This month is kindly sponsored by an anonymous donor in memory of Rev. Michael Dowd, founder of postdoom.com.
“Global Sea Ice Hits a New Low… [as] announced by researchers at NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center on Thursday, who said the amount of sea ice on the planet had reached the lowest level ever recorded in March.”
“Linette Boisvert, an ice scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center… compared the freezing and melting of sea ice between winter and summer to the heartbeat of the planet.
“The pulses between the winter maximum and summer minimum used to be shorter… “It’s like the heartbeat of the planet is slowing down,” Dr. Boisvert said. “It’s not good.”“
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/27/climate/global-sea-ice-record-low.html
“Arctic sea ice has recorded its smallest winter peak extent since satellite records began 47 years ago, new data reveals.
“Provisional data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) shows that Arctic sea ice reached a winter maximum extent of 14.33m square kilometres (km2) last week.”
https://www.carbonbrief.org/arctic-sea-ice-winter-peak-in-2025-is-smallest-in-47-year-record/
“Friday ice update – Arctic sea ice extent is currently the lowest on record (JAXA data).”
• about 600,000 km² below the 2010s mean
• about 1,010,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 1,510,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 1,890,000 km² below the 1980s mean [Zack Labe]
https://zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-extentconcentration/
“The Truth About Trump’s Greenland Campaign. When the president talks about security in the Arctic, he’s talking about climate change…
“…when he talks about Greenland, he’s tacitly acknowledging that rising temperatures are rapidly changing that part of the world—and U.S. interests there.”
“Swirling polar vortex linked to deadly cluster of storms in 2022, say UK scientists…
“Wind gusts of 122mph were registered at The Needles on the Isle of Wight, a record high for England… “There is evidence that major winter storms will become more intense, exacerbating impacts such as flooding and wind damage.””
“Excessive rain from March 24 to 28 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, leading to high river levels, flooding and landslides.
“Rain totals by 28/3 6z: Hajdučke Vode 221mm, Čemerno 179mm, Vlasenica 155mm, Krupa na Vrbasu 147mm, Tjentište 135mm, Gacko, Kneževo, Banja Vrućica 130mm…”
https://x.com/skomimaster/status/1905610870362616216
“Extreme weather, climate crisis endanger Mediterranean diet…
“According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average. Water demand in the region is expected to at least double by 2050… This situation is affecting every level of the Mediterranean diet pyramid in various ways.”
“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT WAVE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN 40C [104F].
“Hundreds of records are being brutalized all over the area (Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus, Middle East, Eastern Europe) with absurd margins locally >5C… CYPRUS HOTTEST MARCH NIGHT IN HISTORY DESTROYED (for the 5th time this month!).”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1905638335311405413
“RECORD HEAT IN CENTRAL AFRICA:
“Yesterday the Central African Republic capital Bangui rose to 40.2C [104.4F] which is its highest temperature ever in March and it’s just 0.2C from its all time high for any month. Today it’s heading for a similar temperature.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1905297817247031813
“Faith and Heat: Fasting in Nigeria’s rising temperatures…
“In the past two weeks, temperatures in Ilorin have ranged between 35°C and 42°C, causing widespread discomfort and increasing the risk of heatstroke, especially for those fasting during Ramadan and Lent.”
“African banks back oil export pipeline despite climate commitments…
“Speaking at COP29 in Azerbaijan about the impact of climate change on Africa, the executives of Afreximbank promised to double-down on their commitment to a just energy transition on the continent. But, four months later, the multilateral lender has confirmed its support for a controversial pipeline…”
“Delhi’s Temperature Swings Over The Years; Raise Climate Change Alarm…
“In the past few years, Delhi has been affected by rapid changes in temperature, both up and down, indicating the growing impact of climate change and urbanisation on weather patterns.”
“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT WAVE IN INDIAN SUBCONTINENT; Hundreds of March records smashed:
“INDIA 43.0 [109.4F] Rajnandgaon; BANGLADESH Records all over: 41.0 Jessore,39.5 Chuadanga, 39.4 Mongla, 39.2 Satkhira and Ferodpur etc.. NEPAL & BHUTAN Records everywhere, Up to 40C!”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1905602613195788440
“Nepal’s glaciers are retreating faster than ever…
“According to the ICIMOD, glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya melted 65 percent faster between 2011 and 2020 compared to the previous decade. An ICIMOD report shows that Nepal lost approximately 25 percent of its glacier area between 1980 and 2010…”
“March Brings Record Highs, Sudden Lows to China…
“Looking at data from the past 74 years, record-breaking March heat has become the norm in some provincial capitals. However, rapid temperature drops of 20°C or more remain relatively rare.”
https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1016892
“JAPAN EXTRAORDINARY HEAT WAVE – Insane mind blowing MINIMUM TEMPERATURE 25.3 [77.5F] Iriomote Island.
“HOTTEST MARCH NIGHT IN JAPANESE HISTORY. Hundreds of records brutalized with insane margins. We are witnessing something unbelievable.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1905563201649172656
“Northern Thailand battles raging wildfires as air pollution soars to hazardous levels.
“Northern Thailand is grappling with worsening wildfires, significantly contributing to the annual air pollution spike. Pollution levels in Chiang Mai have reached alarming levels, with PM2.5 particles exceeding WHO’s safe limit by nearly 15 times.”
“ENDLESS RECORD HEAT IN SE ASIA – Hottest night in history at Manokwari INDONESIA; Tmin 27.3C.
“In the PHILIPPINES Hottest March night in history: Tmin 26.4 Itbayat; 25.3 Basco Radar.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1905453755417362799
“Small town flown out as ‘dynamic’ flooding hits large parts of Queensland…
“Flood waters have cut off roads and isolated central and southwest communities after days of rain, forcing many to flee… Central Queensland’s Stonehenge, Jundah and Windorah have been hit hard also after some areas recorded up to 600mm, nearly double the yearly average annual rainfall.”
“INSANE AUTUMN HEAT IN AUSTRALIA:
“Today again 43.5C [110.3F] at Carnarvon [Western Australia] with the extreme heat expected to continue until last day of March. Nothing like this had ever happened before so late.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1905258508804866239
“While Patagonia hit 31C+. cold air moved north in South America.
“The Argentina town of San Luis on March 25th had a max. temperature of only 12.0C [53.6F], the lowest ever recorded in March.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1905291817337188476
“Hail and wind storm: shocking images from Rosario and the region [Argentina]…
“The most surprising event was the hail that fell in some areas, leaving a layer of ice inches thick on yards, streets, and roads, which were covered in white, as if covered in snow. Meanwhile, 60 kilometers away, in Casilda , strong winds were reported, causing trees to fall and be blown away.”
“Love motels and converted ferries: How Brazil is racing to get ready for COP30…
“At the heart of the problem is a question that has become more acute as the annual COP has grown from a gathering of world leaders and diplomats to a sprawling conference mixing activists, businesses and government officials: Who is the U.N. climate summit really for?“
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/cop30-amazon-brazil-hotels-belem-b2723281.html
“Chile’s Megadrought is a Wake-Up Call for Global Water Governance…
“Studies show Chile is experiencing its longest and most intense megadrought in a millennium… When researchers set out to understand Chile’s megadrought, they found it was part of a much larger worldwide pattern. Now, they’re calling for a fundamental shift in water governance and greater cooperation between countries.”
https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2025/megadrought-chile-water-governance/819211
“Extreme weather impacts cascading ‘from the Andes to the Amazon’…
“Extreme weather and climate impacts had a damaging toll on Latin America and the Caribbean last year, resulting in dying glaciers, record-breaking hurricanes, debilitating drought and deadly floods, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a new report on Friday.”
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161626
“El Salvador is on fire: raging fires consume markets and hundreds of hectares…
“Two large fires have caused alarm in El Salvador in recent hours, affecting both forest and commercial areas. One fire devastated a large area in Chalatenango, while another destroyed dozens of stalls in Santa Tecla, La Libertad.”
“At least 4 deaths reported after over a half year’s worth of rain forces water rescues in parts of South Texas.
“Abandoned vehicles littered submerged roads across South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley Thursday and Friday after over half year’s worth of rain – approaching a full year’s worth in some places – caused at least four deaths and forced dozens of water rescues near the US-Mexico border.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/28/weather/water-rescues-flash-floods-texas-hnk/index.html
“The 1930s Dust Bowl is infamous in American history—and we could be heading for another one…
“There’s convincing evidence that the frequency of dust storms has been increasing in recent years… Our era bears resemblance to the 1920s and 1930s in a few ways, not the least of which is a trend away from environmental conservation and toward over-exploitation of the land across the southern plains.”
“Drought, wind, and debris from recent hurricanes are stoking fires across the US…
“Wildfires have happened with such frequency in recent years that many U.S. fire officials say there is no longer a “fire season,” which traditionally ran from late spring through the fall.”
“Fire danger concerns in the wildfire-ravaged Carolinas set to continue as more than 12,000 acres burn…
“Forecasters’ advice comes following an active few days that saw explosive wildfire growth in both states and mandatory evacuation orders in Pickens County, South Carolina, due to the Table Rock fire.”
“HISTORIC HEAT IN CENTRAL USA; Up to 90F+ [32C] in Nebraska and Iowa, 87F Minnesota (highest in 115 years in March for the State). Dozens of March records:
“IA 90 Sioux County, 88 Estetherville, Spencer, Le Mars; 86 Sheldon, Cherokee; MN 87 Snake River, 86 Fairmont and St James, 84 Waseca.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1905795399761195099
“Earth’s storage of water in soil, lakes and rivers is dwindling. And it’s especially bad for farming…
““At first we thought, ‘That’s an error in the model,’” Ryu said… The researchers say the significant shift of water from land to the ocean is particularly worrisome for farming, and hope their work will strengthen efforts to reduce water overuse.”
“We risk becoming desensitised to the dramatic headlines warning of a food shortage disaster. But it’s all true…
“…the world is facing a commodity crisis like never before. And playing out against a backdrop of terrifying geopolitical insanity, one would be forgiven for thinking they had entered the pages of a bleak sci-fi novel.”
“Quakers say London police arrested six people at meeting on climate change, Gaza.
““No-one has been arrested in a Quaker meeting house in living memory,” said Paul Parker, recording clerk for Quakers in Britain, according to the statement. “This aggressive violation of our place of worship and the forceful removal of young people holding a protest group meeting clearly shows what happens when a society criminalizes protest,” Parker added.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/28/europe/quakers-arrests-london-intl-latam/index.html
“Supporters of the climate group Just Stop Oil have announced that, after three years of disruptive protests, they are ending their campaign of civil resistance…
“…it’s time to change. We are heading for 2C of global heating in the coming decade, resulting in billions being killed, mass civil unrest and social collapse,” said Hannah Hunt.”
“As the amount of heat accumulation in the Earth tripled, we should expect rapid global warming.
“Only ‘doomers’ seem to be aware that we’ll likely reach 2°C of global warming next decade. When taking an honest look at the data is considered doomism, the consensus is denial.” [Leon Simons]
https://x.com/LeonSimons8/status/1905341497597362176
“The Unseen Accelerators of Climate Change and The Final Unravelling…
“…while Hansen’s work exposes the fragility of Earth’s climate system, it underestimates a web of interconnected feedback loops and human-driven accelerators that could propel warming far beyond current projections.”
I rely on donations and tips from my readers to to keep the site running. Every little bit helps. Can you chip in even a dollar? Buy me a coffee or become a Patreon supporter. A huge thank you to those who do subscribe or donate.
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back on Monday with an “Economic” thread.
From living in what was supposedly a climate change haven to living in one of many that are in the climate change crosshairs:
From the link above : “Forecasters’ advice comes following an active few days that saw explosive wildfire growth in both states and mandatory evacuation orders in Pickens County, South Carolina, due to the Table Rock fire.
The human-caused wildfire jumped from more than 2,000 acres on Monday to approximately 4,500 by Thursday morning.”
It’s over 9,000 acres now. I *think* my house will be safe (about 15 miles away) but a client offered for my family to come stay with her family in Charlotte if we have to evacuate (very generous!!) and last night I dreamed about doing just that.
First Hurricane Helene and now this. The thought of my house burning down has always been one of my top fears. I believe it *will* burn down eventually like most forested areas but preferably after I am dead from collapse, please! 🤪😳😱
Good luck, Cassandra, and indeed to any readers in the Carolinas; I know there are a few. I hope you all manage to dodge this bullet. ❤
Yesterday’s article concerning 28 million in Congo on the verge of extreme hunger causes a pain deep in my heart after seeing a large, rollaway dumpster loaded with perfectly edible food. 100+ dozen of organic eggs a day after best by date.
Hundreds of pounds of meat plus fruit and veg that is just fine.
When real hunger reaches the USA we will sadly have earned it. This kind of willful disregard for the bounty of the earth and human suffering will have consequences.
Peat, I’m afraid it will.
“One-fifth of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally. This amounts to one billion meals a day. The total cost of food loss and waste for the global economy is estimated at roughly US$1 trillion.”
https://www.wfp.org/stories/5-facts-about-food-waste-and-hunger
Here’s a piece – I’m not sure how to describe it but I found it interesting.
From Phil Rockstroh’s Substack:
Creative Antagonism Unfolds The Folded Lies Of The Profiteers Of Destruction And Death
Thank you Edward. That is just what I needed to read on the morning of my 69th birthday. We are all but fools fooling ourselves. I take comfort in knowing nature will once again level the playing fields to which Pan’s postings are testament.
“The most noxious insanity manifests in a culture… that promotes the lie of the mind: we are singular entities not interconnected to the natural order of living earth,” says Phil Rockstroh.
Amen to that. Here is a similar sentiment from Eckhart Tolle:
“We depend on nature not only for our physical survival. We also need nature to show us the way home, the way out of the prison of our own minds. We got lost in doing, thinking, remembering, anticipating — lost in a maze of complexity and a world of problems.
“We have forgotten what rocks, plants, and animals still know. We have forgotten how to be — to be still, to be ourselves, to be where life is: Here and Now.”
Countless others echoing a similar message out there. Here’s one new to me:
“At the heart of the older sensibility that’s now guttering out around us was a daring if not necessarily wise attempt to break free of the natural world entirely so that humanity could launch itself beyond all limitations and break through into eternity and infinity. The religions, the intellectual movements and ultimately the superlative technological achievements of Western civilization were all pressed into service in making that attempt.
…
“We have taken the old quest to break free of nature and the human condition very nearly as far as our considerable technological powers would permit, and in the process created landscapes spiritual, cultural and in some places physical as well very nearly as bleak as the Moon’s silent and airless wastes.
“Whether that was a good idea or a bad one, a choice or a necessity, a triumph or a terrible failure, is ultimately less relevant than the fact that the effort has run its course.”
– John Michael Greer
Happy Birthday, Texas Guy. I trust you are being suitably showered with gifts and affection.
The Foodnavigator article says that the commodity drisis is being made worse by the geopolitical “insanity” but I’d say that the manifestation of limits to growth would inevitably play out with a break down in international co-operation and an everyman for themselves approach. What is definitely worse than expected is that the loss of resources is happening as climate change has accelerated so that both are feeding back on each other to make things worse.
George, I agree. We are palpably entering a dog-eat-dog, might-is-right era of international relations. The second half of the article posits technological solutions, because of course it does. 😆
Because the laws of uneven development has worked against the US empire, like every empire before it, in favor of the imperial periphery. As such, the empire can no longer maintain its dominance and its political and militaristic dominance has become more irrational as its productive forces have decayed over time. A world war will be necessary to establish the new world policeman over the capitalist nation states. It’s just that this time, the means of destruction have advanced to the point that such a war would be the end of modern civilization. But as long as capitalist production and their nation states continue to exist, such a war is inevitable. The laws of competition among capitalist nation states necessitates it.
Nathaniel, I’m not big on politics, so can’t really comment helpfully on your framing of our predicament, but welcome to the site and thank you for commenting.
I can certainly agree that we are heading for more conflict and the end of modern civilisation.
Recommend reading Climate Leviathan if you haven’t come across it yet. I tend to believe we are heading towards mainly two of the four scenarios the authors put forth (due to near term multipolarity), being “Climate Behemoth” (west, Anti-Planetary Sovereignty, capitalist) and “Climate Mao” (China-led BRICS, Planetary Sovereignty, non-capitalist). Check it out.
Nolan, my apologies – you are a new commenter, I think, which is why your comments were held in moderation overnight. Welcome to the site.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/scientists-sound-alarm-about-phenomenon-observed-in-trees-across-the-western-us-a-lot-of-value-to-humans/ar-AA1BSVxk?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=14186b9ebc7749ac8f379dcfa6069eaa&ei=9
According to a new study by Colorado State University published in Nature Climate Change, tree populations are declining because of these disturbances and are not regenerating fast enough in cooler climates….
———————————-
[ME] Trees are not regenerating faster than they are being destroyed by drought, disease, wildfires and more. Some efforts have been made to have humans plant billions of tree seedlings. But rapid CC will probably kill these saplings as they fruitlessly struggle to reach maturity.
Perhaps the time has come to forget the trees and move to planting cacti as the desertification of the globe continues at a rapid pace. Barrel cactus, tall saguaro, prickly pear, and more species might do well as soils worldwide dry to hard & cracked caliche and endless vistas of blowing sand dunes.
Some cacti are impossible to touch and would be worthless for the dying logging industry to try and profitably harvest. The ‘jumping cholla’ is a good example of how Mother Nature might fight back. The incredibly sharp & fine needles easily pierce very deep [even through thick clothing]. When trying to remove the needle: lots of fish-hook barbs pop out to extract bloody meat.
Along time ago when I was in Boy Scouts on a desert hike in Arizona: I accidentally brushed lightly against a jumping cholla. It went right through my light jacket and into my lower forearm. I could not remove my jacket because the needles held my skin tight. The Scoutmaster, wearing thick gloves, also had a big comb that he placed between the needles & my jacket. He told me to brace myself then yanked briskly–the pain was quite intense, but then the jacket could come off. He removed the last of the deepest needles with plyers, one yank at a time. Quite a bloody mess to bandage up. I still have nasty scars that dermatologists are shocked to see.
Also, since we will probably eat horses into extinction: the ‘horse crippler’ cactus can be renamed the ‘human crippler’ cactus since nobody will have leather boots either. Fun Times for all!
Jumping Cholla cactus:
https://succulentalley.com/jumping-cholla-cactus-that-shoots-needles/#:~:text=The%20slightest%20touch%20often
Horse crippler cactus: https://www.americansouthwest.net/plants/cacti/echinocactus-texensis.html
Bob Shaw Are Humans Smarter than Yeast?
Bob, whenever anyone mentions ailing trees I always immediately think of my friend, the late Gail Zawacki, who was a tireless inquisitor into tree mortality:
“That trees are dying is empirically verifiable by a cursory inventory. Characteristic symptoms you can readily locate in any woods, suburban yard, park or mall include stippled, singed foliage; yellowing coniferous needles; thinning, transparent crowns; cracking, splitting, corroded, oozing and stained bark; early leaf senescence; loss of autumn radiance; holes; cankers; absence of terminal growth; breaking branches; and ultimately, death.”
https://witsendnj.blogspot.com/p/basic-premise.html
As luck would have it, the Hebrides are free of Cholla. We do have a lot of thistles though…
30 second Video of a poor guy with jumping cholla penetrating his leather sole. My guess he stepped on some pieces that were already on the ground.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=379z9-LYu2s
Another video of getting in painful touch with Nature:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LfTMGuUb1vM
Hey Pan, my longer comment must be in moderation. What am I doing wrong?
Bob, I don’t think WordPress liked the three links. Two it will allow…
thxs for posting, no more than two links in the future.
“Crazy 35C Lefke,CYPRUS after a min of 20.9!” https://xcancel.com/extremetemps/status/1905691116231688264
Actually it was in the mid 20s yesterday and the day before: https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/observations/swr8p3cne
the extreme temps guy at least appears to be just making stuff up.
Hmm. A Norwegian email address and someone with an axe to grind against ExtremeTemps… I feel we may have met before. 🙄
You are linking to UK Met Office temps for Larnaca – nearly 100km away from Lefke, which is in Turkish Cyprus.
You can see the detailed breakdown of temps for Lefke via the link below. From the data listed, it looks like the max was 34.3C and the minimum that night was even higher at 22.1C – but Maximiliano Herrera is a climatologist who specialises in quality checking meteorological data. This is why organisations like Guinness World of Records and Accuweather use him as a Consultant; so when he confirms a temperature there’s a very good chance he’s right.
He may occasionally lapse into hyperbole; he posts in a hurry because he is keeping on top of a ridiculous amount of data, and English is not his first language, so sometimes there are issues with clarity – but he is a great resource. Please don’t nitpick him. It is one of my least favourite things.
https://www.weatherandclimate.info/weather/17501
Re DataMiner’s comment, does seem like some of these reports might be cherry picked for the absolute maximum temp for a given period. They are not made up, as far as I can tell.
Ah it’s a troll. Never mind!
I’m waiting to see the data on melt water from land based ice that flows into the oceans,adding water weight to underwater faults, creating earthquakes. The Ring of Fire should be exciting in the future.
Guess I could do some research.