“The popular saying “April showers bring May flowers” might not be the case this year.
“The northeastern United States experienced an unusual Mother’s Day weekend as most restaurants remained closed amid coronavirus concerns and a historic polar vortex packing snow shattered temperature records.”
“There are more than a dozen wildfires raging across Florida, burning property and prompting evacuations, as excessive heat and dry weather take its toll on the state.
“Florida is known for its hot weather, but this year has been exceptionally torrid. In April, South Florida hit June-like temperatures.”
“The state [Alaska] saw several record or near record high temperatures on Saturday and will likely see more on Sunday.
“The Juneau Airport reached 76 degrees on Saturday. This is not only the first 70 degree or higher temperature for the year, it also breaks the previous May 9 record of 73 degrees set in 2014.”
“A high of 86 was recorded at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle. The previous record there for May 9 was 83 degrees, set last year.
““Most places, it was probably a record-breaking day,” Burg said of the Puget Sound region, which featured mostly sunny skies.”
“As forecasters predict higher-than-normal chances of large fires in Northern California this year — as well as the usual risk of “large significant” burning in Southern California — fire authorities are growing increasingly concerned over their ability to muster a large, healthy force of firefighters in the face of COVID-19.”
“It has not had much attention, with the world focused on the coronavirus, but deforestation has surged in the Amazon rainforest this year, raising fears of a repeat of last year’s record-breaking devastation – or worse.
“Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon hit a new high in the first four months of the year…”
“Photographs of Hawke’s Bay [NZ] taken from space almost a year apart show the effects of its drought…
“December through February is typically the driest period in north and central New Zealand, but according to Nasa, the 2019-2020 summer season was especially dry, leaving the entirety of North Island in severe meteorological drought.”
“The NSW government has pledged a $310 million emergency relief boost for drought-affected farmers and communities.
“Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro said renewing support measures will give certainty to regional drought-affected communities so they can make important stock and business decisions.”
“Taichung city in central Taiwan has recorded the hottest day of May since 1900 as the temperature reached 36.9 degrees Celsius at Sunday noon, the weather department said.
“The island’s weather department issued heat alerts to 11 counties and cities across the island Sunday.”
“Fifty people lost their lives in Yemen’s temporary capital of Aden due to the chikungunya fever, according to an anonymous government official late on Saturday.
“More than 3,000 people were infected… It is believed that the disease came about because of swamps caused by a flood disaster on April 21.”
“Torrential rains have triggered devastating floods and landslides across East Africa in recent weeks, aggravating an already challenging situation as countries in the region battle the coronavirus pandemic.
“The destruction caused by the heavy rainfall has killed hundreds of people in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Rwanda and Ethiopia and has also forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.”
“The newsletter Melting Glaciers, which has just been published online, reveals that glaciers in Iceland have been rapidly retreating for 25 years, and that glacier downwasting is among the most obvious consequences of global warming.
“As climate change contributes to a surge in disease outbreaks across the world, scientists warn that current rates of environmental degradation and biodiversity loss will lead to more deadly pandemics like the coronavirus.
“The total number of disease outbreaks has more than tripled each decade since the 1980s.”
“Wildfires in at least three different areas of the Florida Panhandle, including one suspected to be caused by an “illegal burning,” raged through the night Wednesday into Thursday morning, forcing the evacuation of over 1,000 homes.
“High winds and dry conditions fed the blazes that burned dozens of buildings and scorched over 2,500 acres.”
“…heavy rain with hail that fell this afternoon-night on the Hidalgo capital [Mexico] left severe floods and damages in several parts of the Pachuca metropolitan area, so Civil Protection units deal with the incidents…
“…the water ran dragging mud, garbage and even construction material or rubble in its path.”
“The province of Buenos Aires experienced the highest level of rainfall for 30 years in March and April, allowing wheat planting to potentially hit a new record pace, according to a report from the Rosario Board of Trade.”
“The rolling hills on the Dasent family’s farm in rural Hawke’s Bay [NZ] are a sea of brown as far as the eye can stretch. They’ve had only 26 percent of their average rainfall for April, and the last four months have been the driest on record for the region.
“In fact, there really hasn’t been any decent rainfall since October.”
“Binh Thuan Province [Vietnam] has declared a state of emergency after drought affected over 97,000 residents and depleted irrigation water…
“Rainfall, which came late this year, has been low. Since the end of January, rivers and streams have dried out across Binh Thuan, home to popular beach town Mui Ne.”
“Firefighters were forced to suspend their work to put out a forest fire in southwest China’s Sichuan Province due to strong winds, fire police said Friday.
“The fire broke out at 5 p.m. Thursday at the border of Xide and Mianning counties in Sichuan, according to the provincial forest fire department.”
“The Russian Ministry for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters has registered 634 wildfires since the beginning of this year in the Trans-Baikal Region, the Ministry’s press service told TASS Thursday. On Thursday, EMERCOM head Yevgeny Zinichev arrived in the region and conducted a meeting on wildfires.”
“Flooding and landslides have killed at least 65 people and washed away nearly 100 homes in Rwanda after heavy rains overnight on Wednesday. It is the latest in a series of floods across the East African nation in recent weeks.
“Dozens of people have died since the start of March, but the most recent rains took the most lives.”
“[Uganda’s] State Minister for Disaster and Preparedness, Mr Musa Ecweru, was on Thursday, May 7, 2020 shocked at the trail of destruction left behind by the floods that pounded Kasese District.
“Several rivers in the area such as Nyamwamba, Mubuku and Nyamughasana on Wednesday night, burst their banks, letting off huge flooding that swept away homes, gardens, schools and inundated hospitals.”
“As if our world wasn’t already off-kilter: Snow and shock-the-system cold will numb the Mother’s Day weekend for many across the U.S.
“Forecasters warn of a bizarre spring pattern that is expected to sweep unseasonably raw weather east of the Rockies. The arctic plunge could shatter dozens of records and notch temperatures chillier than Christmas Day in some cities.”
“Climate change is affecting every country on the globe, and the U.S. military must adapt to provide defense, officials said… Climate change is particularly fast in the colder regions of the globe, with glaciers and ice caps melting at alarming levels. That change means new operational environments.”
“A world expert on diseases is warning that frozen ‘ancient microbes’ are a danger to humanity, as rising temperatures thaw the Arctic.
“Dr Dennis Carroll – who appears in the Netflix documentary Pandemic – said we should be ‘should be exceedingly cautious about underestimating the potential threats’ that reborn germs could pose.”
“Flooding as a result of recent heavy rains has killed almost 200 people across Kenya, the government says. The water has also washed away 8,000 acres of crops and some vital infrastructure.
“In Rwanda more than 45 people have died and floods have killed 16 in Somalia. In Uganda high water levels have trapped an estimated 200 patients inside a hospital.
“East African countries have also been hit by a locust invasion and Covid-19.”
“As deadly flooding leaves thousands homeless in Kenya, and a second wave of locust threatens the country’s food supply, the east African nation is having its economy tested along with its neighbors in the region…
“Now, a locust swarm of biblical proportions is expected to invade Kenya via Ethiopia for the second time this year.”
“Global warming is approaching a tipping point that during this century could reawaken an ancient climate pattern similar to El Niño in the Indian Ocean, new research led by scientists from The University of Texas at Austin has found.
“If it comes to pass, floods, storms and drought are likely to worsen and become more regular…”
“A large part of the Corn Belt’s crops will get hit with a frost this weekend.
“The question becomes whether the emerged corn and soybean plants will suffer any damage. Some experts believe the young soybean plants could get hurt more than the emerged corn.”
“Abnormally frigid temperatures for May will be brought down from the Arctic following a much warmer-than-normal January through March this year.
““This is not just some random one-off weather event but an obvious trend toward hyper-extreme atmospheric circulations outside the normal bounds of what we typically experience in May,” said meteorologist Ryan Maue.”
“Florida is now dealing with a second disaster unfolding amidst the pandemic: A wildfire raged out of control in Santa Rosa County late Wednesday in the Panhandle, destroying homes, forcing emergency evacuations and shutting down nine miles of Interstate 10.
““This is a rapidly evolving situation,” Santa Rosa emergency management officials said…”
“Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, said this April was 6.1 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than normal [in Miami].
“People who look at this all the time are in shock. You don’t break records by as much as we broke records,” he said.”
“From Cuba to Belize, a lack of rainfall in 2019 and 2020 has led to significant drought across the region. Pockets of extreme drought have led to wildfires and agricultural stress.
“In Mexico, most of the Yucatan Peninsula is under a severe drought, according to Conagua, the official Mexican meteorological agency. That’s due to a combination of short- and long-term drought conditions.”
“Communities in the north of Scotland have been put on wildfire alert after one of the hottest and driest Aprils on record.
“With warm conditions forecast to continue, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service are warning that the risk of blazes breaking out is now at its highest.”
“Lack of rain and high temperatures has Germany approaching its third summer of drought in a row due to high temperatures and sparse precipitation.
“The parched conditions in spring 2020 follow the warmest December to February on record for Europe. Germany also had a particularly dry spring, with little to no rain in many areas since mid-March.”
“The country [USA] is divided roughly in half between temperature extremes, with cold conditions and well below normal temperatures in the East, and record-setting, triple-digit heat in the Southwest.
“It will feel like summer out West and will feel like very early spring in the East…
“The heat in the Southwest could build to record high temperatures tomorrow into Thursday.”
“Sure, it’s been hot for most of Colorado lately. But one city in particular has been exceptionally warm… in Alamosa, located in the heart of southern Colorado’s San Luis Valley, they’ve had eight straight days of daily record highs.
“That streak was (barely) snapped on Monday, but not before more than a week’s worth of new daily records.”
“April 2020 was the second-most active April for tornadoes on record in the U.S., with the National Weather Service logging 351 preliminary reports of tornadoes for the month.
“More than 150 tornadoes accompanied a violent outbreak that began Easter Sunday and ravaged parts of the South and Southeast as twisters touched down by the dozen.”
“The heat does not give space to the entrance of autumn in Santiago [Chile] this week a new wave is looming with records that would enter the history of what was noted in meteorology during May.
“According to the report by the meteorologist Jaime Leyton, if the forecast is fulfilled, “it will be the one with the highest average record of heat waves that occurred in May in the last 50 years.””
“Brazilian corn farmers hoping for relief from drought were disappointed by weaker than expected rains this week, while frost expected in the state of Parana could bring further losses, weather forecasters said on Tuesday.
“Much of the center-south of Brazil received below average rains in the past 30 days, a critical period for growing the country’s second annual crop of corn…”
“The Brazilian government of President Jair Bolsonaro has fired two IBAMA, environmental agency coordinators with a history of significantly reducing deforestation in indigenous territories (TIs) in the Xingu River basin in southern Pará state…
“The firings occurred despite a letter opposing the dismissal published by 16 IBAMA environmental inspectors on April 21.”
“A new study from the Amazon predicts the mysterious ‘ghost dogs’ of the Amazon rain forest may face new environmental threat, as deforestation is expected to reduce their natural habitat by 30 percent in 2027…
“…in some of the hardest hit areas, the short-eared dogs’ natural habitat–mainly the Amazonian rainforests in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador–could decline by as much as 60 percent.”
“In 2019, 18 new high-temperature records were established around the country, said the Fiji Climate report released by the Fiji Meteorological Service.
“Fiji continued to record above-average annual temperature and the decade 2010-2019 was the warmest on record.”
“A group of senior Australian scientists have warned in an international journal that logging native forests makes fire more severe and is likely to have exacerbated the country’s catastrophic summer bushfires…
“The paper says industry data showed that some 161m cubic metres of native forest was logged in the period from 1996 to 2018.”
“Australia could run out of locally made fresh milk unless supermarkets give urgent help to the ailing dairy industry.
“That’s federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud’s alarming warning as he pushes for an extension and potential expansion of a drought-linked temporary 10-cent milk levy.”
“Northwestern provinces of Cambodia will face a heat wave this week, according to the new forecast shared by the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology…
“The temperature in those provinces will rise up to 40-41 degrees Celsius from May 8 to 10…”
“Three people were injured and hundreds left homeless as floods swept through several districts in the northern Samangan province [Afghanistan] on Monday, head of Natural Disaster and Managment Authority in the flood-affected province, Sibghatullah Sayad said Tuesday.”
“Thunderstorms drenched Israel on Tuesday in a rare springtime downpour, with hail and flooding recorded in the south.
“The storms raged from northern Israel to the Negev Desert in the south, and were expected to further raise the levels of the Sea of Galilee, which has already enjoyed a particularly rainy winter.”
“Across drought-hit southern Africa, COVID-19 has spurred governments to dispatch water tankers, drill boreholes and repair taps – solutions experts and residents of thirsty slums and villages say must last long after the pandemic has passed.
““We’re calling for the government to do more because at the moment there are few boreholes,” Khulekani Ncube, Gongu village’s headman, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.”
“Somalia and the UN refugee agency said Tuesday they have airlifted vital humanitarian assistance to some 8,100 flood victims in three regional states in the past week.
“The UNHCR said the emergency kits that include jerry cans, soap, blankets, sleeping mats, kitchen sets and plastic sheets were airlifted to Baidoa, Bardheere and Qardho areas.”
“The Mutual Moroccan Agricultural Insurance Company (MAMDA) has allocated MAD 200 million ($20.2 million) in favor of farmers affected by drought in Marrakech-Safi’s Rehamna region.
““The agricultural season was characterized by difficult climate conditions, which affected the grain product,” he added.”
“Last year was one of the worst on record for glacial decline in Iceland according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
“Warm, sunny weather caused Iceland’s glacier mass to fall by approximately 1.5m of water, which is the “highest [change in mass balance] ever measured” according to a study.”
“Sea ice near the shore is crucial for dogsled travel for Arctic communities. But a new study shows that when temperatures crank up, it disappears faster – and it’s set to grow a lot worse by the end of the century.”
“…permafrost stores an enormous amount of carbon because it holds so much organic matter. But as the climate warms, some permafrost is starting to thaw.
““As that ground thaws, all of a sudden, microorganisms become active and they degrade that plant matter, that animal matter in the soil,” Kelly says. “And in that degradation process, it releases carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere.”
“That speeds up global warming, which could cause even more permafrost to thaw, accelerating the dangerous cycle.”
“Temperatures in April were on par with the previous warmest April on record four years ago, with extremely high temperatures in some parts of Europe, Greenland and Antarctica.
“Above-average global temperatures meant April was just 0.01 degrees Celsius cooler than April 2016, a difference considered statistically “insignificant” by the Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.”
“An unusually strong blast of frigid air for the month of May is set to crash into the eastern United States late this week, likely bringing record-low temperatures in some areas for Mother’s Day weekend.
“The blast of cold may even allow for some snow in parts of the Northeast and frost as far south as the interior Carolinas.”
“Following a brief respite from the blistering heat wave last week that smashed records from California to Texas, record heat will return to the Southwest and Southern California by the middle of this week. Hot temperatures will then shift toward the Northwest by the end of the week.
“Once again, the jet stream will bulge northward…”
“In an excerpt from their new book, two Guardian journalists recount how a fierce blaze broke out on a fall morning in 2018. It became the most lethal US wildfire in 100 years…
“Camp Creek Road may have defied fire crews, but it did lend the blaze its incongruously playful name: the Camp fire.”
“Countries in the Pacific Islands have been praised for their swift response to the threat of Covid-19…
“But after Tropical Cyclone Harold – a category five cyclone that tore through Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga in early April – there is grave concern that these nations will be unable to cope with two crises at once.”
“The North Island drought [NZ] — the worst in 50 years in some parts of Northland — has prompted thousands to seek financial help…
“Whangārei, Auckland, Whitianga, Hamilton, Tauranga, Whakatāne, Napier and Taupō have had their driest January to April on record, according to Niwa’s figures.”
“Ongoing flooding in Kenya has claimed the lives of another 164 people, a Kenyan government official said Monday.
“Heavy downpours, during the rainy season, which lasts from March to May, have wreaked havoc all across the nation marked with flash floods, landslides and sinkholes that have left thousands displaced, livestock dead and crops destroyed.”
“A second, much bigger wave of locusts is causing destruction on a vast scale across East Africa, months after the region was hit by another locust invasion. David Hughes from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization explains the severe implications for many countries in the region.”
“From the vast plains of the Masai Mara in Kenya to the delicate corals of the Aldabra atoll in the Seychelles, conservation work to protect some of the world’s most important ecosystems is facing crisis following a collapse in ecotourism during the Covid-19 pandemic…
“…border closures and worldwide travel restrictions abruptly halted millions of pounds of income from tourism.”
“The number of tropical cyclones originating in the North Atlantic and central Pacific has slightly increased, while fewer have occurred in the southern Indian Ocean and western North Pacific, according to the research…
“The research “provides strong evidence” that human-caused global warming has had “a considerable impact on global tropical cyclones”, another scientist tells Carbon Brief.”
“If global warming continues unchecked, the heat that’s coming later this century in some parts of the world will bring “nearly unlivable” conditions for up to 3 billion people, a study released Monday said…
“2020 expected to be Earth’s warmest year on record, scientists say.”
“Russian Emergencies Minister Evgeny Zinichev has said that in Krasnoyarsk, 10 times as much territory was ablaze on April 27 compared to the same time last year, while in Transbaikal it was three times, and in the Amur region it was one and a half times as much.
“In the Transbaikal region alone, this amounts to 200,000 hectares burnt – a larger area than the whole island of Maui, Hawaii.
“And unfortunately, the cause is likely the worst mix of climate change, and COVID-19 cabin fever.”
“Farmers up and down the country [Scotland] experienced a welcomed heatwave this spring after a wet winter left the majority of the country under water – but the tables have turned and many farmers are now crying out for rain.”
“The European Commission released its crop monitoring bulletin on April 27, in which it reported that “western Europe had one of the driest starts to spring since 1979– after a wet winter – with almost no rain since mid March”.
“Rain deficits were shown in large areas across mainland Europe and south-east England. Poland, Ukraine and Romania have had dry conditions since the end of winter.”
“The summer heat is starting early this year in Morocco, with predicted temperatures of up to 43 degrees Celsius over the next two days, according to the National Meteorology Directorate.
“DMN announced temperatures ranging between 34 and 43 degrees Celsius in several regions throughout the country.”
“How much more calamity can East Africa take? Already struggling with the twin crises of the coronavirus pandemic and a biblical scourge of locusts, the region is now being lashed by exceptionally heavy rainfall, causing floods that threaten life and livelihood from Ethiopia to Tanzania and all parts in between.”
“Since mid-April, more than 100,000 people across conflict-torn Yemen, but particularly Aden, Abyan, Lahj and Sana’a City, have been affected by heavy rain and flash flooding that has contaminated water supplies, damaged roads, bridges and power, and cut access to basic services.”
“The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations in a recent report has warned of a potentially serious food security crisis this year in several regional countries, including Pakistan, due to locust attacks.”
“Mayor Wasim Akhtar on Saturday imposed a state of emergency in hospitals under the administrative control of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) keeping in view a heatwave alert issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department.”
“The temperature in Xujiahui, Shanghai’s downtown area, jumped to 34 degrees Celsius on Sunday, making it the hottest May 3 in 147 years. In the first ten days of May, it is rare to see the temperature above 34 degrees Celsius, said the Shanghai Meteorological Center.”
“Areas in the Central US that scorched with record high temperatures over the weekend will get some relief but not without the risk of severe weather through Tuesday morning.”
“All of Coachella Valley will be under an excessive heat watch that begins on Tuesday morning and extends until Friday evening, the National Weather Service announced on Sunday.
“Daily highs are expected to range from 105 to as much as 110 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather service.”
“The Quintana Roo government [Mexico] has received brigadiers from other states who have arrived to help battle wildfires.
“The arrival of the additional help was coordinated by la Comisión Nacional Forestal… More than 200 firemen tend to the daily task of trying to extinguish the fires of which some have been burning for more than a week.”
“Reyita and Andreina are vulnerable to the heat “shock” that affects the country [Dominican Republic] and that in March and April has set a new record for high temperatures…
“In addition to the apparent impact on the health of people with certain conditions or diseases, these high temperatures may influence natural disasters of great magnitude, according to some researchers.”
“For those living deep in the rainforest [Brazilian Amazon], the closest medical help is often days away by boat. Some communities have shut themselves away, fearful of contagion.
“Others remain uncontacted, but their livelihoods are at threat when there is also less oversight from indigenous and environmental agencies…
“The figures speak for themselves. In the first three months of the year, deforestation rose 51%.”
“Romero also realised something else: the virus, he believes, was unleashed by human greed and ill treatment of the planet.
““We’re unbalancing the habitat of species, we’re cutting down trees, we’re planting monocultures, we’re filling the world with cities and asphalt and we’re using too many chemicals,” Romero said. “It’s a cocktail of bad practices.””
“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.
Search
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.
“The popular saying “April showers bring May flowers” might not be the case this year. 
“There are more than a dozen wildfires raging across Florida, burning property and prompting evacuations, as excessive heat and dry weather take its toll on the state. 
“The state [Alaska] saw several record or near record high temperatures on Saturday and will likely see more on Sunday. 
“A high of 86 was recorded at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle. The previous record there for May 9 was 83 degrees, set last year.
“As forecasters predict higher-than-normal chances of large fires in Northern California this year — as well as the usual risk of “large significant” burning in Southern California — fire authorities are growing increasingly concerned over their ability to muster a large, healthy force of firefighters in the face of COVID-19.”
“It has not had much attention, with the world focused on the coronavirus, but deforestation has surged in the Amazon rainforest this year, raising fears of a repeat of last year’s record-breaking devastation – or worse. 
“Photographs of Hawke’s Bay [NZ] taken from space almost a year apart show the effects of its drought… 
“The NSW government has pledged a $310 million emergency relief boost for drought-affected farmers and communities. 
“Taichung city in central Taiwan has recorded the hottest day of May since 1900 as the temperature reached 36.9 degrees Celsius at Sunday noon, the weather department said. 
“A massive dust storm was whipped up in the Delhi-NCR region on late Sunday morning as strong winds frequented the skies in the national capital. 
“Fifty people lost their lives in Yemen’s temporary capital of Aden due to the chikungunya fever, according to an anonymous government official late on Saturday. 
“Torrential rains have triggered devastating floods and landslides across East Africa in recent weeks, aggravating an already challenging situation as countries in the region battle the coronavirus pandemic.
“Properties have been flooded after thunderstorms hit parts of south and west Wales on Saturday… 
“As climate change contributes to a surge in disease outbreaks across the world, scientists warn that current rates of environmental degradation and biodiversity loss will lead to more deadly pandemics like the coronavirus. 
“
“
“Most of the homes impacted by heavy rain were unprepared for the flooding because it never was an issue before with a lower water table… 
“…
“
“
“
“
“…
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“Sure, it’s been hot for most of Colorado lately. But one city in particular has been exceptionally warm… 
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“…
“
“
“
“
“
“Countries in the Pacific Islands have been praised for their swift response to the threat of Covid-19… 
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“