“Oceans absorb 90% of the heat from climate change — here’s why record ocean temps are so harmful…
““The warmer ocean that we are seeing now represents a ratcheting up of the climate change signal,” Benjamin Kirtman, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Miami, told CNBC. “This is consistent with a continued increase in extreme weather in the climate system, that is more heat waves and marine heat waves, droughts in already dry regions, floods in already wet areas, extreme winds, and fire.””
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/16/record-ocean-temperatures-why-they-happen-how-they-hurt.html
“I wonder how the North Atlantic is doing today?
“Oh, another record high.”
https://twitter.com/EliotJacobson/status/1691826174039859608
“Extreme heat wave in the Caribbeans, records are falling everywhere. It’s historic in the US Virgin Islands.
“96F [35.6C] at St Croix on 14 August tied the highest reliable temperature ever recorded in the US Virgin Islands. Today 95F at Charlotte Amalie tied its monthly record.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1691906458256842758
“Average Gulf Coast temperatures reach record highs…
“Average temperature data from the Southeast Regional Climate Center from Aug. 1-15 indicated record high temperatures on coastal stations, across an unbroken swath of coast stretching from Matamoros in northeastern Mexico to Miami.”
“Austin hits 40 days in a row of triple-digit heat, unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
“Wednesday is the 40th day in a row of triple-digit heat in Austin. The old record for a triple-digit streak was 27 days, set in 2011. That makes this streak feel less like a new record and more like a new paradigm. But it is not the only major heat record to fall hard.”
“Phoenix’s brutal, record-breaking summer just hit another terrible milestone…
“Phoenix is experiencing its driest start to summer after recording no measurable rainfall Monday, a new record for the latest start to the region’s monsoon in the city. The troubling new milestone is emblematic of a much larger problem in the Southwest, which relies on the monsoon for much of its rain.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/15/weather/phoenix-monsoon-rain-record-heat-climate/index.html
“Heavy rain, hail and damaging winds walloped much of the Eastern Seaboard again on Tuesday after a first round on Monday.
“Golf ball-size hail fell in Georgia and North Carolina. Columbia, South Carolina, reported an 87-mph wind gust, the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane. Mountain areas of North Carolina saw rain falling at a rate of 3-5 inches an hour.”
https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/severe-storms-i-95-corridor-tuesday
“On what would seem like a typical late-Summer day in Columbia, SC, multiple records fell including an all-time record dating back 76 years…
“Around 4:30 PM severe storms caused a microburst which produced 88 mph winds at Columbia Metropolitan Airport… This wind gust broke the all-time record for this recording site which dates back to 1947. Amazingly this beats out several high profile severe weather events…”
“Minnesota golf course video goes viral after being decimated by softball size hail storm…
“Oakdale Golf Club in Minnesota, located 80 miles west of downtown Minneapolis, experienced a traumatic hail storm this past weekend. In a video submitted to the NUCLR Golf Twitter account, softball-sized hail blanketed the course and, unfortunately, destroyed many of the greens.”
“Historic day for British Columbia with a new August provincial record set in Lytton with 42.2°C [108F]!
“41.6°C Warfield (monthly record); 41.1°C Ashcroft (MR); 40.6°C Lillooet; 40.5°C Castlegar (MR); 40.1°C Pemberton (MR); 39.6°C Kamloops; 38.8°C Merritt & Princeton.”
https://twitter.com/ThierryGooseBC/status/1691637804818936188
“‘Real threat to city’: Yellowknife in Canada evacuates as wildfire nears.
“20,000 residents of capital of Northwest Territories ordered to leave after forecast that wildfire 11 miles away could arrive by the weekend… Residents in Yellowknife, the capital and only city in the Northwest Territories, were urged to leave as soon as possible.”
“Maui wildfires death toll rises to 111 as crews search the burn area, many dealing with their own losses.
“About 38% of the burn zone had been searched as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Pelletier. Authorities were hoping to have covered much of the burn scars by the weekend. The search through the ashes of what used to be homes, business and historic landmarks is a difficult one…”
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/17/us/hawaii-maui-wildfires-death-toll-thursday/index.html
“Non-native grass species blamed for ferocity of Hawaii wildfires…
“A July 2021 report on wildfire prevention by a Maui government commission warned that non-native grasses are making Hawaii more vulnerable to destructive fires, saying their presence, particularly on abandoned sugarcane fields, provides a source of “combustible, rapidly burning fuels” that “needs to be addressed”.”
“Another incredible winter heat wave in South America with temperatures up to 38C [100.4F] in Argentina and Paraguay.
“Tomorrow it will be even hotter with some 40C in Paraguay and Brazil. Can’t be worse than this in winter ? Yes, it can. Next heat wave will be even worse: 41C/42C possible.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1691931226217558360
“Update on the Japanese heat wave. Another extraordinary hot day with several records broken of highest minimum temperatures.
“Akita (data since 1882) had its highest Tmin on records with 28.9C / 84F. Stifling humidity and hot nights make the heat unbearable. And there is no end in sight.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1691837563256897794
“Authorities in the flood-stricken Primorye region of Russia’s Far East on Tuesday declared a state of emergency to expand relief efforts following an outcry by local residents in affected areas.
“Governor Oleg Kozhemyako promised higher payouts to families whose homes were damaged by tropical storm Khanun, which pummeled the Primorye region last week…”
“Vast swath of northeastern China threatened by flooding as rivers rise above warning levels.
“Crews are standing by to defend homes and farmland across the Songliao Basin north of Beijing, which encompasses more than 1.2 million square kilometers (482,200 square miles). The area includes parts of four provinces and several major cities with a total population of almost 100 million.”
“‘In a sauna’: Hong Kong’s labourers swelter as temperatures rise.
“Dressed in a full-body protective suit, an elderly pest control worker could last no more than 15 minutes spraying pesticide along a Hong Kong pavement before the summer heat became too much.”
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/sauna-hong-kongs-labourers-swelter-023228441.html
“At least 32 dead after landslide at Myanmar jade mine…
“More than 160 people died after heavy rain triggered a landslide in a jade mine in Hpakant in 2020. A similar deadly disaster happened in the same area in 2021.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/16/asia/myanmar-jade-mine-landslide-deaths-intl-hnk/index.html
“People trapped under a collapsed temple in northern India as heavy rains kill more than 60.
“Heavy rains and landslides have killed more than 60 people in the northern Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, as devastating flooding hits the region during the monsoon season. Most of the deaths happened in Himachal Pradesh…”
“Uttarakhand breaks 72-year rain record, IMD warns of more showers in August…
“Sources said the Dehradun district has received the maximum rain across the state in the last 24 hours with 254 mm [10 inches] of rainfall. The rain, which began on Sunday, continued till Monday morning, breaching the August rainfall mark in the last 72 years.”
“Cardamom prices are spiraling to record levels as severely deficient rainfall wreaks havoc in Idukki district in Kerala [SW India], where most of the country’s cardamom is grown.
“The average prices have doubled to around Rs 2,000 per kg from a couple of months ago. The maximum price for the premium quality has jumped to about Rs 3,000 per kg.”
“Agalega again – with a max. temperature of 32.0C [89.6F] yesterday the tiny island tied the Mauritian national record of highest temperature in August which was set few days ago in the same place.
“Every month since April Agalega Island has broken multiple times the Mauritius national record.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1691706358062891397
“Another record: Gillot Airport, Reunion Island, with 28.3C [82.9F] yesterday broke its record of highest temperature in August.
“Now the exact half of the world countries/territories have broken at least 1 monthly record so far this month and we are just at mid month. Unprecedented.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1691463897155522560
“Saudi Arabia’s NWC announces $1.3 billion new desalination projects.
“Saudi Arabia’s National Water Co (NWC) has revealed its ambitious infrastructure plan, launching work on 12 major desalination projects valued at over $1.3 billion across strategic areas including Dammam, Al Khobar, Jubail, Al Ahsa, and Qatif.”
“Kenyans look to the foggy heavens for water amid state neglect.
“Fog harvesting has become an increasingly popular innovation, often through word of mouth, in areas where climate change has contributed to water scarcity and where public provision is weak. The method has emerged in different ways across the world, from South Africa to Morocco, and from Peru to India.”
“A quarter of the world’s population is currently exposed to extremely high annual water stress, according to new data from the World Resources Institute.
“The WRI’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas found 25 countries are currently suffering from extreme water stress every year – with Bahrain, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon and Oman the worst affected.”
“Sandstorms Swallowing Somali Coastal Town.
“Residents of Hobyo, Somalia, say drifting sandstorms are burying their homes, schools and shops and threatening the existence of the coastal town. Abdulkadir Zubeyr and Abdulaziz Osman have this story, narrated by Salem Solomon.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/sandstorms-swallowing-somali-coastal-town-/7226474.html
“Flash flood kills 25,000 birds, displaces 400 workers in Anambra, Nigeria…
“A Multi-million naira automated farm, Matuuci Farms Limited, located at Agbobo Umuoga Ossomala community in Ogbaru Local Council of Anambra has shut down operations, while about 400 workers were asked to stop work following a flash flood that killed more than 25,000 birds.”
https://guardian.ng/news/flash-flood-kills-25000-birds-displaces-400-workers-in-anambra/
“Water scarcity in Iraq leads to the disappearance of a signature rice.
“Amber rice has long been revered in Iraq for its distinctive fragrance; in the Iraqi dialect, “amber” is used to describe any sweet-smelling aroma… As climate change tightens its grip on Iraq, though, amber rice is the latest casualty. Farmers here are grappling not only with a loss of income, but a way of life.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/08/13/iraq-water-climate-change-rice/
“Central/Northern Iraq is living the worst heat wave in its history. Khanaqin has recorded so far 7 consecutive Tmax >50C (highest 52.5C) and 7 Tmins >30.
“Today the MIN temperature was 37.0C [98.6F]. 3 stations today in Iraq had Tmins >37C; Kirkuk had 3 Tmins >37C in 1 week! Insane.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1691421186964488192
“Turkey breaks its record for hottest day with 49.5 degrees / 121F [there is still some debate about the temperature’s authenticity, in spite of the official verification; Turkey already broke its August heat record…].
“The record temperature was registered on Tuesday in the central Anatolian province of Eskisehir, Environment Minister Mehmet Ozhaseki wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. The previous record was 49.1 degrees in 2021, he added.”
https://thenewdaily.com.au/weather/2023/08/16/turkey-record-hottest-day-49-5-degrees/
“A major wildfire on the Spanish island of Tenerife has led to the evacuation of five villages.
“The fire has spread some 8 sq km (800 hectares) since it started in a nature reserve on the north-east coast of the island late on Tuesday evening.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66525861
“South of France: ‘Catastrophic’ wildfires force thousands of residents and holidaymakers to evacuate.
“Hundreds of firefighters have tackled the blaze which broke out between Saint-André, near the Spanish border, and the seaside resort of Argeles-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean coast.”
“A New Powerful Heatwave is Forecast to intensify across Western and Central Europe as we head into the final two weeks of summer 2023; a heat dome engulfs the continent…
“After southern Europe recently beat its all-time records with scorching heat, a new powerful heatwave will intensify this week. Spread into western and central Europe over the weekend, reaching its peak next week.”
“In Italy, retreating Apennine glacier leaves ghost town behind.
“The surrounding nature… is changing fast. The Gran Sasso glacier, one of the southernmost in Europe, lost its status. Between 1999 and 2000, the glacier separated into two smaller parts, and became “glacierets” according to scientific terminology.”
“Flooding on the runway caused cancellations and major delays for passengers at Frankfurt Airport on August 16, local media reported.
“Video filmed by Igor Le Clerc shows long lines of passengers waiting at check-in desks. Passengers can also be seen attempting to sleep inside the airport.”
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/long-delays-frankfurt-airport-due-035949396.html
“Greatest number of hot days in July measured in Lapland.
“July statistics from the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) revealed that Kevo, Utsjoki in Lapland experienced the highest count of hot days that month. Hot temperatures are considered anything over 25C [77F].”
“Frozen Riverbanks May Erode Faster in a Warming Arctic…
“Arctic communities are experiencing rapid physical, chemical, and biological changes in their river systems due to warming air and river water temperatures and thawing permafrost ground.”
https://eos.org/editor-highlights/frozen-riverbanks-may-erode-faster-in-a-warming-arctic
“Scientists say deepening Arctic snowpack drives greenhouse gas emissions…
“Human-caused climate change is shortening the snow cover period in the Arctic. But according to new research led by Earth system scientists, some parts of the Arctic are getting deeper snowpack than normal, and that deep snow is driving the thawing of long-frozen permafrost carbon reserves and leading to increased emissions of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and methane.”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230816134647.htm
“More Arctic sea ice cracks spotted by SDGSAT-1 satellite…
“The case study showed that the lead area [ie area of cracks and fissures] detected by SDGSAT-1 was 1.3 times larger than that observed by MODIS, suggesting that more leads exist in the Arctic Ocean ice than previously observed.”
https://phys.org/news/2023-08-arctic-sea-ice-sdgsat-satellite.html
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
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Well, now you’ve gone and finally done it, Pan-O.
We first-world avid readers of C&E can absorb and tolerate the vivid photos of third-world destruction and death no problem, as accustomed as we were as youngsters to scanning the pages of National Geographic for exotica photos from Africa.
But golf-ball sized hail wrecking the greens of a U.S. golf course? Are you kidding me? Declare a worldwide golf emergency right now, dammit! Build back better them greens, pronto! Use some child labor to deflect the hail if you have to, divert what’s left of the Colorado River to keep the short grass iridescent green, but remember this, the golf way of life is non-negotiable.
I can assure you Martin, they actually let me attend and graduate at said universities, my point was more about you spouting everyday blogger nonsense while accusing others of mindless groupthink, which is funny .
Rain , as far as the ozzie sports go, to quote you “What we call football, is actually two separate sports, both with big national professional league competitions. AFL or Australian Rules football which is the most popular nationwide, and has both mens and womens leagues, and Rugby League also very popular but mostly in the eastern states. Saturdays are AFL and Sundays are League. Coming up the Grand Finals .. and often the big stadium finals for each league is on the same weekend.”
I watched some of all that in my Australian year, and I loved the outlandishness of all of it . Being a boring european I will never really get it of course , I’ll stick to my spare sports following of cycling and BvB Dortmund.
The last comment yesterday was someone new that said the Argentinian frontrunner might be a rancid fascist . I’m just back from Argentina , and even though I’m culturally right wing myself, I agree with you on this one , he is a bit nuts this guy .
People on the streets seemed very anxious and defeatist about the upcoming elections, both in Buenos and in Salta , more of an outpost .
“People on the streets seemed very anxious and defeatist about the upcoming elections…”
Harmon, I’m sure. Having had just a taste of rising interest rates and aggressive inflation, it is hard to imagine how ordinary, long suffering Argentinians manage at all, let alone have any faith in a political solution.
I swear buenos Aires was a weird experience . I had been to south america before but never to that place , and you see all the wealth and possibilities from ages past , especially around 1920 or so when argentina could’ve taken the world
But now.. for all the much wealthier sights compared to what I saw ages ago in Colombia or Venezuela, people were so cynical about the elections .
For example the candidates weren’t even known when I arrived there late June.. imagine that.. they were all giggly but with very black humor, gallows humor
“… the golf way of life is non-negotiable.” Apparently, so.
“Residents in a drought-stricken Arizona town are suing to have their cut-off water supply reinstated after being forced to skip showers and use rainwater to flush their toilets – while a neighboring members-only golf course keeps its sprinklers on.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11653627/Arizona-suburb-using-rainwater-flush-toilets-sues-Scottsdale-cutting-water.html
“The golfers who finished their round while a forest burned… The striking image of intrepid players putting calmly against an apocalyptic backdrop has been shared widely on social media.”
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20170908-the-golfers-who-putted-while-a-forest-burned
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/16/fondomonte-arizona-drought-saudi-farm-water/
A huge scandal in Arizona as the Colorado river dries up. No corruption here. It was done under different officials but okay who knows what the Saudi s gave officials for payoffs?
Thanks, Heather. That’s an interesting read. This para caught my eye:
“Local anger is reaching a boiling point, warned Steve Hilsz, a former telephone repairman. As more and more people find their wells drying up, he said, “we’re going to have civil war out here.””
“For nearly a decade,” tells me all I need to know about the people of AZ. & their relationship with stupidity.
If ignorance is bliss,that’s a happy state.
Argentina… ^sigh^. I recall some years ago, some Nobel Prize winner in economics making a comment along the lines of, that the main questions remaining that nobody can answer are “Why Japan has done so well, but Argentina hasn’t”.
As for their gallows humour, I have never been there, but have worked with, lived and socialised with many Argentinian immigrant folks. One fellow I worked with for some years always cracked me up with his wit.
The first work day after one of our elections that returned a conservative govt, after years of Labor, he came bouncing into work, with smiles of “well I voted for the winners!” I was puzzled, as in the lead-up I was sure he would have voted otherwise… to which he replied “In Argentina, you have to say you voted for the winner” 🙂
Like in Italy I found myself right at home there . Cynical but very funny street attitudes:d