“Major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now inevitable, scientists have found, even if the fossil fuel burning that is driving the climate crisis were to end overnight.
“The research shows the global heating to date will cause an absolute minimum sea-level rise of 27cm (10.6in) from Greenland alone as 110tn tonnes of ice melt. With continued carbon emissions, the melting of other ice caps and thermal expansion of the ocean, a multi-metre sea-level rise appears likely.”
“Arctic lakes are vanishing in surprise climate finding.
“The Arctic is no stranger to loss. As the region warms nearly four times faster than the rest of the world, glaciers collapse, wildlife suffers and habitats continue to disappear at a record pace. Now, a new threat has become apparent…”
“The current 2021-2022 surface mass balance anomaly over Svalbard is incredible: close to 2 times larger than previous record, 4 times larger than the 1981-2010 interannual variability [In simple terms, its glaciers are melting like crazy]…
“…out of any statistically likely anomaly without global warming”
“Sunday marked highest sea surface temperatures on record for North Atlantic according to Climate Change Institute at University of Maine.
“Meanwhile, strongest 2nd year of a La Nina continues based on NOAA MEI. Definitely a strong Tropical Cyclone season right? NOPE! Only 1988 had a lower ACE on this date.”
“Climate change is triggering early spring across North America and prematurely waking bumblebees from hibernation before flowers have bloomed – leaving many without food and threatening their survival, a new study has found.
“These insects typically time the end of their hibernation for when flowers are in bloom…”
“Summer nights in the South [US] are getting hotter, quicker.
“Nighttime temperatures have risen faster than daytime temperatures across the Southeast during the region’s warmest decade on record, creating unrelenting heat waves that can have serious consequences for vulnerable people, farm animals and crops — including death.”
“Floods inundate Mississippi, but not a drop to drink – “The water is not safe to drink, and I’d even say it’s not safe to brush your teeth with””.
“JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi’s capital city is grappling with multiple water problems — too much on the ground after heavy rainfall in the past week, and not enough safe water coming through the pipes for people to use.”
“For a brief moment in the 3 p.m. hour, Seattle-Tacoma Airport hit 90 degrees which makes this the 12th day this year reaching 90 officially, tying the record from 2015.
Wednesday will be almost as warm, but with a weak disturbance aloft moving through. A few high clouds could cut down the temperature a degree or two.”
“On Thursday, Maui hit its seventh record-high temperature for August – a scorching 94F in Kahului, located on the north side of the island.
“Over the summer, the island has been seeing very little rainfall, causing “lower recharge of the island’s aquifers,” according to a press release by the Department of Water Supply.”
“‘Photos: Toxic algae bloom kills fish in San Francisco Bay.
“One of the largest algae blooms in recent memory in San Francisco Bay could intensify with the arrival later this week of what promises to be the longest, most intense heat wave of the year — creating perfect conditions for the toxic organisms to potentially kill even more fish across the bay…”
“Death Valley is currently forecast to peak at 126°F (52.2°C) on Saturday, which would tie the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth in the month of September. This is going to be a heatwave for the ages in California.”
“Sonora, Mexico, goes from extreme drought to floods: there are 13 dead.
“In just two months, Sonora went from a crisis due to severe and extreme drought, to suffering floods that have forced the dams to be released and have caused the death of 13 people.”
“‘One more tribe made extinct.’ Reclusive last member of decimated Amazon tribe dies…
““No outsider knew this man’s name, or even very much about his tribe — and with his death the genocide of his people is complete,” Fiona Watson of the organization Survival International, a global movement for tribal peoples, told CNN.”
“Drought announced across South West [UK] after driest conditions in 90 years.
“The whole of the South West of England has been moved into drought status. The Environment Agency has today (30 August) moved Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, South Gloucestershire and parts of Wiltshire into drought status.”
“Britain faces shortage of pumpkins this Halloween.
“Britain is facing a shortage of pumpkins this Halloween as growers warn poor weather has reduced their harvest by as much as a third. Supermarkets are already grappling with the fall-out from this year’s drought…”
“French potato production experiences a historical collapse due to drought and extreme heat.
“As reported by the French Potato Producers’ Group, UNPT, “the latest samples, to date, confirm the historical deterioration of the yields of the plots dedicated to potatoes by at least 20% compared to the average of the last twenty years, that is, 1.5 million tons lost (40,000 hectares in terms of the surface).”
“Summer 2022 has been second hottest since records began in France.
“This summer in France has been the second hottest on record and the hottest since 2003 [that was an El Nino year; this is a La Nina], national weather service Météo-France has reported. “Not only have hot extremes been frequent, but there have been no really cool days nationwide since early July,” the service stated.”
“Germany has had its sunniest summer on record, according to the country’s weather service. Temperatures and lack of rainfall in 2022 were also more extreme than usual, pointing to how summers might look in the future.”
“Low Water Levels Disrupt European River Cruises, a Favorite of U.S. Tourists… One of Europe’s worst droughts in decades has left the water level of parts of the Rhine and the Danube rivers too low for ships to pass… “River cruising is a multibillion-dollar industry…”
“Historic monuments resurface as severe drought shrinks Spain’s reservoirs…
“The climate crisis has left parts of Spain at their driest in more than 1,000 years and winter rains are expected to diminish further, a study published in July by the Nature Geoscience journal showed.”
“At least eight people have been killed and hundreds displaced in the Sierra Leonean capital Freetown after a landslide and flooding caused by heavy rains continued on Monday, rescue workers said… President Julius Maada Bio blamed the calamities on climate change but also on poor urban planning.”
“The landlocked Sahel state’s annual rainy season typically runs between June and August or September. But in recent years, rainfall has become more intensive, accelerating the risk of deadly flooding in shantytowns.”
“Climate crisis exacerbates Sudan floods as death toll rises…
““It’s one thing to have such devastating floods every 100 years, but in Sudan, we are seeing these floods happening more regularly and more ferociously. We can’t just expect families to be able to bounce back year after year, flood after flood.””
“Fifth Consecutive Year of Drought Forecast for Horn of Africa.
“The World Meteorological Organization warns millions of people in the greater Horn of Africa will likely face a fifth consecutive season of insufficient rains. According to the U.N. weather agency the terrible four-year long drought in the Horn of Africa is set to continue for another year.”
“Half a Million Forced Into Camps as Floods Ravage Pakistan.
“Pakistan’s unprecedented flooding has forced nearly half a million people to leave their homes and move into relief camps as international aid starts to trickle in to help the South Asian nation already battling an economic crisis.”
““We have the largest number of glaciers outside the polar region, and this affects us,” Pakistan’s climate minister Sherry Rehman told the Associated Press. “Instead of keeping their majesty and preserving them for posterity and nature,” she said, “we are seeing them melt.””
“Why glaciers in Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti Valley [India] are in a precarious state…
“India, particularly northwest India, recorded a severe prolonged spell of heat extremes between March and May this year.The March-April spring heatwave spell in India and Pakistan was about 30 times more likely to happen because of human-caused climate change…”
“For Nepal’s ailing economy, the shortage of chemical fertiliser, drought-like situation in the southern Tarai and the subsequent heat wave is a big problem. Bir Bahadur Chaudhary, a farmer in Dhangadhi, predicts a significant cut in paddy output this year.”
“China Heat Wave day #80:The intense heat is now squeezed in the provinces of Guangxi, Zheijiang and Fujian with temperatures reaching 40.7C [105.3F] at Lishui.
“Tomorrow the heat will ease but persists in Fujian one more day, ending this historic heat wave, but it might resume in few days.”
“Rain eases China’s record heatwave but fresh energy crisis looms.
“Rain across central China this week is expected to relieve the country’s worst heatwave on record, but weather agencies are now warning of potential floods, while analysts say the energy crisis exacerbated by the months-long drought is not over.”
“Another wet Sydney summer isn’t just bleak — it could wipe out an entire species.
“The Royal Botanic Garden is racing to save entire plant species at risk of extinction from diseases that thrive in the rain, as Sydney faces the bleak prospect of another long, wet summer.”
“Floods, other water-related disasters could cost global economy $5.6 trillion by 2050 -report[I’m not sure this line of analysis is sufficiently, er, expansive…]
“Worsening droughts, storms and torrential rain in some of the world’s largest economies could cause $5.6 trillion in losses to the global economy by 2050, according to a report released on Monday.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow 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.
“It’s Happened Before: Paleoclimate Study Shows Warming Oceans Could Lead to a Spike in Seabed Methane Emissions.
“…new research, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that some of the shallower layers in the Atlantic Ocean could be more vulnerable than previously thought to warming that could release that methane…”
“A fifth effort to pass a global agreement to protect the world’s oceans and marine life has failed.
“Talks to pass the UN High Seas Treaty had been ongoing for two weeks in New York, but governments could not agree on the terms. Despite international waters representing nearly two-thirds of the world’s oceans, only 1.2% is protected.”
“Some tropical cities in the Pacific Ocean have been constantly warm after the 2015 climate step. Honiara in Solomon Islands is having its 83rd consecutive warmer than average month, while Nangapinoh in Indonesia its 90th consecutive.”
“Today’s lightning episode brings the total monthly number of ground flashes to over 85,300 (and counting), which is a new national record for August [Finland].
“The previous record was 85,047 from August 1972. The observations start from 1960.”
“Floods as Swedish cities get two months of rain in 24 hours.
“Large areas of Sweden saw extreme levels of rain over the weekend, with the city of Linköping receiving more than 100mm [3.94 inches] of rain in 24 hours, twice as much as it usually receives in the whole of August. “There was such an absurd amount of rain that the data was at first rejected by our system,” Therese Fougman, a meteorologist at the forecaster, told Sweden’s TT newswire.”
“Even the Netherlands’ world-renowned water management system is feeling the heat. Part of the country’s 22,000 kilometers network of dikes is made up of smaller “regional” dikes, made of peat, which tend to protect lower risk areas like forests and fields.”
“Serbia suffers electricity shortfall and soaring food prices from drought.
“Electricity supplies along with farming is being hit hard from the lack of rainfall and drought conditions in Serbia, with the country heavily dependent on hydroelectric power. Like many countries across Europe, Serbia is suffering from drought conditions that have been influenced by climate change…”
“Portuguese olive farmers are forecasting a 40% fall in olive production this year, due to the ongoing drought and excessive temperatures, felt particularly early in the spring.
““We expected some fall in production”, said the association’s Francisco Pavão. “But nothing like this. At the point where the olives should have been flowering in the spring, we had temperatures of 40ºC. The flowers never made it…””
“‘Green gold’: Spanish farmers ditch olives for pistachios in bid to survive…
“They’re calling it green gold, the cash crop that could rescue one of Spain’s poorest regions from decline and depopulation as farmers plough up wheatfields and vineyards and replant them with pistachios… Pistachios can withstand drought…”
“Increased fire activity has caused evacuation orders to be implemented in parts of Idaho impacted by the Four Corners Fire [Boise has just set a record for 100F days this year, you may recall]…
“The fire, which was caused by lightning, is about 18% contained and has burned more than 10,100 acres… The fire is impacting both Payette National Forest and Boise National Forest.”
“Mississippi governor declares state of emergency ahead of massive flooding.
““If predictions prove accurate, the Pearl River is expected to crest on Monday, August 29th, at 36 feet,” several feet over what is considered a major flood stage, Reeves said. “This is 24 hours sooner than originally predicted.” Usually, a flood stage is considered “major” at 26ft…”
“Another brutal temperature change in South America.
“See below the local 3pm temperatures yesterday vs. today in some southern Brazilian towns. In few days another brief but intense warm spell will drive the temperature above 40C [104F] in Paraguay before collapsing again short after.”
“If South America has been switching from hot to cold sharply, South Africa is not standing still.
“The town of Graaff Reinet (32S, 791m above sea level) recorded 3 straight frosts from 21 to 23 August… then recorded a tropical night on 25th (tmin +20.3C) and it dropped to -4.0C this morning.”
“After the death toll from flooding in Afghanistan hit 192 this month, the Taliban administration appealed for help from the international community.
“Thousands of livestock had been killed and 1.7 million fruit trees destroyed, raising concerns over how families would feed themselves going into the cooler months while the country deals with an economic crisis, authorities said.”
“Pakistan floods: plea for help amid fears monsoon could put a third of country underwater.
“Pakistan’s government has appealed for international help to tackle a flooding emergency that has killed more than 1,000 people and threatens to leave a third of the country – an area roughly the size of Britain – underwater.”
“Flooded lower Sindh [Pakistan] reels in pain and destruction…
“Districts in lower Sindh are facing massive devastation, miseries and pain. Monsoon rains have affected millions. But thousands of peasants, including women and children, are the worst hit and homeless… Agricultural fields and villages are fully submerged in these districts…”
“While the cold air has taken possession of Northern China, today it’s day #78 of this brutal heat wave in the South with widespread >40C in the provinces of Chongqing, Guizhou, Sichuan, Jiangxi and Hunan.
“Chongqing Min. temperature was 32.9C: always above 30C [86F] since August 6th!”
“Chinese Drillers Work 15-Hour Days Building Wells in Drought-Hit Jiangxi.
“Teams of drillers are working long hours to build wells to fight a devastating drought sweeping parts of China, farmers in Jiujiang city in the country’s central Jiangxi province told Reuters on Saturday… “Sesame, corn, sweet potatoes, cotton in the drylands are all dried up,” Chen told Reuters.”
“Drones and rockets have been deployed in China to make clouds produce rainfall during a record-breaking heatwave and severe drought.
“The devices have been sowing silver iodide, which has a similar structure to ice, into clouds… Drones were dispatched over the Sichuan province in southwest China to bring rainfall to more than 600 sq/km (232 sq/miles) of land.”
“Under the influence of continuous high temperature and drought in the whole Yangtze River Basin…
“…the water level in Wuhan of the Yangtze River has dropped to the lowest level since the hydrological records were recorded in 1865, which is 7.08m [23.2 feet] lower than the annual average.”
“Breaking: Sydney has just surpassed 2,000 mm of rainfall [79 inches] so far this year.
“This is the city’s first two-metre year since 1963, and by far its earliest date to exceed two metres in annual records dating back to 1859.” [Domensino also says that only a further 185mm is now needed to break the wettest year on record. A racing certainty with negative Indian Ocean Dipole and returning La Nina.]”
“Queensland flood victims feeling forgotten six months after historic floods.
“What seemed unthinkable six months ago has become a reality from which Darryl and Mala Beames cannot escape. “We’ve been living with the rats, and the cold, the only place that’s warm is in your bed,” Mr Beames says.”
“Six months since the NSW floods, Victorian farmers and truckies are still sending much-needed emergency feed…
“It’s the kind of help Mr McMennemin would have been grateful to receive when his property at Undera, on the Goulburn River, near Shepparton, bore the strain of drought in the past.”
“Dried-Out Farms From China to Iowa Put Pressure on Food Prices.Drought is shrinking crops from the US Farm Belt to China’s Yangtze River basin, ratcheting up fears of global hunger and weighing on the outlook for inflation.
“The latest warning flare comes out of the American Midwest, where some corn is so parched stalks are missing ears of grain and soybean pods are fewer and smaller than usual.”
“The great drought and the great deluge, all at the same time.
“…what’s being experienced now in Europe — and all over the world — isn’t simply a rerun of the past. The northern hemispheric summer has been defined by a relentless series of unwelcome climate-related superlatives…
“[However,] the experience of these weather extremes is not forcing major climate policy reforms. The global panic over energy has led to the short-term pursuit of more fossil-fuel extraction. China had to scramble for more coal after the summer heat and drought delivered a blow to its hydropower capacity.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow 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.
“Pakistan pleads for international assistance after massive floods kill 900 people… “No question of the provinces or Islamabad being able to cope with this magnitude of climate catastrophe on their own,” tweeted Sherry Rehman, the federal minister for climate change…
“Managing relief efforts, reconstruction and rescue remains a challenge for cash-strapped Pakistan, which is forced to cut spending to ensure the International Monetary Fund approves the release of much-needed bailout money.”
“What it’s like to toil in India’s dangerous, unrelenting heat?
“The New Delhi Heat was unrelenting this spring and summer. Day in and day out, the city woke up to a steamy sunrise and went to bed in sweltering darkness – the most persistent, widespread and severe heat event in India’s recorded history.”
“Hot weather, low rainfall dry up farmers’ profits in Bangladesh…
“Farmers experienced unprecedented flash floods in June that submerged 15,852 hectares (39,171 acres) of land in northeastern Bangladesh. The country’s farmers now face drought in the full rainy season. While July is supposed to receive the highest amount of rainfall, the country received less than half of the average rainfall this July…”
“Endless oven in the city of Chongqing which recorded again a min. temperature of 34.9C,the highest ever in Chinese history in August.
“Mind blowing: 2 weeks without ever dropping below 32C [89.6F]! Moreover several more all time records fell today in China.” [This epic heatwave is finally going to dissipate over the next few days].
“Distressed farmer shares video of livestock dying in extreme heat.
“Across China, farmers are struggling to save their livestock and crops, as huge parts of the country bake under a record-breaking heat wave that has lasted more than two months. CNN’s Kristie Lu Stout takes a look at the toll on farmers and local residents.”
“Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao [Philippines] under state of calamity for 2 months due to massive floods.
“At least 80 percent of 63 villages in Cotabato province that make up the BARMM special geographic area have also been underwater in the last 30 days. BARMM, however, still had to release the total number of barangays and the corresponding number of residents affected.”
“How [Australia’s 2020] wildfires made the ozone hole worse.
“Australia’s massive 2020 “Black Summer” bushfires, which injected nearly a million tons of soot and other particulate into the stratosphere, strengthened and prolonged a spinning hole in the ozone above Antarctica, a new study finds.”
“Another extreme weather event in South America: Record heat followed by another harsh wintry blast.
“Temperatures will rise >40C [104F] in Paraguay beating the national record of the hottest August day on Saturdaybefore collapsing on Sunday. Argentina might also see 40C at Las Lomitas.”
“Desert flooding damages Interstate 10 between Los Angeles and Phoenix.
“The main highway from Los Angeles to Phoenix was damaged by a flash flood that washed out part of the road through the Southern California desert in the latest bout of punishing monsoonal thunderstorms that have hit the region this month.”
“Underwhelming Iowa Corn Crop Sets Stage for More Food Inflation.
“After drought shriveled US corn plants in the western crop belt, all eyes have been turning to Iowa [biggest national corn grower] to help save the national harvest. Instead, the fields in that state have been “underwhelming,” “disappointing,” and just “not great.””
“August may pass without a single named tropical storm in the Atlantic.
“A named storm hasn’t roamed the Atlantic since Colin dissipated on July 3… According to Philip Klotzbach of Colorado State University, this marks the first time since 1982 that there hasn’t been a single named storm anywhere in the Atlantic between July 3 and the penultimate week of August.”
“Jersey Shore water temperature sets yet another record Thursday, reaching 84.7F [29.3C] degrees.
“The water temperature off Atlantic City set yet another record Thursday when the official government gauge registered 84.7 degrees at 6 p.m. — 28.9F degrees higher than it was two weeks ago. A run of extraordinarily warm surf-temperature readings began Tuesday…”
“New Jersey’s largest city [Newark] could be sweating its way to a record, challenging for its hottest summer by average temperature in recorded history.
“Newark’s average temperature since the start of June sits at 79.1 degrees, as of Thursday… With another set of scorchers on the horizon, it is possible that Newark will break the record before August ends next week.”
“Forest fires in Russia burn over 100,000 hectares of land in 3 days.
“A report by the state-run TASS news agency said that a total of 126 forest fires were recorded, and the area affected by wildfires increased by 8,000 hectares during the past three days. The Far East region’s Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is the worst hit area…”
“Current Siberian heating is unprecedented during the past seven millennia…
“… we provide this long-term perspective by reconstructing past summer temperature variability at Yamal Peninsula – a hotspot of recent warming – over the past 7638 years using annually resolved tree-ring records. We demonstrate that the recent anthropogenic warming interrupted a multi-millennial cooling trend.”
“Today the city of St Petersburg rose to 31.1C [87.8F] highest temperature for this time of the year. Record late heat also at Pskov with 33.0C [91.4F]. Temperatures will locally exceed 30c for some more days.”
“Climate change: Russia burns off gas as Europe’s energy bills rocket.
“Experts say the gas would previously have been exported to Germany. They say the plant near the border with Finland, is burning an estimated $10m (£8.4m) worth of gas every day. Scientists are concerned about the large volumes of carbon dioxide and soot it is creating, which could exacerbate the melting of Arctic ice.”
“Liz Truss will end the ban on fracking as part of a plan to make the UK an ‘energy-secure dynamo’, she writes in the Daily Mail today.
“The Foreign Secretary [and probably our new Prime Minister] as of Sept 5th] said Britain cannot be ‘held hostage’ by authoritarian regimes and must end its reliance on foreign imports within a decade.”
“Lidl and Waitrose to sell ‘wonky’ UK fruit and vegetables amid drought.
“Lidl and Waitrose will start selling “wonky” fruit and vegetables that have been “stunted” by UK drought conditions as part of efforts to support farmers struggling with the driest summer for 50 years. Lidl said it had written to its British suppliers who may need extra support…”
“Record-breaking heat wave in Europe will be the norm by 2035, analysis shows.
“The record-breaking heat wave that swept across Europe this year will become the “average” summer by 2035, even if all countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by as much as they have pledged to, according to an analysis published Thursday.”
“The bitter end of our glacier mass balance monitoring programme at Vadret dal Corvatsch [Switzerland] today. Extreme melting has sealed our decision to stop the surveys.
“Recent changes are just incredible! In the background ice crest >3000 year-old ice had been found. Now it’s almost gone.”
“Drought Forces Earliest Harvest Ever in French Wine Country.
“…this year something is starkly different in one of France’s most celebrated wine regions and other parts of Europe. The harvest that once started in mid-September is now happening earlier than ever — in mid-August — as a result of severe drought and the wine industry’s adaptation to the unpredictable effects of climate change.”
“France has declared a state of natural disaster for several cities in Corsica that were hit by a massive storm on 18 August that killed five people.
“The economy, interior and public finance ministers officially recognised a state of natural disaster for over 70 cities across Corsica that were damaged by hurricane-strength winds and rain.”
“Italy’s drought exposes ancient imperial bridge over Tiber River.
“”Because the water level of the river is so low now due to widespread drought across Italy, we’re able to see a lot more of the piers of the bridge that we usually could,” Mr Majanlahti said. In normal water level years, one of the bridge’s piers can often been seen in the driest season, but this year two are visible.”
“Facing an unprecedented drought, Portugal’s government recommended 43 municipalities temporarily increase water prices for their biggest consumers and suspend street-cleaning and watering in public parks and gardens.
“All of mainland Portugal is suffering severe or extreme drought following heatwaves over recent months, the national meteorology institute IPMA says.”
“Niger Tries Artificial Rainmaking To Ease Drought.
“Niger has deployed rainmaking planes in a bid to alleviate a drought that has sparked fears of a food crisis in the desert nation, weather authorities said Thursday. “We had to do something about this drought,” said Katiellou Gaptia Lawan, head of the national meteorology institute.”
“Chad: More than 340,000 people affected by floods in two months.
“The “affected” people are those who have had to “abandon their homes” and who have “lost property”, the Ocha office in Chad told AFP. “As a reminder, 256,000 people were affected by the floods in 2021 and 388,000 in 2020,” Ocha said.”
“Iraq villages suffer months without enough fresh water
“With temperatures approaching almost 50 degrees Celsius (122°F) in southern Iraq, villages have started to run out of fresh water supply. Instead, families rely on mixing salty well water with government-supplied water which is only delivered by a truck once or twice a week.”
“The World’s Rivers, Canals and Reservoirs Are Turning to Dust. Rivers across the globe are disappearing.
“From the US to Italy to China, waters have receded, leaving nothing but barren banks of silt and oozing, muddied sand. Canals are empty. Reservoirs have turned to dust.
“The world is fully in the grip of accelerating climate change, and it has a profound economic impact.”
You can read the previous “Climate” threadhere. I’ll be back over the weekend 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.
“Hail, torrential rain leave at least 31 dead in Tibetan-populated areas of China. The wild weather also kills thousands of heads of livestock and damages property…
“Floods and landslides in Sangchu county began on the evening of Aug. 21, flooding homes over the past two days, the Tibetan sources said… The heavy hail broke car windows and ripped tents from their foundations…”
“Dharamshala broke [a 64-year-old] record for excessive rain… registering 333mm [13.1 inches] in 12 hours, the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Response Force informed on Monday…
“It was in August 1958 the last time when [the previous record of] 316 mm of rainfall was recorded in Dharamshala.”
“Flash floods caused by abnormally heavy monsoon rains have killed at least 777 people across Pakistan over the last two months and have displaced more than 300,000 people, according to officials.
“Rescuers, helped by troops, are racing against time to evacuate thousands of marooned people, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.”
“Flash flooding has killed at least 95 people, injured hundreds of others and swept away thousands of homes in Afghanistan, authorities in the crisis-hit country said Tuesday.
“The deaths occurred across 10 provinces over the past 10 days, authorities said, as the country reels from an economic and humanitarian crisis exacerbated by Western sanctions imposed after the Taliban returned to power last year.”
“North East India records lowest rainfall in 122 years [of record-keeping].
“North East India has registered a 44 per cent deficit in rainfall for the month of July, even as the rest of the country has received ample rains, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The North East recorded 234.6 millimetres (mm) of rain during the month of July. This is reportedly the lowest since [record-keeping began in] 1901…”
“The extreme heat and drought that has been roasting a vast swath of southern China for at least 70 straight days has no parallel in modern record-keeping in China, or elsewhere around the world for that matter…
“This heat wave has also set records for its geographic reach, with nearly 530,000 square miles within China seeing high temperatures exceed 104°F (40°C).”
“Yesterday 23 August was day #73 of this tremendous heat wave in China: 50 all time records were broken + more tied records and many monthly records. (see list below).
“Three provinces had their hottest day ever: Sichuan: 43.8C [110.8F] at Neijiang; Guizhou: 43.5C at Chishui; Jiangxi: 42.6C at Xiushui.”
“China warns of ‘severe’ threat to harvest from worst heatwave on record.
“The world’s second-largest economy has been hit by record temperatures, flash floods and droughts this summer — phenomena that scientists have warned are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.”
“With China’s biggest freshwater lake reduced to just 25% of its usual size by a severe drought, work crews are digging trenches to keep water flowing to one of the country’s key rice-growing regions.
“The dramatic decline of Poyang Lake in the landlocked southeastern province of Jiangxi had otherwise cut off irrigation channels to nearby farmlands.”
“The dugong is now functionally extinct in China after widespread degradation of their habitat and historical hunting, scientists have said.
“Fishing and ship strikes are also among the reasons dugong activity has declined, said Prof Samuel Turvey of ZSL’s Institute of Zoology, who described the findings as a “wake-up call” to prioritise conservation efforts.”
“Meandering westerlies behind Japan’s record heat spell in June-July.
“Japan’s record heat spell from late June through early July can be attributed to meandering westerly winds pushing up high pressure in the upper atmosphere and near the ground to record levels, coupled with rising temperatures triggered by global warming, a Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) panel said on Aug. 22.”
“Marine biologist perplexed by snow crab disappearance [Alaska].
“It’s a mystery perplexing marine biologists that could lead to a loss of one of Alaska’s most prized seafood exports — the Bering Sea snow crab. Many theories have been hypothesized as to what is causing the declining crab populations throughout Alaska, ranging all the way from migration of the crustaceans to predators taking them out.”
“Flash floods wreak havoc in US south-west – but are no salve for drought.
“Flash floods hitting the American south-west in recent days have shuttered parts of national parks including in Moab and Zion, closed highways in Colorado, submerged cars in Texas and trapped tourists in a New Mexico cave… But the destructive deluges have not been enough to relieve the drought and the continued pressure on water resources…”
“Rare tornadoes strike desert Southwest, touching down in Arizona, Nevada.
“Tornadoes are a rarity in the southwestern United States, but multiple twisters were on the ground simultaneously for a time Sunday evening. One churned ominously close to Interstate 15 in Nevada, and another was photographed from near Lake George, Utah, as it slipped into northern Arizona.”
“Yes sir! The wettest August in Dallas-Fort Worth since record keeping began in 1899.
“This week’s rainfall total sets the record for the wettest August in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A total of 10.38 inches of rain has been recorded with a little over a week to go. The previous record was set in 1915 with 10.33 inches of rain, a gift from a powerful hurricane that hit Galveston.”
“2022 is driest year in Norfolk history [Nebraska]…
“The National Weather Service said the City of Norfolk is over 9.3 inches short of the normal amount of precipitation for this time of year. That makes 2022 the driest year on record in Norfolk to this point. Norfolk’s not alone, a number of communities in northeast Nebraska are between 25 and 50 percent of the moisture they are used to seeing by late August.”
“Unplanted Acres in US Surge in Face of Extreme Rain and Drought.
“Acres that US farmers were unable to plant have more than tripled from the same period last year as extreme weather wreaks havoc on fields. Prevented planting acres — or insured crop that can’t be planted because of disasters including flooding and drought — were at 6.4 million…”
“National Weather Service: Charleston [West Virginia] area breaks all-time record for rainfall in a summer.
“It’s been a rainy summer and according to the National Weather Service in Charleston, it’s been the wettest summer on record in the capital city area. The agency confirmed this week that 23.23 inches of rain have fallen in Charleston since June 1, the most ever in a summer period.”
“A new highest daily minimum temperature record has been confirmed from during the UK’s unprecedented hot spell.
“A low of 26.8°C [80.2F] was recorded at Shirburn Model Farm in Oxfordshire on 19 July 2022 at 04:32AM, meaning that the temperature never got below 26.8°C over a 24 hour period. This replaces the record set at Kenley Airfield on the same day where 25.8°C was recorded.”
“Fish and chips could soon be off the menu: Britain’s love of seafood is killing off dozens of species that rely on it for food, WWF report warns…
“Across all species groups, more than 250 Endangered, Threatened and Protected (ETP) species have been directly impacted by fisheries supplying UK markets, according to the report.”
“Brits issued warning over cost of chips after heatwave hits potato crops.
“The cost of potatoes could soar in just weeks with shortages feared to be on the horizon after the heatwave hit crops this summer. Suppliers said their crops have wilted due to the heatwave this summer, meaning the cost of chips is likely to soar.”
“Brussels has slashed crop production forecasts as an “exceptionally” hot summer leaves almost half of Europe under drought warning conditions.
“Officials said severe heat stress had resulted in “irreversibly lost yield potential” across vast areas of the Continent… “Hot spells are expected to continue in many parts of Europe…”
“Europe’s drought the worst in 500 years – report.
“Two-thirds of Europe is under some sort of drought warning, in what is likely the worst such event in 500 years. The latest report from the Global Drought Observatory says 47% of the continent is in “warning” conditions, meaning soil has dried up.”
“Drought inflicting ‘severe impacts’ on EU energy production, as Putin tightens squeeze on gas…
“In a summer of savage wildfires, harvest reductions and major rivers drying up, the substantial lack of rain has also wreaked “severe impacts” on the EU’s energy sector, hampering both hydropower generation and cooling systems of other power plants.”
“Switzerland’s glaciers melt by half in less than a century, study finds.
“For the first reconstruction of ice loss in the country in the 20th century, the researchers looked at thousands of photographs taken from mountaintops between the two world wars and combined them with field measurements.”
“Some weeks ago we talked about the unprecedented early snow melting on the Austrian glacier of Mt. Sonnblick which hosts the mountain oldest and most complete climatic series in the world.
“The result today is the glacier being in a terrible shape, like nobody has ever seen before.”
“Region near Moscow declares state of emergency over forest fires.
“Authorities in the Russian region of Ryazan have declared a state of emergency to help tackle raging forest fires… The acting regional governor, Pavel Malkov, said that the state of emergency will allow officials to “mobilise more resources to protect the inhabitants and the territories”.”
“Bulgaria: Lightning Strike Killed Husband and Wife.
“Local media reports that a lightning strike took the lives of a man and a woman on the road to the Chernogorsk monastery on Saturday night. On their way home from the monastery, the couple decided to take shelter in a gazebo, mayor of the village Tsana Sandova told the media.”
“British woman fights for life after being struck by lightning in Croatia.
“The woman was taken to a local hospital where she is now in a critical condition with serious head injuries and burns, the MailOnline reports. The 48-year-old had been sunbathing with her daughter on Kašjuni Beach before the weather turned…”
“Lightning struck Sunday during a nighttime trail race up a Greek mountain, killing one runner and seriously injuring another, Greek police and the fire service reported.
“The two men were running in the Six Peaks race, which passes through the six highest peaks of Mount Falakro in northern Greece, when lightning struck a group of runners at 4 a.m. at an altitude of 4,400 feet, a police officer told The Associated Press.”
“More than 50 sheep were killed in the region of Vlacha in Metsovo, northern Greece, after they were struck by lightning during a midday thunderstorm on Tuesday.
“According to state broadcaster ERT, the frequent thunderstorms that have broken out in recent days are particularly intensewith lots of lightning.”
“Wildfire in northern Portugal threatening several villages, Spain to declare natural disaster.
“A wildfire is threatening several villages in northern Portugal as the country prepares for more heatwave-level temperatures… It comes as the country was put on alert due to the “aggravation of the risk of rural fire” and the increase in temperatures.”
“Spain is facing a climate emergency as it experiences the hottest summer ever recorded, prime minister Pedro Sanchez warned Monday…
““Unfortunately, science is telling us that the next summers are going to be even hotter which means that we are facing a climate emergency,” he added.”
“A total of 13 people were killed and 21 others injured in a single day in Yemen from lightning strikes, local media reported Sunday.
“The Houthi-run Saba news agency reported that seven people died and eight others were injured as a result of lightning strikes in various parts of Hajjah province.”
“South Africa’s water crisis | Nelson Mandela Bay aiming to avoid Day Zero.
“As water is fast running out in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, the council has agreed to restrict water usage per household. This came out as the Department of Water and Sanitation — led by Minister Senzo Mchunu — brought in experts to focus on pushing back Day Zero.”
“Residents in the ancient Iranian capital, Hamedan [population over half a million], are grappling with severe water shortage, sometimes going without any water for as long as 24 hours…
“With nothing in the pipes, water for drinking and other purposes is now being distributed by tanker trucks. Iran’s Red Crescent has also been distributing bottled water in the city.”
You can read the previous “Climate” threadhere. I’ll be back tomorrow 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.
“Severe droughts across the Northern Hemisphere—stretching from the farms of California to waterways in Europe and China—are further snarling supply chains and driving up the prices of food and energy, adding pressure to a global trade system already under stress.”
“The world’s cotton supply keeps shrinking, hit by drought and heat.
“Extreme weather is wreaking havoc upon virtually all of the world’s largest cotton suppliers… This confluence of extreme weather events brought on by climate change has sent cotton prices soaring by as much as 30%.”
“Chinese farmers bid to save crops amid scorching drought.
“Drought conditions across a swath of China, from the densely-populated east across central farming provinces into eastern Tibet, have “significantly increased”, the national weather agency said on Saturday… Local authorities have been ordered to “use all available water sources” to supply households and livestock, the weather agency said.”
“11 out of the top 10 highest daily mean temperatures in Chongqing are now set in 2022.
“Just unfathomable.
“For reference, the *average* temperature in Chongqing yesterday was 38.9℃ / 102℉, marking it the hottest day in history; the high, a new record, was 43.7℃ /110.7℉.”
“Several wildfires have been reported in mountain and forest areas in the Jiangjin, Dazu, Tongliang, and Banan districts of southwest China’s Chongqing since Thursday, all due to high temperatures and drought. The local government has dispatched more than 5,000 personnel…”
“Yesterday 21 August 82 more heat records were broken in China, 56 which for any month (list in the thread below).
“Many stations have recorded their top 20/25/30 hottest days of the past 70 years, all in the past weeks. This heat wave overtakes anything seen previously worldwide.”
“Japan weather agency triples downpour warnings. Sea surface temperatures – one of the possible factors behind the heavy rains – are expected to remain high through September…
““There’s no doubt that unusually heavy rain has been falling in many parts of the nation,” a JMA official said.”
“New Zealand authorities warn more heavy rain to hit flooded South Island.
“New Zealand has maintained a state of emergency in parts of its flood-battered South Island on Sunday as authorities weighed damage in the region hardest hit by four days of torrential rain… Dr Daniel Kingston, a senior geography lecturer at the University of Otago, said climate change is likely playing a role…”
“After breaking a 13-year-old temperature record for August on Thursday it took just two days for Whanganui [New Zealand] to break it again.
“Whanganui reached 21.4C [70.5F] around 2.30pm on Saturday – 0.9C higher than the record set on Thursday. Previous to Thursday, the August record was 20.1C set in 2009.”
“As Alaska Warms, Fires Burn Over (and Under) More Wild Land. Lightning storms, drought and thawing tundra are making fires more destructive.
“In the vast wilderness, firefighting is a major challenge… “This place felt like a war zone,” said Don DeBlauw, 73, a retired construction worker who evacuated from his home…”
“Canada is witnessing more thunderstorms than ever before…
“In Canada, the new normal for yearly insured catastrophic losses has reached $2 billion — a significant increase from the $422 million per year between 1983 and 2008 — and a significant chunk of that is from thunderstorm-related severe and extreme weather.”
“Canadian bee researchers fear climate change’s effects on wild bees…
“With climate change also comes severe weather events like frequent storms, flooding and hailstorms, which can kill insects… Last winter, Canada had its largest honeybee colony loss in the past 20 years, according to preliminary data.”
“US Crop Tour Set to Kick Off With World’s Food Reserves at Stake… Wild weather and war are backdrop of four-day Midwest survey…
“Farmers from Nebraska to Ohio are nearing the final stretch of one of the most turbulent growing seasons ever, with the world now nervously waiting to see if US corn and soybean harvests will be big enough to revive supplies diminished by war and weather.”
“Comin’ in hot: Boise [Idaho] hit 100 degrees again on Sunday, breaking this weather record.
“Boise… ticked up to 100 degrees late Sunday afternoon to make 2022 the year with the most days — 21 — at 100 or more in the history of the City of Trees… A weather record like this has been in the cards for a while. Boise hit 100 degrees on 18 occasions in 2021, 16 times in 2006 and 2007, and on 14 in 2018, 2015 and 2013.”
“Would you rip up your lawn for $6 a square foot? Welcome to drought-stricken California…
“Grass is the single largest irrigated “crop” in America, surpassing corn and wheat, a frequently-cited study from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found. It noted by the early 2000s, turfgrass, mostly in front lawns, spanned about 63,000 square miles, an area larger than the state of Georgia.”
“Badger populations in some areas [of the UK] could soon be extinct because of the drought, campaigners warn.
“Daytime sightings of the nocturnal mammal have risen as they travel further afield to find food and water. Harder ground has made it difficult to dig up earthworms, their main diet, the Badger Trust said. Many have died of dehydration and hunger.”
“Despite it being only August, leaves have started falling in what experts term a “false autumn”, as heatwaves and drought push Britain’s trees into survival mode.
“In events made more likely by climate breakdown, parts of the country have experienced the driest July since 1935, with extreme heat bringing record-breaking temperatures in excess of 40C.”
“Millions of properties in the UK are at heightened risk of subsidence due to this summer’s record heatwave and drought, insurers, surveyors and geologists have warned.
“Insurance companies have already seen a significant spike in claims relating to subsidence, and the areas affected by the problem are growing…”
“The cost of electricity in Belgium reached a new record on Sunday, thanks to a lack of wind and the expectation of high temperatures next week…
“Record gas prices have been driven ever higher as several French nuclear power stations are currently not operating and water levels are low, causing a drop in the production of hydroelectric power stations.”
“Germany’s glaciers could disappear in the next 15 years, expert warns…
“One German glacier, called ‘Schneeferner”, is located on top of the Zugspitze, the country’s highest mountain. Since records began in 1901, never has the snow depth on the Zugspitze been so low in July, according to the environmental research station ‘Schneefernerhaus’, which is located on the glacier.”
“Record rainfall drenches western Austria as firefighters tackle torrential flooding.
“Austria experienced severe flash floods over the weekend. Meteorologists reported record amounts of rainfall in the western region over the past 24 hours [212mm/8.3 inches at Bregenz]. Places most affected include the mountainous area of Voralberg.”
“Sunken WW2 German warships resurface in Danube River.
“Europe’s worst drought in years has pushed the mighty river Danube to one of its lowest levels in almost a century, exposing the hulks of dozens of explosives-laden German warships sunk during WW2 near Serbia’s river port town of Prahovo.”
“Lake in Zagreb’s Bundek Park Dries Up Amid Long Period of Drought.
“As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the ongoing and long period of drought that has affected Croatia and the rest of Europe this summer has started to leave serious consequences on agricultural crops and other forms of greenery…”
“‘Spanish Stonehenge’ emerges from drought-hit dam.
“Officially known as the Dolmen of Guadalperal but dubbed the Spanish Stonehenge, the circle of dozens of megalithic stones is believed to date back to 5000 BC. It currently sits fully exposed in one corner of the Valdecanas reservoir, in the central province of Caceres, where authorities say the water level has dropped to 28% of capacity.”
“Portugal wildfires: Blaze threatens several villages. A wildfire in the Vila Real region in northern Portugal could spread to several nearby villages. More than 300 firefighters are tackling the blaze, backed by five fire-fighting aircraft.”
“Algeria’s Unesco-listed El Kala nature reserve damaged by forest fires.
“El Kala National Park and Biosphere Reserve was recognised by Unesco in 1990 as a “mosaic of marine, dune, lake and forest ecosystems”. A national park since 1983, the mountainous and heavily forested coastal area also features a network of wetlands…”
“Food fears grow as African floods fail to subside… Africa could face increased food insecurity and an unprecedented rural-urban migration crisis if climate change-induced flooding persists, environmentalists say…
“Alfa adds that the impact of flooding in Ghana is devastating, with fatalities being recorded in many parts of the country.”
“Sudan braces for more flooding as Nile hits highest levels since 1946… Official warns of ‘unprecedented’ danger facing dams in the country…
“Sudan is bracing for more flooding this week, days after more than 75 people were killed and tens of thousands of homes destroyed by heavy rainfall and river floods across the vast Afro-Arab nation, authorities said.”
“Number of Somalis affected by drought rises to 7.8 mln: UN.
“More than 755,000 people have been internally displaced in Somalia because of the severe drought this year, bringing the total figure to 1 million people since January 2021 when the drought began, according to displacement figures released by the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR.”
“At least 20 people have been killed in flash floods in central Afghanistan over the last 48 hours, a disaster management official said on Monday, with heavy rain destroying thousands of homes and damaging agricultural land. The country has been reeling from natural disasters this year…”
“Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman claimed that Sindh [SE Pakistan] received 355mm [14 inches] rain during the past 24 hours shattering the August 31, 2011 rain record of 238mm [9.4 inches] rain as death toll from rain-related incidents reach 159.
“The minister claimed that some parts of the province also saw three-day nonstop rain.”
“Floods and landslides triggered by intense monsoon rains have killed at least 40 people in northern India over the last three days, and others are missing.
“Heavy rainfall overwhelmed hundreds of villages, as mud houses were swept away, roads were covered by water, bridges were destroyed, and rescuers raced to help stranded residents.”
“Death toll rises to 26 after flash flood in NW China’s Qinghai.
“The death toll has risen to 26 and five people remained unaccounted for as of 4:00 p.m. Sunday after heavy rain triggered a mountain torrent disaster in northwest China’s Qinghai Province, according to rescuers. So far, a total of 23 people have been rescued.”
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow 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.
“At least 38 people killed as ‘tornado of fire’ rages in northern Algeria… Deadly forest fires have become an annual scourge in the north African country, where the climate crisis is turning large areas into a tinderbox.
“According to multiple sources, including local journalists and the fire service, at least 38 people have been killed, mostly in El Tarf province near Algeria’s eastern border with Tunisia, which was baking in 48C (118F) heat.”
“Stifling humid heat in Sardinia Island today: Capo San Lorenzo 34.4C and 88% rh (THI, ie temperature-humidity index, 59C / 138.2F); Capo Frasca 38.0C and 60% rh (THI 55C).
“The THI of 59C (calculated with the NOAA formula) is the highest known THI recorded in Europe (previous was 58C at Cagliari in July 2003).”
“The Mediterranean has experienced record sea temperatures this summer: this could devastate marine life…
“The Mediterranean has been subject to intense thermal conditions in recent years. This has taken a further severe step this year, with sea temperatures reaching a record 30.7°C [87.3F] off Corsica.”
“Violent thunderstorms and hurricane-force winds left at least eight dead Thursday in France and Italy, uprooting trees in Tuscany and on the French island of Corsicaand ripping away brick shards from St. Mark’s famed bell tower in Venice.
“The storm produced gusts of more than 220 kph (136 mph) – [equivalent to a cat 4 hurricane!] in some areas, the national weather agency Meteo France said.”
“France’s River Loire sets new lows as tributaries dry up.
“France’s river Loire, famous for the hundreds of castles gracing its shores, is a shallow river at the best of times, but this year even its flat-bottom tourist barges can barely navigate waters greatly reduced by a record drought.”
“France loses up to 35% of vegetable crops due to drought.
“On July 27, French Minister of Agriculture and Food Marc Fesneau said that restrictions on the use of water have been introduced in almost all regions of France amid a record drought in July. France, like many other European countries, has been experiencing abnormally hot weather this summer.”
“Shipping freshwater by sea is becoming a reality in a corner of Spain that’s turned to a tanker to keep the taps running amid the lowest rainfall in 163 years[since record-keeping began in 1859].
“As an exceptional measure to deal with a “historical water deficit,” public utility Consorcio de Aguas Bilbao Bizkaia in the Basque region of northern Spain has ordered a ship to move 2 million liters of water a day to supply four towns.”
“Officials in Germany said on Thursday that the rainfall hitting the country after weeks of dry weather would not be enough to raise river water levels high enough to restore normal river traffic.
“The rain will not be long or sustained enough, according to the German Weather Service (DWD), and will mostly be confined to the north, east and parts of the south of Germany.”
“Global warming melts Swiss mountain pass unseen since Roman times.
“In Switzerland, between the Scex Rouge and Tsanfleuron mountains, the Col de Tsanfleuron pass has been covered by ice for over 2,000 years. Just in 2012 the ice was 15 metres thick, but by the end of September it will be completely gone, Zenger News reports.”
“Moscow has been blanketed by wildfire smog coming from a nearby region fueled by a summer heat wave, Interfax reported. Authorities in the Russian capital advised residents on Thursday to wear face masks to protect themselves from the smog.”
“Incredibly warm (and moist) night behind. Helsinki Kaisaniemi did not drop below 21.7°C [71.06F].
“Tropical nights in Helsinki after mid-August are very rare, and this was by far the highest minimum temperature on record (provided it lasts until 18 UTC).”
“The warm air reached the Norwegian Arctic where the temperature on 17 August reached 28.9C [84F] at Slettnes Fyr (lat 71N)- world’s northernmost lighthouse – a new record for August.
“Also, the 29.0C at Kirkenes is the highest temperature ever recorded in Finnmark in the 2nd half of August.”
“While Norwegian Arctic is with record warmth, cold weather stands in Iceland.
“Minimum temperatures reached -4.4C inhabited areas and -10.3C on the top of the glacier at 1690m asl. 22% of inhabited area stations recorded freezing, veryrare for mid August.”
“Two-Thirds of Alaska’s Kenai Fjords Glaciers In Retreat, Study Finds…
“Of the 19 glaciers dotting the park, 13 have shrunk substantially, according to the research, which tracked their movements using satellite imagery from 1984 to 2021. Four other glaciers proved relatively stable, while just two advanced.”
“Seattle saw one of its warmest nights ever, and more heat is ahead.
“On Thursday morning it was 76 degrees in Seattle at midnight and 71 degrees at 5 a.m… [if ratified today], it could end up being one of only three days in the history of Seattle weather record-keeping with an overnight low at or above 70 degrees… The other times we’ve seen nighttime temperatures at or above 70 degrees was once in 2009 and once last summer during the heat-dome event.”
“Thursday marks the 24th day this summer of temperatures reaching 100 degrees in Salt Lake City [previous record was 21 days; you may recall that record was initially beaten earlier this week]…
“…we could see another 100-degree day up until early September… In 2022, we’ve already hit the second highest number of flood warnings statewide that have ever been recorded.”
“It’s official: This is the wettest August in Reno’s recorded history.
“As of 1:30 p.m. Thursday, the city had received 1.71 inches of rain in August at the airport, where the National Weather Service’s monitoring station is located. Most of that rain – 1.22 inches – fell in about 90 minutes on Aug. 3.”
“American farmers are killing their own crops and selling cows because of extreme drought…
“This year’s drought conditions are taking a harder toll than last year’s, as 37% of farmers said they are plowing through and killing existing crops that won’t reach maturity because of dry conditions. That’s a jump from 24% last year, according to the survey… July was the third-hottest on record for the US…”
“Bad weather knocks down Brazil’s grain production as ‘exhaustively forewarned’…
“Jardim’s state, an agriculture stronghold that saw record-high temperatures last year, was hit the hardest: the latest estimate from the National Supply Company, a unit of the agriculture ministry, is that Rio Grande do Sul lost 56% of its soy harvest in 2021.”
“Authorities demand action against ‘criminal’ Paraná fires.
“Wildfires are devastating wetlands on the islands of Argentina’s Paraná River Delta, destroying the environment and endangering health… smoke from the flames, which more than a week ago settled over the city of Rosario, some 310 kilometres north of the capital, could also be smelled and seen in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.”
“It’s the second day in a row that Kahului has experienced record-level temperatures, and the sixth time this month.
“Temperatures also reached record-setting levels of 93 degrees on Aug. 5, 96 degrees on Aug. 6, 95 degrees on Aug. 7, 93 degrees on Saturday and 95 degrees on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.”
“New Zealand floods could take years to clean up, with 1,200 people displaced…
“Friday’s rain comes on top of weeks of wet weather and is worsening conditions in New Zealand’s already sodden landscape. Experts have attributed the unseasonably wet weather to a narrow stream of water vapour, or “atmospheric river”, sitting above the country.”
“Auckland & Whangārei experienced their warmest August nights on record …on consecutive nights! [Also, Whanganui recorded 20.8C, which was its hottest daytime August temp on record].
“Min temps of 15.6˚C & 16.2˚C [61.2F] broke records set yesterday. Perspective: Auckland’s average min temp *in December* is 15.2˚C. Records began in 1959 (Auckland) & 1967 (Whangārei).”
“An ongoing marine heatwave event around New Zealand has broken records this year– while also adding extra energy to moisture-packed systems like this week’s disastrous “atmospheric river”…
“The Bay of Plenty has experienced the country’s longest-ever marine heatwave on record – now stretching into nine months.”
“Breaking news: Beibei [Chongqing] in China just reached 45.0C [113F]. This historic temperature is the highest reliable temperature ever recorded in China outside Xinjiang [which is home to the Taklamakan Desert].”
“China deploys cloud-seeding planes and cuts electricity use as record heatwave takes toll.
“For more than two months, baking temperatures have disrupted crop growth, threatened livestock and forced industries in the hydropower-dependent regions of the south-west to shut down to ensure electricity supplies for homes.”
“16 killed in [further] flash floods in northwest China as country battles extreme weather.
“Sixteen people were killed and many left missing in flash flooding in northwest China, state media reported Thursday, as the country battles extreme weather that has shuttered factories and caused rolling power cuts.”
“Myanmar’s Commercial Capital Yangon hit by Record Rainfall and Floods.
“Myanmar’s commercial capital Yangon logged a record 6.69 inches of rainfall after hours of torrential downpours through Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. Some 21 of the city’s 33 townships were flooded.”
“Cameroonian authorities say record flooding on its western border with Nigeria has destroyed thousands of tons of food meant for export.
“Nigerian trader Paul Okafor, a who buys palm oil and vegetables from Widikum to sell in his country, says floods and landslides have blocked him in Widikum for five days. No vehicles have been able to leave or enter…”
“Videos show a wild week of waterspouts from Florida to Greece.
“A week of wild waterspouts produced several astonishing videos across the globe — from ropelike waterspouts dancing harmlessly over European waters to one that ran aground and briefly spun into a tornado, sending beachgoers scrambling for safety.”
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here. I’ll be back over the weekend 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.
“As far as I know, your work is unique in pulling together stories from all over the world. Very sobering but a better and more complete view. Terrific and necessary work. Thank you!” – Simon
“With the inundation of so much depressing news, Justin Panopticon presents it in a succinct format that one can quickly go thru and see the big picture of climate and economics/politics to stay current and if a particle topic is of interest one can delve into the details… I try never to miss any of his posts…I am a Patreon of his work.”
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Weekday updates on both climate change and the global economy. Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.
“Major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now inevitable, scientists have found, even if the fossil fuel burning that is driving the climate crisis were to end overnight.
“Arctic lakes are vanishing in surprise climate finding.
“The current 2021-2022 surface mass balance anomaly over Svalbard is incredible: close to 2 times larger than previous record, 4 times larger than the 1981-2010 interannual variability [In simple terms, its glaciers are melting like crazy]…
“Sunday marked highest sea surface temperatures on record for North Atlantic according to Climate Change Institute at University of Maine.
“Climate change is triggering early spring across North America and prematurely waking bumblebees from hibernation before flowers have bloomed – leaving many without food and threatening their survival, a new study has found.
“Summer nights in the South [US] are getting hotter, quicker.
“Floods inundate Mississippi, but not a drop to drink – “The water is not safe to drink, and I’d even say it’s not safe to brush your teeth with””.
“For a brief moment in the 3 p.m. hour, Seattle-Tacoma Airport hit 90 degrees which makes this the 12th day this year reaching 90 officially, tying the record from 2015.
“On Thursday, Maui hit its seventh record-high temperature for August – a scorching 94F in Kahului, located on the north side of the island.
“‘Photos: Toxic algae bloom kills fish in San Francisco Bay.
“Sonora, Mexico, goes from extreme drought to floods: there are 13 dead.
“‘One more tribe made extinct.’ Reclusive last member of decimated Amazon tribe dies…
“Drought announced across South West [UK] after driest conditions in 90 years.
“Britain faces shortage of pumpkins this Halloween.
“French potato production experiences a historical collapse due to drought and extreme heat.
“Summer 2022 has been second hottest since records began in France.
“Germany has record year for summer sunshine.
“Historic monuments resurface as severe drought shrinks Spain’s reservoirs…
“Sierra Leone landslide, floods kill eight.
“Worsening Niger floods kill 75…
“Climate crisis exacerbates Sudan floods as death toll rises…
“Fifth Consecutive Year of Drought Forecast for Horn of Africa.
“An intense and long heat wave is underway in the Caucasus, Middle East and Central Asia. Yesterday Cizre in Turkey rose to 45.3C [113.5F].
“Half a Million Forced Into Camps as Floods Ravage Pakistan.
“How melting glaciers fueled Pakistan’s fatal floods.
“Why glaciers in Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti Valley [India] are in a precarious state…
“Fertiliser shortage, drought, heat wave threaten farming future [Nepal]…
“China Heat Wave day #80:The intense heat is now squeezed in the provinces of Guangxi, Zheijiang and Fujian with temperatures reaching 40.7C [105.3F] at Lishui.
“Rain eases China’s record heatwave but fresh energy crisis looms.
“Another wet Sydney summer isn’t just bleak — it could wipe out an entire species.
“Floods, other water-related disasters could cost global economy $5.6 trillion by 2050 -report [I’m not sure this line of analysis is sufficiently, er, expansive…]
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“Taiwan 1,2,3..! 
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