“Rain has fallen on the summit of Greenland’s huge ice cap for the first time on record. Temperatures are normally well below freezing on the 3,216-metre (10,551ft) peak, and the precipitation is a stark sign of the climate crisis.
“Scientists at the US National Science Foundation’s summit station saw rain falling throughout 14 August but had no gauges to measure the fall because the precipitation was so unexpected. Across Greenland, an estimated 7bn tonnes of water was released from the clouds.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/20/rain-falls-peak-greenland-ice-cap-first-time-on-record-climate-crisis
“Warmer seas make jellyfish bloom.
“As jellyfish line Gibraltar’s shoreline this summer, marine scientist Lewis Stagnetto from The Nautilus Project has warned this is set to worsen due to climate change. Most of the jellyfish spotted are Pelagia noctiluca also known as the mauve stinger and Rhizostoma luteum commonly known as the barrel jellyfish.”
https://www.chronicle.gi/warmer-seas-makes-jelly-fish-bloom/
“Coffins awaiting burial are exploding as Sicily’s extreme heatwave and a funeral backlog combine to grim effect.
“Normal administrative disorganisation in Palermo and an increase in deaths from Covid-19 have led to an accumulation of about a thousand coffins with nowhere to go.”
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coffins-explode-sicilian-heatwave-2md3lvw55
“The Congo rainforest and prospects for the next pandemic…
“…unsustainable practices in the Congo, by both indigenous and international groups, are conduits for a larger surface area of human-animal interactions. This increases the risk of disease transmission to forest-adjacent peoples and facilitates the migration of typically tropical diseases to other parts of the world…”
https://www.fpri.org/article/2021/08/the-congo-rainforest-and-prospects-for-the-next-pandemic/
“Climate Watch: Flood worsens cholera outbreaks in Nigeria.
“Experts have established a connection between climate change and cholera outbreaks, saying the rate of cholera outbreaks currently in Nigeria is a result of floods which is a climate change impact.”
https://www.thecable.ng/climate-watch-flood-worsens-cholera-outbreaks-in-nigeria
“Over 43 Killed Due to Torrential Rains, Floods in Sudan.
“A total of 43 people have been killed and thousands of homes collapsed,” Abdul-Jaleel Abdul-Rahim, spokesman of Sudan’s National Council for Civil Defense, said in a statement on Thursday. As many as 2,838 homes have completely collapsed, while 8,621 others were partially damaged, he added.”
https://weather.com/en-IN/india/news/news/2021-08-20-over-43-killed-due-to-torrential-rains-floods-in-sudan
“Police boat, divers search for missing from Turkish floods.
“A police boat and divers joined the search for some 30 people still missing more than a week after severe floods devastated parts of Turkey’s Black Sea coast, Turkish media reported Friday as authorities raised the death toll from the disaster to 81.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/turkish-black-sea-ankara-mediterranean-b1906108.html
“Lake Tuz, Turkey’s second largest, shrinks more amid drought.
“A study of the lake stretching across Konya province showed waters entirely receded this summer. Researchers… say water levels started swiftly decreasing from 2000. Their study also revealed an unprecedented drop in underground water levels in the area.”
https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/lake-tuz-turkeys-second-largest-shrinks-more-amid-drought/news
“Central Asia Heat Wave: This tremendous heat wave in Central Asia is reaching its peak with record breaking temperatures above 40C [104F] in Russia above latitude 50N.
“The 39.2C [102.6F] at Yelabuga, Tatarstan (55N) is a new all time record: an absolutely exceptional value for August 20th at that latitude.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1428766171621433345
“More than 100,000 livestock perish amid continued heat waves in North Korea…
“According to the source, North Korea often uses atomizers to fog up the livestock pens instead of air conditioning. However, maintaining high temperature, humid conditions in the pens can cause animal feed to go bad, which, in turn, could cause further deaths.”
https://www.dailynk.com/english/more-than-100000-livestock-perish-amid-continued-heat-waves-north-korea/
“Mudslide warnings issued with heavy rain set to continue across Japan.
“Heavy rain continued to pound western Japan on Thursday…
“Half of burned forests across Latin America don’t survive, study finds…
“The fragility of Latin American forests has been demonstrated by a pioneering study published in the journal Science Advances, which reveals an alarming finding: half of the region’s forests would not survive after their first fire, much less withstand a second conflagration in less than five years.”
https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/half-of-burned-forests-across-latin-america-dont-survive-study-finds/
“Update on the South America Heat Wave: Two more monthly records beaten in Argentina yesterday 19 August with 36.8C [98.2F] at Ituzaingó and 35.6C at Iguazú.
“Heat will intensify further in the next days before the passing of a cold front next week.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1428637770793242631
“Hurricane Grace is now a category 3 storm as it closes in on Mexico.
“The center of Grace is about 50 miles offshore, the US National Hurricane Center said in its 11 p.m. update. Conditions along the coast are beginning to deteriorate with heavy rain and tropical storm-force winds moving onshore.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/20/weather/hurricane-grace-mexico-friday/index.html
“It was not your imagination: July’s torrents of rain were indeed historic. New York and Massachusetts last month had the most rain of all U.S. states — each having their wettest July on record…
“That was not the sole record set last month. It also was the globe’s warmest July in the last 142 years.”
https://www.newsday.com/news/weather/rainfall-july-forecast-new-york-1.50338845
“British Columbia fruit growers suffering from heatwaves… “It kicked off with the late June heatwave and we’ve had two since then,” said BCFGA general manager Glen Lucas.
“…early season cherry projections were for 50-70 per cent losses. Tree fruit growers are increasingly desperate for financial support from the BC government, he added.”
https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9348031/bc-fruit-growers-suffering-from-heatwaves/
“California fire season sets records, more damage expected…
“California has already surpassed the acreage burned at this point last year, which ended up setting the record.
“A billion children are at ‘extremely high risk’ of climate shocks, UNICEF says.
“Almost half of the world’s 2.2 billion children are living in countries that face an extremely high risk of the impacts of the climate crisis, including environmental shocks such as cyclones and heatwaves, according to an index published Friday by UNICEF, the UN children’s agency.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/20/world/children-climate-risk-unicef-intl/index.html
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here. I’ll be back on Monday with an ‘Economic’ thread.
“Russia’s 2021 wildfires are already its largest in the history of satellite observations, burning across 17.08 million hectares of land, the Greenpeace Russia environmental group has said.
“The new record beats the previous record set in 2012, when fires burned 17 million hectares of land across Russia, and comes with weeks left to go in a devastating wildfire season.”
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/08/17/russias-2021-wildfires-now-largest-in-its-recorded-history-a74814
“Images From a Changing Iceland…
“The landscape of Iceland is undergoing constant change, and the rate of that change is being accelerated by global warming… the faster melting of Iceland’s ice caps is affecting the flow and shape of rivers, and that the decreasing mass of the ice caps is increasing the chances of future seismic and volcanic activity.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2021/08/images-changing-iceland/619782/
“‘Don’t come here’: Swedish city of Gävle flooded after double a month’s worth of rain falls overnight…
“Several buildings and roads were flooded after 140 millimetres [5.5 inches] of rain came down in the east coast city between 8pm on Tuesday and 4am on Wednesday, weather agency SMHI told the TT newswire. Normally, around 70 millimetres fall over the whole month of August.” https://www.thelocal.com/20210818/swedish-cities-flooded-after-double-a-months-worth-of-rain-falls-overnight/
“‘Countless’ animals threatened by fires ravaging Europe.
“As wildfires supercharged by climate change-induced drought and heatwaves ravage southern Europe, conservationists are increasingly concerned for the fate of the continent’s wild species which are struggling to stay ahead of the rampaging blazes.”
https://phys.org/news/2021-08-countless-animals-threatened-ravaging-europe.html
“Anger and sadness as dead fish wash up on the shores of Mar Menor beaches [Spain]…
“The corpses of hundreds of small fish and different marine species such as hermit crabs and shellfish lying dead along the shores of Mar Menor beaches have raised more alarm bells for residents and caused a wave of both resident anger and political argument…”
https://murciatoday.com/anger_and_sadness_as_dead_fish_wash_up_on_the_shores_of_mar_menor_beaches_1633565-a.html
“6 killed in Sudan floods, 6,000 homes destroyed.
“More than 55,000 people across the country were affected by heavy rains and flooding as of yesterday, along with a total of 6,270 homes have been destroyed, 3,380 homes damaged, and an unconfirmed number of public infrastructures and farmlands have been affected…”
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210818-6-killed-in-sudan-floods-6000-homes-destroyed/
“Ethiopia: Several killed in Addis Ababa flash floods.
“Flash flooding kills at least seven people in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa after torrential rains, officials say. Images from the city on Wednesday showed firefighters wading through brown water to inspect flooded houses…”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/18/ethiopia-flash-floods-addis-ababa-several-killed
“Zimbabwe – Extreme Weather Events Intensify.
“From record devastating droughts to ruinous floods, veld-fires and the early end of the rainy season, the frequency of extreme weather conditions is increasing in its intensity in Zimbabwe, showing a pattern that is becoming familiar across Africa and other parts of the world.”
https://allafrica.com/stories/202108180351.html
“Food prices in Armenia are rising uncomfortably high and the causes are not easy to fix: global inflation, a bad harvest, and economic depression brought on by pandemic and war.
“Prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages grew 13.5% year-on-year in July, according to the Armenian Statistical Committee, the largest jump since at least the 1990s.”
https://eurasianet.org/food-prices-in-armenia-hit-generational-high
“Kazakhstan sees 2021 grain crop down 24% due to drought.
“Kazakhstan expects its 2021 grain crop to fall by 24% to 15.3 million tonnes after drought hit main producing regions of the Central Asian nation, acting Agriculture Minister Yerbol Karashokeyev told a government meeting on Wednesday.”
https://archive.vn/gNHS6#selection-2569.31-2569.265
“China’s extreme weather deals a big blow to insurance companies.
“Severe rainstorms and flooding in China are hurting the profits of insurance companies, and highlight the shortfalls of the country’s natural disaster insurance system… Flooding in Henan last month resulted in a record single-event insurance loss of $1.7 billion…”
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/19/china-floods-weather-disasters-hurt-insurance-industry-sp-and-fitch.html
“Mazda halts two Japan factories due to torrential rain.
” Mazda Motor on Tuesday halted operations at two of its Japan factories, the latest victims of torrential rain now hovering over the southwestern part of the country… Several Mazda sales outlets and suppliers are reporting leaks, floods and other rain-related damage.” https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Automobiles/Mazda-halts-two-Japan-factories-due-to-torrential-rain
“Torrential rains in Japan claim more lives, threaten greater destruction…
“…between Aug. 11 and 6 p.m. on Aug. 18, total rainfall exceeding 1,000 millimeters [3.28 feet] fell on 10 locations in six prefectures, mostly in the southwestern Kyushu region… more unstable weather is in the forecast through Aug. 20…”
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210819/p2a/00m/0na/003000c
“A strong Heat Wave in the South American winter kicked off on 17 August with the first 40C+ [104F] of the season in the Southern Hemisphere at Base Jara in Paraguay.
“In the next days the heat will increase and might break several monthly records in Argentina and Paraguay.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1427787798178840590
“California wildfire crisis escalates amid extreme winds…
“Already the second-largest California wildfire on record [and largest single fire], the Dixie fire raging since mid-July in the rugged Sierra Nevada range northeast of San Francisco had charred 604,000 acres of drought-parched timber and brush as of Tuesday morning…”
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/california-wildfire-crisis-escalates-amid-extreme-winds-2021-08-18/
“More than 30 unaccounted for in North Carolina after flooding from Fred.
“Allison Richmond with Haywood County Emergency Management confirmed that 35 people were missing in the western part of the state… downpours washed out bridges and swamped homes. Governor Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/more-30-unaccounted-north-carolina-after-flooding-fred-n1277121
“Hurricane Grace, a wider, faster and stronger storm, continued toward Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula Wednesday, where it’s expected to make landfall early Thursday.
“Forecasters are also eyeing Tropical Storm Henri, which could strengthen into a hurricane by the weekend as it moves over the Atlantic.”
https://www.flkeysnews.com/news/local/article253566949.html
“Warming Western Antarctic Peninsula waters impact plankton community.
“Warming water and receding sea ice in the Western Antarctic Peninsula is changing the local plankton community with potential consequences for climate change, according to research led by scientists from Duke University and Duke Kunshan.”
https://phys.org/news/2021-08-western-antarctic-peninsula-impact-plankton.html
“Three-quarters of people in G20 nations see climate, nature near tipping points.
“Three in four people living in the world’s 20 major economies believe nature and the Earth’s climate are approaching potentially abrupt or irreversible changes due to human action, according to a survey released on Tuesday.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/global-climate-nature-idUSL4N2PO0UX
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an ‘Economic’ thread.
“Amid a prolonged, unforgiving heat wave in southern Europe and northern Africa, the temperature in the city of Montoro, Spain, soared to 117.3 degrees F [47.4C] Saturday, setting a record high for Spain. This topped the previous record of 117.1 degrees in July 2017.
“Montoro is a city of about 9,500 people in southern Spain, about 100 miles east of Seville. The record was confirmed by AEMet, Spain’s meteorological agency.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/08/16/spain-heatwave-europe-middle-east/
“Hundreds of firefighters tackle wildfire in southern France…
“French firefighters are battling to contain a large wildfire in the southern region of Var that has forced the evacuation of thousands of people, including tourists in campsites. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said he would visit the area Tuesday to monitor the situation.”
https://www.france24.com/en/france/20210816-hundreds-of-firefighters-tackle-wildfire-in-southern-france
“Two new wildfires in Greece trigger evacuation alerts for villages.
“Fanned by strong winds, two large new wildfires have erupted in Greece, triggering evacuation alerts for villages south-east and north-west of Athens – only days after blazes consumed large tracts of forest north of the Greek capital.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/16/greece-wildfires-evacuation-alerts-athens
“Houses burn as huge wildfire forces evacuation of six Jerusalem-area communities.
“The fire, about 13 kilometers (8 miles) west of the capital, sent a huge pall of smoke across the city that blocked out the afternoon sun. Fire and Rescue Services Jerusalem District Commander Nissim Twito said the blaze may be the biggest in recent years in the area.”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/large-forest-fire-forces-evacuation-of-six-jerusalem-area-communities/
“Once a haven for 100 types of birds, Hungarian lake now faces severe drought.
“…many of the lake’s visitors, both animal and human, have disappeared as extreme heat has brought the water to dangerously low levels, something activists and environmental experts say threatens the country’s third largest natural lake with an economic and ecological crisis.”
https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/hungarian-lake-valence-severe-drought-7456308/
“Forest fire forces Russia to evacuate 830 from summer camp…
“A total of 750 children and 87 personnel were evacuated from the camp in the Bashkortostan republic, some 1,180 kilometers (730 miles) east of Moscow Russia’s Emergency Ministry said.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/moscow-russia-siberia-b1902929.html
“Climate change puts North Water Polynya, a source of Arctic life, in imminent danger…
“The North Water Polynya has for millennia produced a life-giving cocktail of organic compounds that ultimately sustain the iconic marine animals found in the Baffin Bay region of the Arctic — narwhal, beluga, walrus and polar bears — which in turn sustain Inuit settlements in Nunavut and Greenland.” https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/north-water-polynya-under-threat-1.6140307
“Smoke Blots Out the Sun as Canada’s Wildfires Worsen…
“On Monday, strong winds exacerbated the flames even further as thousands remain under evacuations orders. Gusts from the southwest are spreading the fire’s smoke far and wide, and several cities are experiencing dangerously poor air quality…”
https://gizmodo.com/smoke-blots-out-the-sun-as-canada-s-wildfires-worsen-1847497112
“Texas State Capitol is flooded after storms dumped more than four inches of rain per hour over Austin.
“The Texas State Capitol building flooded on Sunday afternoon as storms blanketed Austin with more than four inches of rain in an hour. Footage… showed water filling hallways at the Capitol as rain dripped down from the ceilings.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9896653/Texas-State-Capitol-FLOODED-storms-dumped-heavy-rain-Austin.html
“After being struck by lightning over the weekend, the Washington Monument will remain closed to visitors as workers repair damages, officials announced. [Ominous symbolism there!]
“The National Park Service shared incredible video to Twitter capturing the exact moment the bolt of lightning struck the tip of the monument on Sunday.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9899863/Video-shows-lightning-striking-Washington-Monument.html
“Swimmers are told to get out of the water as more than 20 sharks feed on massive school of baitfish near crowded Long Island beach…
“Researchers have confirmed that white shark sightings and catch records have risen all along the Atlantic Coast this year… An increase of sharks in northern waters is [partly] attributed to rising water temperatures due to climate change.” https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9896801/More-20-sharks-feed-school-baitfish-near-crowded-Long-Island-beach.html
“Official: China’s growth likely to slow due to virus, floods…
“The economy was disrupted by unusually severe summer flooding that hit central China in July, killing more than 300 people in Henan province. More floods hit Hubei province to the south this month, killing at least 21 people.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/official-beijing-china-oxford-economics-henan-b1903303.html
“July 2021 has earned the “unenviable distinction” of being confirmed as the hottest month ever recorded.
“According to new data released by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), global land and ocean temperatures were 1.67F (0.93 C) above the 20th-century average of 60.4F (15.8C), making it the hottest July since records began 142 years ago.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/july-weather-hottest-month-earth-b1902356.html
“‘Code red’ climate change report nothing new to Nunavummiut [ie residents of Nunavut in the northernmost territory of Canada]…
“The IPCC report released this week weighs in at 3,949 pages, and none of them takes into account the observations of Inuit. This has long been a problem with the way Arctic research is conducted… Premier Joe Savikataaq… says houses across the territory need to be lifted so they are protected from melting permafrost.”
https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/code-red-climate-change-report-nothing-new-to-nunavummiut/
“Another historic day in British Columbia with up to 40.2°C [104.4F] in Squamish and 39.8°C in Port Alberni (new August record for the entire Vancouver Island).
“Monthly record in Abbotsford (39.4°C), Nanaimo (37.0°C), Pitt Meadows (36.6°C), Victoria (35.5°C), etc.”
https://twitter.com/ThierryGooseBC/status/1426029178982371329
“The impact of this summer’s drought across the Prairies could be felt by Canada’s cattle sector for the next two to three years, according to market watchers, with consumers continuing to face high beef prices.
“Hot, dry weather has strained pastures and hampered hay production at a time when farmers are usually producing feed for winter. Feed costs have spiked as a result.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-beef-prices-drought-1.6137777
“Snow is nearly gone on Washington’s Mount Rainier as 34 states brace for another heatwave…
“Shocking aerial images taken from above Mount Rainier revealed the sparse covering of snow left on the iconic mountainas Washington state, along with 33 others, braces for more extreme heatwave conditions.
“The Pacific Northwest, Built for Mild Summers, Is Scorching Yet Again…
“For the second time this summer, a part of the country known for its snow-capped mountains and fleece-clad inhabitants was enduring a heat wave so intense that it…
“US wildfire pollution linked to more covid-19 cases and deaths…
“Links between long-term exposure to dirty air and greater risk of death and severe illness from covid-19 have already been well-documented. But the new research puts numbers on how short-term exposure to pollution, in this case from wildfires, may have made the pandemic’s health impact worse.”
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2286977-us-wildfire-pollution-linked-to-more-covid-19-cases-and-deaths/
“La Niña Watch Is Officially On This Fall, and That Could Be Disastrous for the Drought…
“Forecasters at the Climate Prediction Center issued an update Thursday giving a 60% chance that another La Niña pattern will form — and this same forecast was given last year, only to be updated the second week of September to say, “Yep, La Niña is here.””
https://sfist.com/2021/08/13/la-nina-winter-could-be-drought-disaster/
“Extreme drought in Mexico, emergency is decreed due to lack of water…
“It’s official! The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) activated the alarms due to the levels of drought that occur in several states of the country… it will begin to limit access to water, applying “temporary and concerted” measures with the aim of providing a supply of water to the most affected population.”
https://elpopular.mx/comunidad/medio-ambiente/2021/08/12/sequia-extrema-en-mexico-se-decreta-emergencia-por-falta-de-agua
“Fruit growers in Chile are reportedly on red alert following the driest July on record, as concerns grow about potential production losses due to a lack of water.
““The agricultural and fruit world is almost in a state of shock when it comes to this huge problem,” commented Jorge Valenzuela, president of the Federation of Fruit Producers of Chile (Fedefruta).”
http://www.fruitnet.com/eurofruit/article/186032/chile-drought-fruit-crops-under-threat
“Niger’s Flood Death Toll Rises to 55… The rainy season is short, typically lasting from June to August or September, although in recent years it has been exceptionally strong.
“Last year, floods claimed 73 lives and sparked a humanitarian crisis with 2.2 million people needing assistance…”
https://www.voanews.com/africa/nigers-flood-death-toll-rises-55
“Mediterranean Heat Wave:13 August was another record hot day in Morocco. The 48.6C [119.5F] at Marrakech tied the national record of highest temperature in August set at the same place in 2012.
“46.7C at Fes Airport is a new all time high, just like the 46.8C at Miliana, Algeria.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1426291217990488067
“13th August was the first of 3 scorching days in Spain. Temperatures reached 47.1C [116.8F] in the agromet net of Andalusia.
“All time records were set in many stationsincluding: Granada Air Base 44.0C,Toledo 44.2C, Cuatro Vientos 41.0C, Cuenca 41.5C, Teruel 40.8C, Avila 37.9C and Soria 38.5C.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1426370491087048704
“Over 450 people evacuated amid floods in Russian Black Sea resort of Anapa…
“[More] heavy rains are forecast in the Krasnodar Region in southern Russia over a mesocyclone. Some localities have already declared an emergency. Bad weather left more than 29,000 people without electricity and disrupted car traffic…” https://tass.com/emergencies/1325823
“On 13th August the Saudi station of Dammam beat its all time record of highest temperature again with 51.0C [123.8F] – only 0.7C from the Saudi national record for August set at Abqaiq in August 1956.” https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1426263535982546948
“Iran may need to import wheat as drought cuts harvest.
“Secretary of the Iranian Parliament’s Agriculture Committee has said the country is going to need to import wheat in the current Iranian calendar year (started on March 21), since severe drought has significantly reduced the production of the strategic crop.”
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/464016/Iran-may-need-to-import-wheat-as-drought-cuts-harvest
“Thousands rescued as Ganges floods in India…
“The waterway surged to two metres (6.5 feet) above normal in the city of Allahabad, which has experienced its worst flooding in decades after days of torrential rain. Across Uttar Pradesh state more than 600 villages were reportedly cut off by the rising water…” https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210812-thousands-rescued-as-ganges-floods-in-india
“Five cities in the central Chinese province of Hubei declared “red alerts” after torrential rain left 21 people dead on Friday and forced the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people, state media reported..
“The city of Yicheng… saw a record 400 millimeters [15.7 inches] of rain on Thursday… According to the official China News Service, as many as 774 reservoirs in Hubei had exceeded their flood warning levels…”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/china-cities-declare-red-alerts-flood-death-toll-hits-21-n1276732
“German, Chinese Insurers Face Record Disaster Claims as Extreme Weather Intensifies.
“Extreme precipitation in mid-July resulted in the costliest flooding events on record for German and Chinese insurers, which face potential losses of $6.5 billion and $1.7 billion, respectively, according to Aon’s monthly catastrophe report.”
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2021/08/12/626750.htm
“One dead, two missing as torrential rains slam Japan, risk alerts broadened…
“With some parts of the country experiencing record levels of rainfall, Japan has broadened its highest level of risk alerts to cover more than 1 million people. One area recorded 408 mm (15.7 inches) of rain in the 72 hours to Saturday morning.”
https://wtvbam.com/2021/08/13/one-dead-two-missing-as-torrential-rains-slam-japan-risk-alerts-broadened/
“A city in northern Japan just recorded its coldest summer temperature in 128 years. It came 2 weeks after the same city hit one of its hottest temperatures ever…
“A week after a blistering heatwave scorched the Japanese island of Hokkaido, temperatures in the island’s northern city of Wakkanai plunged 51 degrees Fahrenheit to record the city’s lowest August readings in 128 years.”
https://news.yahoo.com/city-northern-japan-just-recorded-035252053.html
“Climate-fueled wildfires take toll on tropical Pacific isles…
“…experts say relatively small fires on typically wet, tropical islands in the Pacific are …on the rise, creating a cycle of ecological damage that affects vital and limited resources for millions of residents.”
https://phys.org/news/2021-08-climate-fueled-wildfires-toll-tropical-pacific.html
“Wildfire smoke in Siberia causes ‘stay at home’ instruction.
“The leader of a Siberian region has declared Friday a non-working day and urged residents to stay at home as smoke from raging forest fires raised health concerns. In recent years wildfires have ripped across Russia’s vast territory at an unprecedented scale…”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/12/wildfire-smoke-in-siberia-brings-stay-at-home-instruction
“Climate changes in Arctic affect diet, health of indigenous peoples — scientific survey.
“The global climate changes force representatives of the Russian Arctic’s indigenous peoples to cut the share of traditional products in their diet – fish and meat, which affects the immunity and causes more often heart and respiratory diseases.”
https://tass.com/economy/1325263
“Get used to surging food prices: Extreme weather is here to stay. Devastating heat. Debilitating droughts. Crippling frost. Extreme weather is creating nightmares for farmers around the world — and making food more expensive for Americans.”
“”Climate change is coming right into our dining room tables,” Cynthia Rosenzweig of the Columbia University Earth Institute, told CNN…”
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/13/business/food-prices-inflation-climate-change/index.html
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here. I’ll be back on Monday with an ‘Economic’ thread.
“A city in Sicily has recorded Europe’s hottest-ever temperature, meteorologists have said.
“Syracuse, located on the island’s south-east coast, saw the mercury rise to 48.8C [119.84F] on Wednesday, according to the daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, citing data from Sicily’s Agrometeorological Information System (SIAS).
“If this temperature is confirmed, it will beat the previous European high of 48.0C, seen in Athens in 1977. Although this long-standing record is accepted by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), it is disputed by some climatologists and meteorologists.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/europe-record-temperature-sicily-italy-b1900917.html
“Alicante [Spain] has been hit by a meteotsunami which flooded streets and beaches and damaged cars after severe changes in atmospheric pressure…
“These are large, tsunami-like waves are triggered by severe changes in atmospheric pressure caused by fast-moving weather events, such as a heatwave.”
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/spanish-tourist-resort-santa-pola-meteotsunami-b950245.html
“Tunisia swelters in record temperatures.
“The temperature in Tunis reached 48 degrees Celsius at midday (118 Fahrenheit), smashing the capital’s previous record high of 46.8 degrees, registered in 1982.” [Also, Tunisia broke its national record on the 11th August reaching 50.3C [122.54F], the highest temp ever reliably recorded in the country.] https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/tunisia-swelters-record-temperatures
“Algeria declares three days of mourning as wildfire death toll reaches 69.
“Images of trapped villagers, terrified livestock and forested hillsides reduced to blackened stumps, were shared on social media, many accompanied by pleas for help. AFP journalists saw villagers desperately trying to put out the spreading fires with makeshift brooms in an effort to save their homes.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/11/algeria-declares-three-days-of-mourning-after-wildfire-deaths
“The official death toll from floods and torrential rains this year has risen to 24 across the states of Sudan. Many of the victims died from electrocution, or when buildings and houses collapsed.
“In a press statement yesterday the Sudanese National Council for Civil Defence said that an estimated 819 houses have been completely destroyed, and a further 1,572 partially destroyed…”
https://allafrica.com/stories/202108110195.html
“Burundi ravaged by flooding from rainfall, swollen Lake Tanganyika.
“The IOM said devastation linked to effects of heavy rain on the world’s second-deepest lake has affected Tanzania, Zambia and the DR Congo which share about 600 km of the water body… but Burundi bore the greatest brunt of the floods…”
https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/burundi-ravaged-by-flooding-from-rainfall-3506324
“Turkey battles fresh disaster as floods hit country’s north. Heavy rains have triggered severe floods and mudslides in northern Turkey, killing at least one person and leaving others missing or injured, officials said.
“Helicopters scrambled to rescue people stranded on rooftops while cars were swept away in raging torrents on Wednesday.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/12/turkey-battles-fresh-disaster-as-floods-hit-countrys-north
“More Than 400,000 Cars Estimated Damaged in China’s July Flood.
“The local trade association estimates that more than 400,000 vehicles suffered water damage in last month’s flood in Zhengzhou, China. Photos show one of the lots where damaged cars have been towed. Row after row of cars, many of which will need to be discarded entirely, sit to wait out their fate.”
https://weather.com/photos/news/2021-08-11-china-flood-damaged-cars-zhengzhou
“Evacuation orders issued for parts of Kyushu [Japan] due to torrential rain, landslide risks…
“The maximum rainfall forecast over the 24-hour period up to 6 a.m. on Aug. 13 is 300 mm [12 inches] in the northern Kyushu region, 250 mm in southern Kyushu, 200 mm in the Shikoku region in western Japan, 180 mm in the Kinki region also in the west…”
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210812/p2a/00m/0na/006000c
“Oregon declares state of emergency as another ‘extreme heatwave’ looms…
“Oregon declared a state of emergency as the Pacific north-west prepared for triple-digit temperatures mere weeks after a deadly heatwave clobbered the region. People streamed into cooling centers and misting stations on Wednesday amid sweltering heat.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/11/oregon-heatwave-pacific-northwest-state-emergency
“Severe drought devastates Washington state’s wheat crop…
““This is definitely the worst crop year we have had since we started farming 35 years ago,” said Green, whose family is the sixth generation on the same farming land just south of the city of Spokane. She estimated her farm’s wheat crop this year at half of normal, and of poor quality.” https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/severe-drought-devastates-washington-states-wheat-crop-79406669
“How is climate change affecting tornadoes?
“…Tornado seasons are getting more variable… Tornado outbreaks are getting larger and more frequent… Tornado Alley is shifting eastward… severe weather will become more frequent overall.” https://www.kxan.com/weather/how-is-climate-change-affecting-tornadoes/
“Siberia burns in century’s biggest wildfire…
“Alexei Yaroshenko, a forestry expert with Greenpeace Russia, the fire was comparable to the Chinchiga Firestorm, the world’s biggest ever blaze, which is estimated to have destroyed around 6,000 square miles of forest in Canada in 1950. “[The Yakutia blaze] may well become the largest known wildfire in history,” Yaroshenko warned.”
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/siberia-burns-in-centurys-biggest-wildfire-k3cdp8szb
“What ‘Code Red’ Global Warming Means For Iceland.
“With glaciers melting and permafrost decreasing, the risk of landslides is rising. That risk is further heightened with warmer winters bringing increased rain instead of snow… Ocean acidification due to increased carbon monoxide absorbed from the atmosphere is also a major concern for Iceland considering the island’s dependence on the sea.”
https://grapevine.is/news/2021/08/10/what-code-red-global-warming-means-for-iceland/
“Hermit crabs ‘sexually excited’ by toxins from plastic pollution…
“…researchers have been studying the impact of climate change and plastic pollution on marine species. They found that oleamideis not only causing sexual excitement among the crabs but is also being mistaken for food, encouraging the critters to travel in search of a meal only to discover the plastic.”
https://news.sky.com/story/hermit-crabs-sexually-excited-by-toxins-from-plastic-pollution-12377812
“Pollution damaging humans’ first line of defence against infections and toxins, review finds.
“Air and water pollution hinders the body’s ability to fight off infections and toxins, a new study has found. Researchers from the Technical University of Munich say there is a clear link between exposure to airborne or waterborne particles and several health conditions.” https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/pollution-climate-health-b1900027.html
“Smoke from raging forest fires in Siberia has reached the north pole for the first time in recorded history, as a Russian monitoring institute warned the blazes were worsening.
“Devastating wildfires have ripped across Siberia with increasing regularity over the past few years, which Russia’s weather officials and environmentalists have linked to climate change and an underfunded forest service.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/09/smoke-siberia-wildfires-reaches-north-pole-historic-first
“Fire, floods ravage Russia, threaten nuclear research site… Weather experts and Greenpeace spoke of the worst fires in the history of Russian record keeping.
“On the flip side, emergency crews in the Amur region, which borders China, are battling floods after heavy rainfalls. About 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) of streets and six bridges are underwater…”
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/fire-floods-ravage-russia-threaten-nuclear-research-site
“Melting ice and a high altitude dig reveal Viking secrets in Norway…
“The acquisition of this evidence also holds grim implications, since such discoveries are enabled by climate changeand the rapidly melting ice that is now relinquishing these ancient artifacts.”
https://phys.org/news/2021-08-ice-high-altitude-reveal-viking.html
“Tourists wade through Venice square hit by unseasonal flood… Rare summer flooding submerged Venice’s famed Piazza San Marco in up to a metre of water overnight…
“Venice’s high water incidents are caused by a combination of factors exacerbated by climate change – from rising sea levels and unusually high tides to land subsidence…”
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/tourists-wade-through-venice-square-hit-by-unseasonal-flood-2021-08-09/
“Thousands of people have fled wildfires that are destroying vast swathes of pine forest and razing homes on Greece’s second-largest island, Evia, as devastating summer blazes rage from southern Europe to Siberia.
““We have ahead of us another difficult evening, another difficult night,” Greece’s deputy civil protection minister, Nikos Hardalias, said…”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/08/thousands-flee-greek-island-evia-wildfires-raze-forest-and-homes
“Paradise lost: How the Turkish wildfires destroyed one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen…
“…when wildfires broke out in more than 200 places across 47 towns, claiming the lives of at least eight people, Mazi also experienced its fair share of the damage: thousands of hectares of forests burnt to the ground.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/turkey-bodrum-mazi-wildfires-climate-b1899451.html
“Mediterranean heat Wave day #2-9 August: Tunisia day again.
“With a temperature of 49.0C [120.2F] Jendouba both recorded: 1- its hottest temperature in history 2-and beat the national record of the highest temperature in August which was just set …yesterday. More records to come.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1424805877354205190
“Somaliland: Icy Rain in Hargeisa… The showers started right on the heels of thick swarms of locusts that have blanketed the city with wave after wave passing over it flying – mostly – eastwards.
“As alarming as that was, then started intermittent spurts of cold showers which sooner than said built up to torrential strengths.”
https://menafn.com/1102594578/Somaliland-Icy-Rain-in-Hargeisa&source=30
“Another heat wave in the Caspian Area of Central Asia. On 6 August Baku (photo) the capital of Azerbaijan recorded 41.9C [107.4F] its highest temperature ever recorded in August.
“In Kazakhstan 45.7C at Akkuduk…
“Chinese authorities said that more than 440,000 people in southwestern Sichuan Province have been affected in the aftermath of torrential rains and floods.
“Heavy rains of up to nearly 9 inches that began Friday caused rivers to swell and flooded six cities or regions in the province, including Luzhou, Mianyang, Nanchong, Dazhou, Bazhong and Ganzi…”
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/08/09/china-China-evacuate-Sichuan-province-flood-disaster/8101628526618/
“8th August was one of the hottest days in history in Japan.
“Temperatures soared to 40.6C [105.1F] at Tajimi only 0.5C from the national record. The heat was specially fierce in Gifu,Aichi and Mie Prefectures. After a 3 weeks long record breaking heat wave,at last a cooling is on the way.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1424300908377255940
“The global water cycle has become more intense: New Zealand’s wet regions wetter, and dry ones drier.
“Projections for the future continue this theme, becoming wetter in the west, while the eastern regions and the far north continue to dry, especially in winter and spring… The overall average warming brings an increase in hot days around the country and more frequent marine heatwaves…”
https://phys.org/news/2021-08-global-intense-zealand-regions-wetter.html
“Forest fires in Bolivia consume vast area: official.
“Forest fires this year have consumed more than 147,000 hectares (360,000 acres) in Bolivia’s eastern Santa Cruz department, the regional government reported Saturday. As in neighboring Brazil, the fires have been aggravated by widespread deforestation aimed at expanding farming or pasture land.”
https://phys.org/news/2021-08-forest-bolivia-consume-vast-area.html
“Dixie Fire becomes largest single wildfire in California’s history. Dixie has destroyed 268 homes, almost wiping the historic town of Greenville off the map. Five residents remain unaccounted for, according to the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office.
“Fire CA records have confirmed the Dixie Fire is now the largest single, continuous wildfire in Californian history.” https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/dixie-fire-largest-wildfire-california-b1899136.html
“Historic drought threatens California farms supplying much US food. State and local authorities, fearful that there may not be enough water for city dwellers or wildlife, have abruptly cut supplies to farms, provoking anger and consternation.
“Along the roads between major farming operations, billboards have popped up everywhere, urging: “Save California’s Water.”
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210809-historic-drought-threatens-california-farms-supplying-much-us-food
“Triple digit heat, ‘dangerously hot conditions’ brewing in Pacific Northwest…
“It’s been a summer marred by record-shattering, deadly heat in the Pacific Northwest and yet another significant heat wave is on the way. Triple-digit temperatures will roast cities like Portland, Ore., Medford and Spokane, while the risk of wildfires ramps up over the region.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/08/09/pacific-northwest-heatwave-fires-california/
“Hot, dry weather means more grasshoppers feasting on Saskatchewan crops…
“Grasshopper numbers are high across Saskatchewan this year, according to reports from growers, agronomists and industry representatives, he said. When they find food they like, they eat a crop’s marketable flowers and seeds.”
https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/hot-dry-weather-means-more-grasshoppers-feasting-on-sask-crops-1.5540276
“Chilling video shows people up to their necks in water in elevator during Omaha flash floods…
“Torrential rains drenched eastern Nebraska on Saturday night, leading to flash flooding… accompanied by 60 mph winds and hail. Several other videos have emerged from the region, revealing the extent of the devastation.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/omaha-nebraska-floods-elevator-video-b1899355.html
“Tropical storm watches issued as Potential Tropical Cyclone 6 heads for Caribbean.
“A long quiet spell for tropical activity in the Atlantic has drawn to a closewith the National Hurricane Center (NHC) designation of Potential Tropical Cyclone 6 at 5 p.m. EDT Monday, August 9…
“Record-breaking extreme heat and cold events may result from similar underlying mechanisms…
“Abrupt temperature increases in an upper layer of the atmosphere, called sudden stratospheric warming, can drastically alter how the polar vortex and jet stream behave and interact, according to Zhang. The resulting weather can become even more extreme when complicated by changeable ocean temperatures and Arctic Ocean sea ice.” https://phys.org/news/2021-08-record-breaking-extreme-cold-events-result.html
“Vanishing ice and threat of extinction of polar bears – dire Arctic forecast from Fyodor Konyukhov… One of the world’s most renowned travellers, Fyodor, 69, said he couldn’t find old ice (that survived at least one season of melting) on which to set up the scientific station.
“‘The Arctic is changing so much,’ he said. ‘I’ve witnessed global changes in the ice situation in the Arctic Ocean. ’90% of ice crushed by the icebreaker on the way to the North Pole was new ice formed during winter 2020-2021.”
https://siberiantimes.com/other/others/news/vanishing-ice-and-threat-of-extinction-to-polar-bears-dire-arctic-forecast-from-explorer-fyodor-konyukhov/
“Human activity is changing the Earth’s climate in ways “unprecedented” in thousands or hundreds of thousands of years, with some of the changes now inevitable and “irreversible”, climate scientists have warned.
“Within the next two decades, temperatures are likely to rise by more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, breaching the ambition of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, and bringing widespread devastation and extreme weather.”
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/aug/09/humans-have-caused-unprecedented-and-irreversible-change-to-climate-scientists-warn
The climate not the only threat we face, of course: “They’re in our oceans, our suncream and our seafood, but what are microplastics doing to our health? “…Early evidence suggests that plastic accumulation may not be at all good for the body… [Research points to] DNA damage, inflammatory and immune reactions, and neurotoxic effects in brain cells.” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/oceans-suncream-seafood-microplastics-health/
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an ‘Economic’ thread.
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– Karina S.
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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.
“Rain has fallen on the summit of Greenland’s huge ice cap for the first time on record. Temperatures are normally well below freezing on the 3,216-metre (10,551ft) peak, and the precipitation is a stark sign of the climate crisis.
“Siberia’s massive wildfires are unlocking extreme carbon pollution.
“The Giant Arctic Walrus currently living in Irish waters has been ‘stressed and potentially injured’ in recent days as people continue to flock to coastal areas to see him.
“Belgium’s Summer 2021 wettest since observations started in 1833.
“Weekend winds threaten to fan deadly wildfire on French Riviera…
“Concerns that rising water temperatures in the Mediterranean could increase risk of Gota Fria storms this autumn in the Murcia Region [of Spain]…
“Warmer seas make jellyfish bloom.
“Wildfires haunt southern European winemakers ahead of harvest.
“Coffins awaiting burial are exploding as Sicily’s extreme heatwave and a funeral backlog combine to grim effect.
“Angola mine leak causes ‘unprecedented’ pollution in Congo rivers.
“The Congo rainforest and prospects for the next pandemic…
“Climate Watch: Flood worsens cholera outbreaks in Nigeria.
“Over 43 Killed Due to Torrential Rains, Floods in Sudan.
“Police boat, divers search for missing from Turkish floods.
“Lake Tuz, Turkey’s second largest, shrinks more amid drought.
“Central Asia Heat Wave: This tremendous heat wave in Central Asia is reaching its peak with record breaking temperatures above 40C [104F] in Russia above latitude 50N.
“Thousands stranded as flash flood hits Rangpur villages [Bangladesh]…
“More than 100,000 livestock perish amid continued heat waves in North Korea…
“Mudslide warnings issued with heavy rain set to continue across Japan.
“Australian frogs are on the brink of extinction, and four species likely already lost, scientists say…
“Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon hits highest annual level in a decade.
“Half of burned forests across Latin America don’t survive, study finds…
“Update on the South America Heat Wave: Two more monthly records beaten in Argentina yesterday 19 August with 36.8C [98.2F] at Ituzaingó and 35.6C at Iguazú.
“Chile Drought Forces Copper Output Cuts in Top Producing Nation…
“Hurricane Grace is now a category 3 storm as it closes in on Mexico.
“‘Never seen anything this devastating’: At least 2 dead, 17 [still] missing in North Carolina county flooded by Fred.
“Storm Henri: New England preparing for its first direct hit by a hurricane in 30 years.
“It was not your imagination: July’s torrents of rain were indeed historic. New York and Massachusetts last month had the most rain of all U.S. states — each having their wettest July on record…
“Stung by climate change: drought-weakened bee colonies shrink U.S. honey crop, threaten almonds.
“British Columbia fruit growers suffering from heatwaves… “It kicked off with the late June heatwave and we’ve had two since then,” said BCFGA general manager Glen Lucas.
“There’s no place in the US safe from the heat.
“California fire season sets records, more damage expected…
“A billion children are at ‘extremely high risk’ of climate shocks, UNICEF says.
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And returning to Spain:
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The climate not the only threat we face, of course: