-sand-dunes-barefoot-beach-florida
“Killer ‘brain-eating’ infection sparks alert as disease spreads throughout the US.
“A deadly infection that targets the human brain is spreading in the United States as result of climate change. The microbe Naegleria fowleri amoeba causes a rare brain infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), and is now being found in new areas of the US.”
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/us-news/killer-brain-eating-infection-sparks-30090100
“Tick-borne disease that kills up to 15% of sufferers just claimed its first life in the US this year — and experts warn the virus is becoming more common due to climate change.
“Robert J. Weymouth, a 58-year-old from Topsham, Maine passed away due to complications from the Powassan virus, which caused severe neurological problems…”
“How climate change is giving the world’s worst diseases a deadly boost…
“Experts predict that continuing changes and shifts in the globe’s weather patterns could heighten the threat posed by humanity’s most dangerous infectious diseases, making this the deadliest fallout of climate change, rather than extreme temperatures or flooding.”
“Climate change appears to be disrupting the hibernation of female Arctic Squirrels, scientists say, and that could affect mating season.
“…scientists have found that as temperatures rise, female ground squirrels are emerging up to 10 days earlier than they used to. Researchers think it has to do with earlier thawing of the soil.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/25/climate/arctic-squirrels-climate-change.html
“Arctic amplification is destabilizing the delicate balance of the ecosystem.
“The Arctic, a hotspot for climate change, is once more grabbing headlines. This remote region is warming faster than any other part of the world, creating a domino effect called Arctic amplification. ESA-developed satellites are stepping up, offering vital data that shed light on this complex phenomenon and its far-reaching implications for people and wildlife alike.”
“In this Arctic Town [Longyearbyen, Svalbard], Movements Triggered by Water Pose the Biggest Challenge…
“The biggest issue is not permafrost, it’s the water. We have more rain now than we used to, and when you add water, things start to move — electric poles, buildings, and even our one road, which is of course built on permafrost.”
“Another incredible record in the Arctic Russia.
“Kolguyev Island, which is in the Barents Sea, (lat. 69N) on 25th May beat its May record of highest temperature again with 22.1C [71.8F], that’s nearly 4C above the previous record.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1662368289853702144
“Water shortage warnings already in place for half of Scotland.
“Half of Scotland has been placed in “early warning” for water shortage after a significant drop in rainfall this spring. Levels in Loch Maree in Wester Ross are now so low that the surrounding area is under a yellow alert even though summer has yet to start.”
“Northern Ireland experienced its hottest year on record in 2022, according to a Stormont report…
“Climate records, the Northern Ireland Environmental Statistics Report 2023 states, “suggest that the mean annual temperature has been steadily increasing since the end of the 19th century”.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65710713
“Northern Italy floods leave museums submerged and ancient frescoes damaged.
“As Emilia Romagna begins the herculean task of clearing up after flooding that left 15 people dead, the damage to the region’s rich culture and heritage is coming to light. Museums, libraries and churches have been inundated with water and mud ruining antique books, manuscripts and frescoes.”
“A man was killed after torrential rain caused flash flooding in the southern Italian province of Avellino on Thursday…
“The mayor of Contrada, Pasquale De Santis, told Ansa, “There was only twenty minutes of rain preceded by a hailstorm, but of exceptional strength.” …The area has been repeatedly hit by severe flooding during storms and families in the nearby village of Celzi had to be rescued using rubber dinghies in the last major floods in November 2023.”
https://www.thelocal.it/20230525/one-dead-after-severe-storm-and-flooding-hits-southern-italy
“Villages in north-east Catalonia [Spain] were left flooded and streets covered in ice and hail following a storm on Wednesday.
“Eyewitness footage shows cars stranded in the streets of Sant Hilari Sacalm. The recent storms come as Spain registered the driest start to a year since records started.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-65711243
“…torrential rains caused a strong and sudden flood in Molina de Segura (Murcia, Spain), which trapped numerous drivers in their vehicles and generated scenes of panic…
“The episode of heavy rains has left in the province of Castellón some rainfall records that have made May 2023 the rainiest in history in the area.”
“Dangerous slowing of Antarctic ocean circulation sooner than expected.
“Climate change-driven shifts in the circulation of waters to the deepest reaches of the ocean around Antarctica, which could reverberate across the planet and intensify global warming, are happening decades “ahead of schedule”, according to new research.”
“Wildfires sparked ‘the Great Dying’ on Earth 250 million years ago, Chinese study confirms
“Study led by Chinese Academy of Sciences researchers finds frequent, intense wildfires may have led to the collapse of terrestrial ecosystems. Largest mass extinction event in the end-Permian period wiped out nearly 90 per cent of marine and land species on Earth.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back on Monday 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.
Doing great work. Will be highlighting your website in my next column on climate change in the Duluth News Tribune.
Many thanks, Tone – I appreciate it!
Which Duluth?