“Siberian peat fires have continued to burn after a year of record-setting wildfires in and around the Arctic Circle despite temperatures below minus 50 degrees Celsius, The Siberian Times reported Wednesday.
“Footage showing smoke rising from the snow in January and November offers physical evidence of the “zombie fire” phenomenon…”
“Massive Craters in Siberia Are Exploding Into Existence. What’s Causing Them?
“So far, researchers have gathered that the explosions come from gas, likely methane, building up in isolated pockets across the tundra. The pressure accumulates fast — the hills that precede each explosion swell in about three to five years — and when the strain is finally too much, the bubble explodes.”
“Russian gas tankers make first winter voyages of Northern Sea Route as ice retreats:
“Just 10 years ago, the ice meant winter voyages along Russia’s Northern Sea Route were impossible, but in recent years the window during which the waters are navigable has opened ever wider.”
“Rise in algal blooms puts southern sea [aka Californian] otters at increased risk of fatal heart disease…
“A new study led by the University of California, Davis, has highlighted the link between long-term exposure to domoic acid and fatal heart disease in southern sea otters, a threatened marine mammal.”
“A series of powerful winter storms are barreling across the parched state of California, knocking out power to more than 400,000…
“Evacuation orders are in place in parts of San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, warning of an “immediate threat to life… parts of the Bay Area, and the Santa Cruz and Santa Lucia mountains could see up to 10 inches of rainfall through late Thursday.”
“Early US crop reports from three southern wheat-producing states have shown crop conditions below average and soil moisture shortage above average as extensive drought across the country has started to show signs of damage to the 2021/22 crop.”
“Aerial photos show the destruction and debris from an Alabama tornado that ripped off roofs and destroyed homes while leaving one dead and 30 injured on Monday.
“The shocking pictures show heaps of mangled metal and wooden debris littered across the Darlene Estates neighborhood in Fultondale – just north of Birmingham.”
“Nearly one-third of U.S. homes are at high risk of natural disaster, study says:
“Twenty-two weather- or climate-related disasters each resulted in at least $1 billion in damages last year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration… “Nearly every property in the U.S. has exposure to peril risk,” said Frank Nothaft, chief economist at CoreLogic.”
“A wildfire raging in the south of Argentina has consumed a vast swathe of forestland in three days, local authorities said Wednesday—an area half the size of Liechtenstein.
“About a hundred firefighters, 26 fire trucks, two water-bombing helicopters and two planes are fighting to contain the blaze in a region unaccustomed to forest fires, officials said.”
“Brazil’s ongoing military-led operation to curb illegal deforestation and fires in the Amazon rainforest will end April 30, Vice President Hamilton Mourão said at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday.
“Mourão defended the success of Operation Green Brazil 2, which was launched last May and saw deployment of thousands of soldiers across the Amazon.”
“Philippine forest trees threatened by deforestation and climate change:
“Philippines is home to more than 50 dipterocarp tree species, of which 25 cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. About 97% of the Philippines’ tropical forest have been subjected to logging activities, and are often converted to other land uses such as for agriculture.”
“Landslides cause buildings to collapse in Indonesia… Landslides across Indonesia, including Citraland, Lampung and Cimandar, cause disruption, including the destruction of buildings, in Indonesia. January 26th 2021.”
“A tropical cyclone that struck central Mozambique last week has affected 250,000 people, a sharp increase over initial estimates, according to a UN official.
“Myrta Kaulard, the UN’s resident coordinator in Mozambique, added on Tuesday that 18,000 people were internally displaced after Cyclone Eloise made landfall in the early hours of Saturday.”
“The UK government will investigate a complaint against mining giant Glencore over a wastewater spill in Chad in 2018.
“According to three human rights groups, which brought the complaint, the FTSE 100 firm “failed to conduct appropriate environmental and human rights due diligence in relation to wastewater leaks and an alleged oil spill at the Badila Oilfield”.”
“Tens of thousands in northwest Syria lose shelter after floods inundate camps:
“Heavy rains and floods in north-west Syria has worsened the plight of tens of thousands of internally displaced persons, destroying their tents, food and belongings in the midst of winter, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday. “
“Lake of garbage: Every winter pollution is swept from overflowing landfills into Balkan waterways:
“…huge cranes are being used to clear tons of garbage crammed at the foot of the power plant. Serbia and other Balkan nations are overwhelmed by communal waste after decades of neglect and a lack of efficient waste-management policies…”
“Spain prepares to be battered by yet another storm as Justine heads our way:
“As the country continues to pick up the pieces after the devastating Storm Filomena, which caused an estimated €1billion in damages in Madrid alone, meteorologists have warned that Spain is in for another battering by “explosive” Storm Justine in the coming days.”
“Covid and drought strands barge owner on France’s canals: it took one Australian traveller seven months to make what is usually a three-week trip along the impacted waterways last year…
“Voies Navigables de France’s spokesman said, “We… had no rain during that period, unheard of for this part of the country, which meant we had very little water for the canal system.”
“The planet is hotter now than it has been for at least 12,000 years, a period spanning the entire development of human civilisation, according to research.
“Analysis of ocean surface temperatures shows human-driven climate change has put the world in “uncharted territory”, the scientists say. The planet may even be at its warmest for 125,000 years…”
“Two Canterbury towns [New Zealand] have recorded all-time record temperatures today, with others breaking January highs.
“According to NIWA, Cheviot and Akaroa reached all-time record high temperatures with 38 [100.4F] and 37.9 degrees [100.2F] Celcius respectively. Akaroa’s previous all-time high was 35.4 [95.7F], with Cheviot’s 37.8 [100.04F] degrees.”
“Sydney has endured its hottest Australia Day in 60 years as residents swelter through a summer heatwave… Sydney Airport recorded a temperature of 40.2C [104.4F] at 1pm…
“Elsewhere, parts of Queensland are also expected to swelter while a new wave of heat begins in Western Australia.”
“Archaeologists have used food scraps from the earliest Australians to discover the northern part of the country is experiencing its driest period for 65,000 years…
““It’s not so much that there’s less rainfall today, but the rainfall is coupled with more evaporation because we have warmer overall temperatures now,” Dr Florin said.”
“Abu Dhabi: The Arabian Gulf has been experiencing the longest recorded meteorological drought over the last two decades, with temperatures in the region being on the rise since 1998, a top climate expert said today.
“The general pattern of the climate in the region is warming. There is warming over the seas and sea surfaces, a rise in maximum temperatures and drying precipitation. In addition, there has been an increase in the number of Category 4 and 5 severe tropical cyclones, which is critical when we look at the economy,” warned Dr Said Alsarmi, meteorological expert…”
“Cyclone Eloise, which made landfall across southeastern Africa Saturday, has displaced thousands in the region and the death toll has increased to at least 12 on Monday, according to figures from authorities…
“Eloise is expected to move toward southwestern Botswana tomorrow, where it will cause heavy rain.
“More downpours are also expected in South Africa in the coming days.”
“Climate change hit poorest countries hardest in 2019: Heavy rain and storms exacerbated by climate change particularly affected East Africa, Asia and South America in 2019…
“More than 1,000 people lost their lives Idai in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawiin March 2019, causing “catastrophic damage and a humanitarian crisis,” the authors wrote.”
“”The lion is Africa’s signature wild animal, yet fewer than 20,000 remain in the entire continent, down from an estimated 100,000 five decades ago,” says British photographer, George Logan.
““At the current rate of decline, lions will be extinct in the wild by the middle of this century.”“
“Forests remain a carbon sink, stashing away 7.6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide every year, but their ability to lock carbon is weakening.
“In the last 20 years alone, forests in Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia, have turned into net carbon emitters, and the Amazon threatens to go the same way.”
“The rain that continues to fall in Santa Catarina caused on Sunday morning (24th) new floods and landslides in Florianópolis [Brazil]. Teams of Civil Defense and Fire Department are on the streets to check the occurrences.”
“A tornado described as “large and extremely dangerous” by the National Weather Service (NWS) in Birmingham, Alabama, caused significant damage throughout Jefferson County and surrounding areas Monday night, including ripping through a hotel and tearing off part of the roof of a church…
“”Significant damage has been reported…” NWS Birmingham said.”
“The National Weather Service called it “historic” and “the big one… In the end, the winter storm that hit Lincoln and most of eastern Nebraska on Monday lived up to its billing.
“By 7 p.m., snowfall had already covered the tops of footlong rulers in some locations, with the Lincoln Airport recording 13 inches, an all-time January single-day record.”
“Thousands of England’s vital flood defences were in such a state of ruin last year they would fail to protect communities from extreme weather, an investigation has found.
“More than 3,400 of England’s “high consequence” flood assets, defined as those where there is a high risk to life and property if they fail, were judged by the Environment Agency to be in such a bad condition they were almost useless.”
“Small increases in air pollution are linked to an increased risk of irreversible sight loss from age-related macular degeneration, a large UK study has found.
“Previous work had already found a link between dirty air and glaucoma and a link to cataracts is suspected. The scientists said the eyes have a particularly high flow of blood, potentially making them very vulnerable to the damage caused by tiny particles that are breathed in and then flow around the body.”
“A record snowfall that paralysed Madrid two weeks ago has taken a catastrophic toll on the Spanish capital’s trees, severely damaging up to 70 per cent of those in its main parks.
“The heaviest snow for 50 years, brought by Storm Filomena, caused at least €1.4 billion damage and prompted the government to declare the city a disaster zone last week.”
“Over the last 30 years, up to a quarter of all known bee species have fallen off international global records, despite a major increase in the number of such records available.
“Around 20,000 species of bee are known to science, but analysis of a detailed international data set suggests around 5,000 of these species have not been seen since 1990.”
“Gray whales are starving and dying off at an alarming rate along the Pacific Coast…
“Scientists are not exactly sure why the whales are dying, but in a newly released study, published in the journal Marine Ecology, researchers conclude it is likely a result of starvation due lack of prey, perhaps caused by warming Arctic waters where they feed.”
“Human activities might have shifted the movement of caribou in and near the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge…
“A UC study published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution identified a shift in one herd’s movements after the 1970s that coincided with changes in herd size and climate, and the construction of new roads and other energy infrastructure.”
“Sun-Loving Bacteria May Be Accelerating Glacial Melting:
“Cyanobacteria—photosynthetic microbes that live in meltwater—are likely growing more abundant here [Greenland], thanks to warmer temperatures and decreased cloud cover.”
“The melting of ice across the planet is accelerating at a record rate, with the melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets speeding up the fastest, research has found.
“The rate of loss is now in line with the worst-case scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s leading authority on the climate…”
“The ongoing collapse of the world’s aquifers: All over the world—from the Netherlands to Indonesia to Mexico City—geology is conspiring with climate change to sink the ground under humanity’s feet.
“More punishing droughts mean the increased draining of aquifers, and rising seas make sinking land all the more vulnerable to flooding. According to a recent study published in the journal Science, in the next two decades, 1.6 billion people could be affected by subsidence, with potential loses in the trillions of dollars.”
“Roughly 160 International Organization for Migration (IOM) staff in central Mozambique are working to prepare local communities for the imminent arrival of Cyclone Eloise, which is currently packing winds of at least 150 km/h [93mph and may be as strong as 120mph on landfall).
“The people are scared,” said Cesaltino Vilanculo, an IOM Mobile team leader in the provincial capital Beira, who helped hundreds of families evacuate from unsafe temporary settlements to two accommodation centers.” [memories of Idai and Kenneth still fresh from 2019]
“Indonesia’s environment minister claims deforestation for oil palm plantations and coal mines had nothing to do with a recent deadly flood in southern Borneo.
“But the ministry’s own data, and statements by a senior minister, attribute the intensity of the flooding on the massive loss of forest cover across the Barito River’s watershed.”
“Kapit folk [Borneo] have been warned to be on the alert for possible flooding as incessant rainfall has led to a rise in water levels in the Rajang River and its tributaries.
“Kapit District Officer Cerisologo Sabut advised those in low-lying and flash flood-prone areas in particular to be prepared for the worst.”
“Torrential floods sink houses in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia… Following heavy rain, flood waters fill the streets in Manado, Indonesia. January 21st 2021.”
“Temperatures recorded by the Taipei weather station reached 29.8 degrees Celsius [86F] on Thursday, tying the record for the second highest temperature ever recorded by the station in the month of January, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB)…
“The weather station was established in 1949, the CWB added.”
“After a relatively mild summer, [Australian] authorities are warning of a potentially dangerous heatwave forecast for Victoria the weekend.
“Sunday will be the hottest in the north-west with temperatures predicted to soar to around 44 degrees Celsius [111F] in Mildura as the heat begins to build.”
“Northern Patagonia and the central region of Argentina are preparing to face a severe heat wave during the next 48 hours… [provisionally the town of Maquinchao, which is 888m / 2913 feet above sea-level, has recorded its all-time highest temperature of 38.4C / 101F]
“As reported by the National Meteorological Service, in some parts of the Patagonian and central regions of Argentina, temperatures may reach 40 degrees, between Thursday and Friday.”
“Mega winter storm is forecast to dump more than half a foot of snow across Midwest [US, lash drought-stricken California with two year’s worth of rain in one day and cause severe thunderstorms in the South…
“Beginning on Friday, the first low-pressure system is expected to bring snow from California’s Sierra Nevada into parts of the Great Basin and Rockies…”
“If Iqalummiut [far North Canada] feel like winter has been especially mild this year, they’re not wrong… If the rest of this month continues on a warm streak, David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada says, December and January’s average temperatures will be the warmest on record.
He adds that what’s exceptional is not the odd warm days necessarily, but the relentlessness of the warmth. “It’s almost [like] this cold weather has been missing in action,” Phillips said. “It’s going on week after week.””
“UK Temperatures could drop as low as -10C in the coming days, as heavy rain brought by Storm Christoph is replaced by sub-zero conditions this weekend.
“Parts of the North West of England devastated by flooding on Tuesday and Wednesday turned drier overnight on Thursday as the storm moved eastwards… More floods possible next week…”
“Climate change is altering the types of plants that can thrive in British soil. The United Kingdom is continuing to witness increasing annual temperature, winter flooding, and summer droughts.
“Although many of the plants and vegetation are learning to adapt to these changing conditions, there are some quite noticeable changes in gardens across the country…”
“Displaced by floods in Bulgaria, rodents find home in Turkey:
“Coypus, semiaquatic rodents bred for fur in Bulgaria, found themselves as accidental migrants to neighboring Turkey recently. Hundreds of coypus, also known as nutria, were sighted on the banks of the Tundzha (Tunca) and Maritsa (Meriç) rivers…”
“By 2050 most people will live downstream of a large dam built in the 20th century, many of which are approaching the limits of the useful lifetime they were designed for, according to global research.
“To avoid the potential for dam failures, overtopping or leaks, the dams will require increasing maintenance, and some may have to be taken out of service. Many governments have not prepared for these needs…”
“Some 2,000 homes in Greater Manchester [UK] were evacuated last night due to Storm Christoph. Boris Johnson vowed to help every part of Britain prepare in the case of flooding amid torrential rainfall.
“Britain’s roads were plunged into turmoil as two months’ of rain began to bucket down within 36 hours. Rivers in Bangor-on-Dee, and Didsbury, Manchester both reached records high as waters rose late last night.”
“Spain’s government has declared eight regions as disaster zones following the snowfall and cold temperatures of Storm Filomena.
“The Council of Ministers announced on Tuesday that the community of Madrid, Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Castile-La Mancha, Castile and Leon, Navarre, and La Rioja were considered “areas seriously affected by a Civil Protection Emergency”.”
“Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology (DMN) announced heavy rainfalls for Wednesday in several provinces across the country…
“Torrential rain caused devastating floods in Casablanca earlier this month. The floods caused serious damage in Casablanca, revealing the wanting quality of the city’s infrastructure.”
“Just 24 hours after identifying the path of Tropical Storm Eloise, the South African Weather Service (Saws) has issued an updated forecast on Wednesday – revealing that Mzansi is now highly likely to be impacted by ‘extreme rainfall’ towards the later stages of this weekend.
“However, it’s understood that the worst of the weather is reserved for Mozambique.”
“Turkey’s Directorate General of Meteorology has announced that temperatures hit record-high levels in 198 centers across Turkey in 2020.
“As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), Turkey witnessed extreme temperatures in 198 places across the country last February, May, June, August, September, October and November.”
“Off war-battered Yemen’s western coast lies a rapidly deteriorating storage vessel that could at any moment become an oil spill of catastrophic proportions.
“Experts say it’s not too late to avert disaster, but an eleventh-hour decision by the outgoing Donald Trump administration to blacklist the militants who control the tanker has raised the stakes.”
“Southern India received unusually heavy rainfall from January 1 to January 17. This winter rain may have been caused by sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) far away in the Arctic region, some scientists said.
“Tamil Nadu received almost 10 times the rainfall that it receives in this period.”
“Half of all reefs off the coast of Taiwan have been bleached due to warming seas, with a third damaged so profoundly they cannot be saved, according to a new report.
“The report, published on Jan. 13 by the Taiwan Coral Bleaching Observation Network (TCBON), analyzed 62 locations around the island nation in 2020 and revealed bleaching was at its highest level ever recorded.”
“Communities along Pilbara’s coast [West Australia] are bracing for a severe tropical cyclone to batter them with destructive winds and heavy rain on Friday.
“The Weather Bureau is predicting a tropical low will form into a category three cyclone off WA’s northern coast in the early hours of Friday morning.”
“Scorching temperatures around NSW this weekend up to 45c / 113F are set to provide a “shock to the system” after a cool summer.
“Mild conditions are about to be replaced by severe to extreme heatwave conditions as a hot airmass is pulled across western and southern parts of the state.”
“A snowstorm caused a 134-car pile-up which killed one person and left a dozen others injured in Japan.
“Japan has seen unusually heavy snow in recent weeks, with some parts seeing more than double the usual amount. Last week Toyama city, on the Japanese coast, saw a new record 88cm (2.8ft) of snow within 48 hours.”
“Unusually warm and dry conditions coupled with powerful wind gusts have ignited a spate of winter wildfires that call into question the idea that California has a “fire season” at all any more…
“…Californians grappled with the latest example of the reality of climate crisis: red flag warnings – the National Weather Service’s highest level of caution for wildfire activity – across much of the state in January.”
“Increasingly ferocious wildfires in the western US are taking a devastating toll on the region’s air quality, with wildfire smoke now accounting for half of all air pollution during the worst wildfire years…
“While heat-related deaths have previously been predicted as the worst consequence of the climate crisis, researchers say that air pollution caused by smoke could be just as deadly.”
“This winter has been an odd one in parts of the Lower 48 – so far, it has been the warmest winter on record for several of the typically coldest locations in the contiguous United States.
“Frigid air has been in short supply this winter in much of North America, leading to generally mild conditions for much of the Lower 48…”
“The possible spell of wintry weather in the pipeline is thanks to a series of disturbances that have shaken up the polar vortex, eating into its circulation and leaving the feature “wrecked,” according to Paul Newman, chief scientist for earth sciences at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
“But the impacts have yet to be felt in the Lower 48.”
“Almost a week after a blizzard plowed through Saskatchewan with tornado-like winds, some communities in the south are wrestling with its aftermath just as more wind, rain and snow loom in the forecast.
“Measurements in the RM of Bratt’s Lake, just south of Regina, set a province-wide record for January — 143 km/h [88.9 mph], the equivalent of an F1 tornado.”
“Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo on Monday (Jan 18) travelled to South Kalimantan to witness what he described as possibly the worst flooding in 50 years in the area.
“At least 15 people have died and nearly 40,000 displaced as the country comes to grip with yet another natural disaster while grappling with surging Covid-19 cases.”
“Torrential monsoon rains have hampered the hunt for survivors of Friday’s powerful earthquake on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, as the death toll rose to at least 81, with thousands left homeless…
“Landslides sparked by torrential rains killed at least 32 on Java island, while dozens are dead or missing after severe flooding pounded another part of Sulawesi and Kalimantan, Indonesia’s section of Borneo.”
“Continuous rain since Sunday brought floods in at least three villages in Zamboanga [Philippines], submerging houses and forcing hundreds of people to flee.
“At least six houses in Labuan were swept away by floods after water in a spillway in Purok 3 rose at least one meter, said Ronald Maravilla, the village chair.”
“South-east Queensland is bracing for the possibility of more storms today after the region was hit with a severe weather system overnight, causing major flash flooding to bayside areas…
“”Alexandra Hills has had 191 millimetres [7.5 inches] since 9:00am yesterday and 140mm [5.5 inches] of that fell in two hours…”
“Heavy rains are expected to continue into the early autumn in Australia, although the 2020-21 La Niña weather pattern has likely peaked, the country’s weather bureau said on Tuesday…
“…models showed neutral conditions would return late in the southern hemisphere summer or early fall.”
“Relief efforts began in Guanay, Bolivia, after heavy rain triggered flash flooding in the region on Monday, January 18.
“This video, recorded as a Facebook Live, shows supplies being delivered to locals whose homes were inundated. Local media reported the nearby Mapiri and Tipuani rivers burst their banks after a deluge of rain, causing the widespread flooding.”
“An unusually strong and far-reaching high wind event is descending upon California today through Wednesday, bringing damaging winds… The winds follow several days of record-breaking heat that has amplified fire danger…
“The high winds alone, with gusts to 80 to 90 mph in the hills of Los Angeles and Ventura counties and up to 70 mph in some valley locations, are likely to cause significant disruptions in the form of power outages and downed trees.”
“”Yes, it’s true that Namibia and Botswana are battling another wave of locust outbreaks.
“The locusts are in all stages from nymphs to adults. We’re keeping check on their control efforts so as to assess risks of invasion into Zimbabwe,” said Shingirai Nyamutukwa, head of the Plant Quarantine and Plant Protection Research Services Institute…”
“A major incident has been declared in South Yorkshire as Storm Christoph is set to bring widespread flooding, gales and snow to parts of the UK…
“The Environment Agency described the combination of torrential rain and melting snow as a “volatile situation”, as councils prepare for possible evacuations should a severe flood warning be issued.”
“…the Grey Partridge has declined by 94% across Europe since 1980.
“Dr Francis Buner, senior conservation scientist at the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust… commented: “The dramatic decline of the grey partridge across its entire Western European range should act as a wake-up call to us all. Europe’s farmland biodiversity is under severe threat with unprecedented declines and even complete losses to wildlife in all corners of the EU and the UK.””
“Russia is preparing to make the earliest-ever shipment of liquefied natural gas to Asia, taking advantage of thinning ice in the Arctic Ocean and paving the way for a record-long navigation season this year.
“The super-chilled cargo from Novatek PJSC’s Yamal LNG facility in early May will beat last year’s record for the start of eastbound voyages…”
“Yakutsk in Russia is currently in the midst of an abnormally long period of harsh subzero cold that is considered unusual even for Siberia’s standards…
“Even colder air has settled into Delyankir, a small district located about 500 miles (800 km) to the northeast of Yakutsk. On Monday morning, Jan. 18, a low temperature of -73 F (-58.3 C) was reported.”
“The warm air which set records of highest temperatures in the Black Sea area moved east with temps as high as 28C [82.4F] in the Iranian Caspian coast…
22.6C [72.7F] at Tashkent, Uzbekistan; new Jan record, 25.0C [77F] in Turkmenistan…
“The Sahara desert has been hit by an icy blast with temperatures dipping below freezing.
“Snow also blanketed parts of Saudi Arabia which saw the mercury hit 28 degrees Fahrenheit… The Tabuk region, which is close to the border with Jordan — experienced unusual weather this month.”
“The climate emergency will dramatically shift the globe’s tropical rain belt, threatening the food security of billions of people, experts have said.
“Scientists found the rain belt – a narrow band of heavy precipitation near the equator – will move north in the eastern hemisphere, but southwards in the western hemisphere.”
“The world’s oceans absorbed 20 sextillion joules of heat due to climate change in 2020 and warmed to record levels, a study has found.
“That quantity – expressed numerically as 20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 joules – is equivalent to the energy from 10 Hiroshima atomic bombs being released every second of the year.”
“Virtually all global warming since the industrial era is caused by manmade emissions… Earth’s natural processes contribute only “negligibly” to climate change…
“”Our results clearly show that climate warming is primarily caused by humans,” Nathan Gillet, from the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis, Environment and Climate Change, told AFP.”
“As temperatures rose across the entire county [California], Cal Poly recorded its highest ever daily winter temperature, smashing the previous record, according to PG&E meteorologist John Lindsey.
“Lindsey tweeted Friday afternoon that temperatures reached 93 degrees Fahrenheit at Cal Poly’s weather station — busting a previous record of 90 degrees set on Jan. 16, 2014.”
“Southern California faces rare January wildfire threat from hot, dry and windy weather: The hot, dry and windy conditions are predicted to lead to dangerous fire weather conditions in Southern California for several more days.
“The forecast for the next week is a forbidding one as a moderate to strong event unfolds between Monday and Wednesday.”
“Firefighters were still working Friday to put out a wildfire near Guide Rock, Nebraska, that was fueled by winds up to 50 mph and spread over eight miles.
“A handful of farms were evacuated, and two highways were closed at the height of a fast-moving blaze sparked by a burn pile Thursday afternoon.”
“319 days straight Buffalo has not seen a day below 15 degrees… The last record with consecutive days above 15 degrees was 318 days.
“In November 2020, Buffalo Broke the record had the highest record for November 9. The previous record was 70 degrees, Buffalo hit 76! July 2020 holds the record for the hottest month of all time in Western New York.
“December 2020, we broke the record for the amount of snowfall on the 26th with over 18 inches.”
“January is a month when Britons turn to salads after the Christmas blowout. But now, on top of the disruption caused by Brexit and Covid, even the weather is conspiring against dieters by causing shortages in UK supermarkets.
“The UK’s supply of salad staples such as lettuce and tomatoes has been hit by Storm Filomena, the worst snowstorm to hit Spain in 50 years.”
“There is a very big problem in our country after the torrential rains which flooded a lot of regions across Bulgaria. And it’s not about the dangerous high waters, it’s about the thousands of tons of waste that rivers have dragged to the hydro-electric powerplants around the country…
“This is, to put it mildly, an environmental catastrophe…”
“Russian meteorologists are bewildered by the extraordinary weather developments in the country. The year 2020 became the by far warmest ever in 130 years of measurements.
““The average air temperature on Russian territory was simply exceptional,” a statement from the weather research service Roshydromet reads.”
“Wettest January on record for Tamil Nadu [India]; more rain likely:
“Post cessation of Northeast Monsoon on 31st December 2020, an unusually heavy wet spell has lashed most parts of Tamil Nadu. Historic record rainfall has been recorded at many places including the state capital Chennai.”
“Singapore’s rainfall of 648.4mm in just the first two weeks of January ranks the month as the second wettest since rainfall records in Singapore began in 1869, displacing January 2004’s 600.9mm.
“The wettest January on record was in 1893, with total rainfall of 818.6mm.”
“Four local government units (LGUs) in the third district of Negros Occidental [Philippines] have declared a state of calamity in their respective jurisdictions, following series of flooding in the northern part of the province in the past two weeks…
“Meanwhile, the damage and production losses to the agro-fishery sector was now pegged at almost P60 million…”
“An out-of-control and fast-moving bushfire is threatening lives and homes in Perth’s southeast [Australia].
“The blaze was reported at 11.13am on Saturday and an emergency warning was issued for parts of Oakford, Casuarina, Banjup, Hammond Park, Forrestdale, Aubin Grove, Wandi, Wellard, Anketell and Oldbury.”
“Forest fires fills streets with smoke in Valpraíso, Chile, January 15th 2021 – Wild fires raging in the region of Valpraíso, Chile, including Quilpe, turn the skies orange and fills the city with smoke and ash.”
“Indigenous Cacataibo of Peru threatened by land grabbing and drug trade: The Santa Martha Indigenous territory is one of the nine Indigenous Cacataibo communities between Huánuco and Ucayali in Peru.
“Increasing numbers of outsiders are invading the territory and deforesting large swaths of Indigenous land, largely to grow coca which is used to make cocaine.”
“A new study has indicated that the ability of plants to absorb atmospheric carbon could be halved within the next two decades if global temperatures continue to rise at the current rate.
“The ability of Earth’s plant life to absorb and use atmospheric carbon could be reduced by as much as 50% over the next twenty years, should global temperatures continue to rise unabated.”
“Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record, according to an analysis by NASA.
“Continuing the planet’s long-term warming trend, the year’s globally averaged temperature was 1.84 degrees Fahrenheit (1.02 degrees Celsius) warmer than the baseline 1951-1980 mean, according to scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York.”
Also, a quick update on those mind-bogglingly hot temperatures around the Black Sea, a major grain-production area, of course, and now due an Arctic blast. These are still not covered in the English-speaking press unfortunately:
3 national records of highest January temperature fell: Turkey with 31.6C at Abana (near Kastamonu)-national record broken by 4.1C!, Russia with 24.0C at Adler (part of the city of Sochi) and Georgia with 25.3C at Batumi.
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here. I’ll be back on Monday with an “Economic” thread.
“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.”
– Karina S.
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About This Site
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.
“Siberian peat fires have continued to burn after a year of record-setting wildfires in and around the Arctic Circle despite temperatures below minus 50 degrees Celsius, The Siberian Times reported Wednesday.
“Massive Craters in Siberia Are Exploding Into Existence. What’s Causing Them?
“Russian gas tankers make first winter voyages of Northern Sea Route as ice retreats:
“Deep water temperatures hit ‘scary’ highs in Gulf of St. Lawrence… 
“Rise in algal blooms puts southern sea [aka Californian] otters at increased risk of fatal heart disease… 
“A series of powerful winter storms are barreling across the parched state of California, knocking out power to more than 400,000…
“Aerial photos show the destruction and debris from an Alabama tornado that ripped off roofs and destroyed homes while leaving one dead and 30 injured on Monday.
“Nearly one-third of U.S. homes are at high risk of natural disaster, study says:
“A wildfire raging in the south of Argentina has consumed a vast swathe of forestland in three days, local authorities said Wednesday—an area half the size of Liechtenstein.
“Brazil’s ongoing military-led operation to curb illegal deforestation and fires in the Amazon rainforest will end April 30, Vice President Hamilton Mourão said at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday.
“There has been little relief for South Islanders [NZ] with another day of record-breaking temperatures with the mercury topping 36C in Blenheim.
“Philippine forest trees threatened by deforestation and climate change:
“Landslides cause buildings to collapse in Indonesia… Landslides across Indonesia, including Citraland, Lampung and Cimandar, cause disruption, including the destruction of buildings, in Indonesia. January 26th 2021.”
“A tropical cyclone that struck central Mozambique last week has affected 250,000 people, a sharp increase over initial estimates, according to a UN official.
“The UK government will investigate a complaint against mining giant Glencore over a wastewater spill in Chad in 2018.
“Tens of thousands in northwest Syria lose shelter after floods inundate camps: 
“Lake of garbage: Every winter pollution is swept from overflowing landfills into Balkan waterways: 
“Spain prepares to be battered by yet another storm as Justine heads our way:
“Covid and drought strands barge owner on France’s canals: it took one Australian traveller seven months to make what is usually a three-week trip along the impacted waterways last year…
“The planet is hotter now than it has been for at least 12,000 years, a period spanning the entire development of human civilisation, according to research.
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“”The lion is Africa’s signature wild animal, yet fewer than 20,000 remain in the entire continent, down from an estimated 100,000 five decades ago,” says British photographer, George Logan.
“Forests remain a carbon sink, stashing away 7.6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide every year, but their ability to lock carbon is weakening.
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“The National Weather Service called it “historic” and “the big one
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“Most years, by January the majority of the Great Lakes are so cold they look like a scene from “Frozen.” This year, that’s not the case…
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“This winter has been an odd one in parts of the Lower 48 – so far,
“The possible spell of wintry weather in the pipeline is thanks to a series of disturbances that have shaken up the 
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“Heavy rains are expected to continue into the early autumn in Australia, although 
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“”Yes, it’s true that 
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“January is a month when Britons turn to salads after the Christmas blowout. But now, on top of the disruption caused by Brexit and Covid, even the weather is conspiring against dieters by causing shortages in UK supermarkets.
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