“Fire-ravaged Australia is facing fresh misery after a storm described as a one-in-100-year event caused flash flooding across swathes of the east coast.
“More than 250mm [circa 10 inches] of rain fell over Friday night and Saturday morning, with the heavy falls shutting down major roads and caused delays.”
“More than 80 blazes were still burning across New South Wales and Victoria on Monday, despite downpours. Melbourne and Canberra have been hit by heavy storms, with hail as big as golf balls falling in some areas.
“Hundreds of emergency calls were made as hail smashed office windows and car windshields in the nation’s capital.”
“Damaging winds produced by thunderstorms across central New South Wales have whipped up dust storms that turned daytime into night in some towns.
“The Bureau of Meteorology issued a series of severe thunderstorm warnings on Sunday evening for inland NSW with the associated winds generating massive dust clouds.”
“Cairns flying fox carers on alert after heatwave brings bat population to the brink.
“The Far North’s flying fox population has so far managed to avoid a repeat of the November 2018 horror show, but wildlife carers are remaining vigilant.”
“Prolonged drought and other effects of climate change are pushing Australia’s unique platypus population towards extinction, scientists warned in a study published Monday.
“The river-dwelling animal has already disappeared from up to 40 percent of its historical range on Australia’s east coast…”
“For the third time in the past week, Israeli Occupation on Saturday opened the dams collecting rainwater towards farmland east of Gaza City, flooding hundreds of dunams of agricultural land…
“…and damaging hundreds of dunams of land planted with wheat, barley, peas, cabbage, and cauliflower.”
“Powerful Storm Gloria lashed parts of Spain on Sunday with high winds, heavy rain and snow, forcing the closure of Alicante airport and killing one man in the northern region of Asturias.
“Gloria was set to intensify overnight and persist at least until Tuesday…”
“There has been a yawning gap in the overall temperature difference across Finland this weekend…
“The temperature variations come as Finland experiences its mildest winter in 100 years, while average temperatures in January have so far been up to 10 degrees warmer than usual.”
“Europe, North America, Asia and Australia have recorded the highest January temperatures in history, at the end of a decade already confirmed as the hottest in 150 years.
““One of the impacts of climate change that scientists have been predicting over the decades is that we will see anomalous weather events,” Sarah Finnie Robinson, a senior fellow at the Boston University Institute for Sustainable Energy, told…”
Ironically, they will be needing snowploughs here!
“The storm’s barometric pressure crashed 1.21 inches of mercury within 24 hours…
“Snowfall at St. John’s International Airport [Newfoundland] established a new all-time daily snowfall record of 76.2 cm (30 inches), beating the old record of 68.4 cm (26.9 inches) set on April 5, 1999. These records began in 1942.”
“Last Saturday (Jan.11), Environment Canada issued an extreme cold warning that lasted about a week. With the forecast warming up on Sunday (Jan.19), meteorologist Alysa Pederson reflected on the interesting events that have happened. “Most interesting, on Wednesday (Jan.15), the South Pole was only reading -25 C.””
“”In the northern Bering Sea, sea ice used to be present with us for eight months a year. Today, we may only see three or four months with ice. We are used to generally assessing our ice thickness in feet, but now we are often looking at inches, even in the middle of winter.””
“Giant sequoia trees, the largest living organisms on the planet – some more than three millennia old – have started dying from beetle attacks linked to the climate emergency…
“The deaths of the trees …have shocked researchers in their speed and novelty.”
“Flooding and landslides triggered by torrential rains have claimed six lives in southeast Brazil, firefighters said Saturday. Footage on social media showed streets in Espirito Santo state turned into rivers and cars being swept away by raging, muddy water.
“In one clip, the water almost reaches the roof of a gas station.”
“Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes in Tuvalu, with strong winds and giant waves churned up by Cyclone Tino causing extensive damage across the country.
“Few of the country’s 14 islands were spared damage, said Sumeo Silu, the director of the country’s disaster management office… “It’s quite devastated,” Silu said.”
“A record 45 million people in Southern Africa, mostly women and children, face severe food insecurity caused by drought, flooding, and economic disarray, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said on Thursday.
“This hunger crisis is on a scale we’ve not seen before and the evidence shows it’s going to get worse,” said Lola Castro, WFP regional director for Southern Africa, in a statement.”
“Heavy rainfall in recent days has led to flash floods in Zambia, mainly in the Southern Province, with Gwembe and Siavonga Districts hardest-hit.
“The flooding has destroyed crops, including maize… Last year, the districts recorded a 98 per cent reduction in maize production, compared to 2018 and the five-year average [due to drought].”
“Poaching is hitting Botswana rhinos harder and harder. Authorities estimate that the species could become extinct in the country within a year if poaching is not stopped.”
“Climate change is massively threatening to the lives of Pakistan’s population, and as a matter of fact, people in different parts of our country are already getting adversely affected by it.
“Not only is it causing immense heatwaves, but also melting glaciers which further brings a major threat on its own.”
“”This extreme weather has played havoc with the lives of people living in high altitude mountains,” Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s top administrative official, Mathar Niaz Rana, said.
“”We are trying our best to alleviate their sufferings,” he told Reuters as two helicopters were being loaded with relief supplies…”
“Lucknow [Uttar Pradesh, India] rains have shattered all-time high record this January, with the state capital recording a total of 98 mm of rains in first 17 days it self.
“Prior to this, the record stood at 93.8 mm of rains recorded in January, 1996. Not only this, the record figure could even go further higher…”
“Since January 2019, rations of [North Korea’s] Public Distribution System (PDS) were reduced to 300 grams per person per day (g/pp/day), compared to 380 grams during the same period in 2018.
“It was expected that rations may decline further during the July to September period, when PDS rations are typically lower compared to other months of the year.”
“Authorities are warning people to take care as severe to extreme heatwave conditions are expected to affect parts of North West Queensland [Australia] over the coming days.
“Mount Isa is expecting maximum temperatures of 44 degrees [111f] this weekend and health authorities are strongly urging community members to look after their own health and safety…”
“At least 80% of the Blue Mountains world heritage area and more than 50% of the Gondwana world heritage rainforests have burned in Australia’s ongoing bushfire crisis.
“The scale of the disaster is such that it could affect the diversity of eucalypts for which the Blue Mountains world heritage area is recognised…”
“Japanese companies have contingency plans for the floods that increasingly drench this island nation, but most have done little to fortify facilities, relying instead on insurance and securing alternative supply sources, a Reuters poll found…
“Japan has increasingly been lashed by floods described as the worst in decades, and last year likely saw the fifth straight year of growing flood damage.”
“The Fijian government has called for strong action on the climate crisis as the country is hit by its second cyclone in three weeks.
“Fiji opened evacuation centres, closed schools and urged businesses to close early as cyclone Tino barrelled towards Fiji’s second-largest island, Vanua Levu, on Friday.”
“If you think you have felt high temperatures in recent days, you should know that this weekend and the rest of the fortnight of January is even more intense.
“A heat wave in the central area of our country [Chile] estimates to reach even 40 ° [104f], according to an agroclimatologist at the University of Talca, Patricio González.”
“The intense rain that has fallen on Barbanza [Galicia, Spain] has brought harsh consequences.
“In addition to the numerous floods throughout the territory of the region, the biggest problem occurs in the Riberanse parish of Arts, because the Arles river overflowed.”
“…Penguin Island [Antarctica]… has seen its chinstrap population plunge by 75 percent over the past four decades.
“The numbers have dropped across the region as average temperatures have soared by more than five degrees over 50 years. That increase is about five-times the global average.”
“…the chances of a major ESAS methane eruption have sharply escalated over only the past 15 years with the loss of ice due to global warming.
“Yet, it is one of the least understood and least researched climate systems in the world. As mentioned previously, the IPCC gives it no consideration and most scientists downplay the risks.”
“As the climate crisis intensifies and as the wide-ranging economic impacts are felt up and down supply chains across continents, business leaders and governments cannot ignore the mounting economic risks, a report from McKinsey said Thursday.”
“Temperatures reached 11.2C in Örebro [Sweden] on Wednesday – the hottest January day the city has seen since records began, and a full 0.7C hotter than when it broke its temperature record last week.
“Even still, the central Swedish city was not the warmest spot in the country.
“Oskarshamn in south-eastern Sweden recorded 12.1C, a new record for the town in January.”
“A seal that is normally native to the Arctic area has been rescued in Co Clare [Ireland].
“The juvenile Arctic Ringed seal was found on a beach in Quilty in west Clare on Sunday. The mammal is thought to be only a few months old and was in a very weak state.”
“For the second time in less than two weeks, Vicksburg [Mississippi] was deluged by record-setting rainfall…
“Vicksburg street department superintendent Skipper Whittington said there were scattered reports of flooded roads in the city, and problems with landslides on North Washington.”
“You aren’t wrong, it was extremely cold this morning in Prince George (Jan. 15).
“Environment Canada Meteorologist Matt Macdonald says a temperature of -44.4 C was recorded at 8 a.m. today, which shattered the previous record of -41.2 on Jan. 15, 1979. Records in Prince George began way back in 1912…”
“The amount of land in the Amazon where deforestation has taken place has increased dramatically under the presidency of Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro – amid concerns his environmental stance has emboldened those keen to turn one of the most important regions in the world for biodiversity into agricultural land.”
“Back in 2015–16, about 62,000 dead or dying common murres — a North Pacific seabird — washed ashore between Alaska and California.
“Only a fraction of the dead birds made it to shore, and the total number of deaths was estimated to be close to a million birds. Researchers think it was the largest seabird die-off in recorded history.”
“New Zealand’s famous kiwi birds are suffering from dehydration as drought affects many northern areas of the country, with conservationists warning chicks may soon perish too.
“There are 68,000 kiwi left in New Zealand but their number is declining at a rate of 2% a year.”
“The severe drought, stagnant water and devastating bushfire have combined to cause the death of thousands of fish in the Macleay River [NSW, Australia] since late November last year.
“Recent rainfall across the region has washed organic matter, sediment and ash from the Carrai East fire into the Macleay River.”
“…climate change is pummeling Australia on top of its notoriously volatile weather that can bring jarring shifts year to year, or even in the same year.
“That’s a big reason Australia is so vulnerable to extremes and why the continent is experiencing some of the world’s worst climate-related disasters.”
“Floods triggered by heavy rainfall in Samarinda, East Kalimantan [Indonesia], have submerged three districts and six subdistricts since Tuesday morning, affecting at least 7,213 residents.
“Aside from causing flooding, the downpour also caused landslides in Samarinda.”
“Last year was Singapore’s joint warmest year, with an annual mean temperature of 28.4 degrees Celsius, the Meteorological Service (MSS) said on Thursday (Jan 16).
“That is the same as the annual mean temperature in 2016 and 0.9 degrees Celsius higher than the 1981 to 2010 long-term average.”
“Several spy satellite images have revealed details about Mount Everest. According to what the researchers have found, glaciers surrounding Mount Everest have lost far more ice than once thought…
“…the glaciers along Mount Everest’s flanks had shrunk significantly from the top down and this happened in between 1962 to 2018.”
“A budget of one trillion rials (nearly $25 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) was allocated to meet urgent needs in flood-hit provinces of Iran…
“Unprecedented heavy rainfall which began on January 10 has led to flash flooding in [Iran’s] southern provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan, Kerman, and Hormozgan…”
“Temperatures in some parts of Oman dropped to below zero on Wednesday as heavy rain caused flooding across the Sultanate and residents are braced themselves for a further downpour…
“The Met office said more rain is expected over the next two days across the country. In Muscat, strong winds and rainfall caused chaos for many residents and some abandoned their houses in low-lying areas of the capital.”
“The past decade was the hottest on record, the UN said on Wednesday, warning the higher temperatures were expected to fuel numerous extreme weather events in 2020 and beyond…
“The United Nations said last year that man-made greenhouse gas emissions needed to tumble 7.6 percent each year to 2030 in order to limit temperature rises to 1.5C…”
“The past five years – and the past decade – are the hottest in 150 years, the latest research has shown. It is bringing increasingly severe storms, floods, drought and wildfires, with one scientist saying the records being broken year after year is “the drumbeat of the Anthropocene”.
“We look at what the five hottest years look like in pictures:“
More on the situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan:
“Avalanches, flooding and harsh winter weather have killed more than 130 people across Pakistan and Afghanistan and left others stranded by heavy snowfall. At least 93 people died and 76 were injured across Pakistan in recent days – with several still missing – while a further 39 were killed in Afghanistan, officials in both countries said on Tuesday.
“Forecasts suggest more harsh weather is on the way.”
“A video of a glacier wall breaking off and sliding on to the highway in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh is revolving around the Internet and it is the scariest thing you will come across today.
“The video was shot at Tinku Nallah near Pooh, Himachal Pradesh…”
“The United States may be using a “climate weapon” to cause an unseasonably warm winter in Russia, a lawmaker has claimed in an interview with the Govorit Moskva radio station Tuesday…
““If [Russia’s permafrost] melts now, it will be a disaster. … The Americans know this and they’re testing this weapon,” the leader of the nationalist Rodina party said, alleging that the U.S. tests are in violation of international bans.”
“…global warming has left its mark on Garmisch-Partenkirchen [in the German Alps] — the site of the 1936 Winter Olympics—putting the town’s identity and affluence at risk.
“It’s January, and there’s so little natural snow that anxiety is building whether upcoming ski races can go ahead.”
“If the recent stretch of record-warm temperatures in the East [US] has you confused about what month it is, you’re not alone.
“A group devoted to protecting and managing herds of wild horses in North Carolina posted a warning to drivers over the weekend explaining that the animals have been taking advantage of mild weather and sleeping on the sand at night.”
“Authorities have activated an “emergency watch” and closed the gates of the Steele Bayou control structure Tuesday as high-water forecasts threaten the Mississippi River…
“Extensive rain has extended flood warnings down the banks of the river about 700 miles. Daily rainfall records were broken Tuesday in Jackson, Meridian and Vicksburg, Mississippi.”
“The world watched in horror last summer as vast swaths of the Amazon went up in flames…
“A new study, out Friday in the journal Science Advances [suggests] that as as Amazon wildfires continue to worsen… they threaten to convert the region from a carbon sink—a place that sucks carbon out of the air and stores it away—to a net source of carbon to the atmosphere.”
“Leatherback turtles are making exhausting journeys, in some cases nearly twice as long as usual, from nesting to feeding grounds, because of rising ocean temperatures and changing sea currents.
“After nesting, turtles must move to cooler waters to feed, but higher temperatures mean some are having to swim further to reach suitable areas…”
“Studies are underway to uncover the role Arctic seabird guano—or poop—plays in microplastic contamination.
“Given the size of their colonies and the duration of their stay, what thick-billed murres and northern fulmars are bringing into the Arctic and leaving behind could be of consequence.”
“Severe winter weather has struck parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, with heavy snowfall, rains and flash floods that left at least 54 people dead, officials said Monday as authorities struggled to clear and reopen highways and evacuate people to safer places…
“The heavy snowfall in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) has broken the 50 years record of snowfall in the region as in Hunza and Nagar an emergency has been declared after continued rain and snowfall for last 36 hours.”
“The Department of Environment in the Iranian flood-stricken province of Sistan and Baluchestan on Monday warned the local people about marsh crocodiles that may have strayed from ponds into flooded areas…
“Unprecedented floods in Sistan and Baluchestan and adjacent Kerman and South Khorasan provinces have displaced thousands and killed at least one person since last Thursday.”
“”This (non-stop rain) is a climate change phenomenon. Climate change is affecting the whole world. What we are seeing with rain is affecting the whole region. We saw snow in Saudi Arabia. And we have been affected little bit by that here in the country,” minister Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi said on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week that started in the Capital on Monday.””
“In Syria, Yemen and Sudan, research shows that climate change-fuelled drought exacerbated regional conflict…
“But a new study shows that… in an odd and depressing twist drought …could lead to drop in conflict because going to war over dry land might simply not be worth it.”
“From Naples, Fla., to Boston, several US cities saw their warmest January weather in recorded history.
A winter heat wave made history during the weekend, setting dozens upon dozens of records in the eastern United States. As temperatures shot up more than 30 degrees above normal, January seemed to leap ahead to May.”
“Naples hit 89 degrees Sunday, breaking its record for a Jan. 12 by 4 degrees and setting an all-time high for any day in January. Why the summer-like heat in the middle of the winter?
“…the high pressure system that’s in place over South Florida will remain stalled over the state for several days.”
“Devastating weather that left 10 people dead over the weekend will make a dramatic encore.
“Torrential rain will deluge parts of the Southeast [US] this week as swaths of the Northwest will get walloped by feet of snow. Clusters of showers and thunderstorms will continue for several days in the Southeast, the National Weather Service said, raising concerns for flash flooding.”
“The Panama Canal will begin collecting a surcharge from ships after the surrounding watershed had its fifth driest year in seven decades. Panama Canal administrator Ricaurte Vasquez has warned climate change is a threat to the canal’s operations…
“2019 was one of the watershed’s lowest rain years in many decades, about 20% below the historical average.”
“Drought is already affecting productive sectors [in Chile].
“In mining, the problems are in central Chile, where mines are less prepared for water scarcity than those located in the northern regions. There, water is reused and huge investment in desalination has been made.”
“The information indicates that, for example, at the Bernardo O’Higgins Antarctic Base from December 15 to date there were three heat waves, that is, ” the period of time in which the maximum daily temperatures exceed a daily threshold considered extreme, for three consecutive days or more. “
“…there was a day where the maximum temperature almost doubled the historical average.”
“Mussels may look rather mild-mannered, but they are prominent in a new list of non-native species most likely to invade the Antarctic Peninsula over the next decade.
“They fill three of the 13 spots, in fact, with the Chilean mussel and the Common blue mussel at one and two respectively.”
“Aussies are being told to expect a steep price hike for our food and vegetables, after the bushfires wiped out crops around the country…
“Agricultural Minister Bridget McKenzie says both farmers and processors around the country have been severely impacted around Australia, and it’s bound to affect the consumer.”
“The National Disaster Mitigation Agency, or BNPB, issued a warning on Monday that Cyclone Claudia… may bring heavy rains to some parts of Indonesia between Jan. 13 and Jan. 15…
“Torrential rains have fallen in several provinces in Indonesia since the New Year, causing floods and landslides, including in the Jakarta metropolitan area on New Year’s Day. At least 67 people were killed in Jakarta…”
“Thailand, which is already in the grip of a severe drought, is expected to face its worst dry season in 40 years in 2020. This year’s dry season has arrived earlier than normal, and is expected to last longer than in previous years, Bernama reported.
“To complicate matters, last year’s drought exhausted the country’s water supply.”
“Almost a third of the world’s oceans and land should be protected by the end of the decade to stop and reverse biodiversity decline that risks the survival of humanity, according to a draft Paris-style UN agreement on nature.
“To combat what scientists have described as the sixth mass extinction event in Earth’s history, the proposal sets a 2030 deadline…”
“What is the significance of record ocean heat in 2019?
“The new [ocean heat] record represents the most stark demonstration that global heating is unequivocally real and driving the climate crisis. With emissions still rising every year, more heat is being trapped by greenhouse gases, and the ocean data is crystal clear…”
“New climate models show carbon dioxide is a more potent greenhouse gas than previously understood, a finding that could push the Paris treaty goals for capping global warming out of reach, scientists have told AFP.”
“Temperatures reached 74 degrees in Boston, giving it a spring-like feel and breaking the record for the warmest January day in the city’s recorded history.
“The previous mark, 72 degrees, had stood for decades.”
“A dynamic storm spawned a significant ice storm across parts of the Upper Midwest and Canada this weekend. Into Saturday afternoon, some cities in Missouri, Kansas and Iowa recorded a quarter-inch or more of freezing rain from the storm.”
“Record temperatures and rainfall in Southwestern Ontario have led to extreme flooding.
“Water levels in London’s Harris Park are as high as the fencing and at the top of the parking signs. In London, a record rainfall was set Saturday with total precipitation measuring 56.6 millimetres.”
“The Russian government has published a massive new plan outlining its intentions for the Northern Sea Route…
“Behind the sweeping initiative is a 2018 decree from President Vladimir Putin, demanding that cargo volumes passing through the Arctic reach 80 million tons by 2024, a sharp increase over present levels.”
“Figures from the State Meteorological Agency (SMA) show that the average temperature last month [Murcia, Spain] was 11.6º celsius, 1.7º higher than normal…
“Bizarrely, the hottest day was on the winter solstice, the 21st, when temperatures averaged 21ºc and never dipped below 19º in the region.”
“Authorities recorded 311 animal attacks on people last year, up from 195 in 2018.
“The attacks have been blamed on a devastating drought in Zimbabwe which has seen hungry animals breaking out of game reserves, raiding human settlements in search of food and water.”
“The Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul has declared the drought-stricken province a disaster area.
“The dire situation in the [South African] province was noted in May last year in an early warning report after late summer rains did not fall as expected and temperatures soared.”
“Last week saw major flooding along the coast and in the Negev desert [Israel].
“According to the Israel Defense Forces, an undisclosed air force base in southern Israel was hit hard by the storm as nearby streams flooded, sending huge volumes of rainwater toward the covered hangars where the fighter jets were stored.”
“The UAE has broken the record for the most amount of rainfall to hit the country since 1996. And it’s still accumulating.
“The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said that as of 7.23am on Sunday, the highest amount of rainfall from 9-12 January was reported in Al Shakla, Al Ain, with 190.4 mm.”
“1,248 people have been rescued and 327 provided with emergency accommodation as flooding hits [Iran]…
“Mohsen Heydari, director of the provincial meteorological organization, told ISNA that the maximum rainfall was reported at 186 mm from Nikshahr county, while the average annual rainfall is 113 mm in the province.”
“Heavy snow and torrential rain causing flash floods and landslides claimed at least 15 lives in Afghanistan, officials said on Sunday.
“According to the country’s National Disasters Management Authority, at least seven people were killed in western Heart city, six people — mostly children — were killed in southern Kandahar province and three more lives were lost in southern Helmand province.”
“As many as 4 persons have died and 15 sustained injuries after the roof of the houses have collapsed in torrential rains in Sukkar and Multan [Pakistan].
“In the area of Daja at Rajan Pur city roof of a home caved in due to heavy rain and 8 members of a family were buried under wreckage.”
“Almost half of Singapore’s native butterfly species have disappeared over the past 160 years, with the loss of specific plants and deforestation being key drivers of the local extinctions.
“Of the 236 butterfly species thought to be locally extinct, 132 are known species such as the green dragontail and chocolate tiger butterflies. There are 413 native species of butterflies in Singapore.”
“In the 24 hours to 9am on Saturday 562mm of rain fell on Dum In Mirrie Island, which lies about 50km as the crow flies south west of Darwin.
“The previous record for the Northern Territories [Australia] was 544mm of rain that fell in the Roper Valley, a mine site 450km south east of Darwin in 1963.”
““For these fires in the southeast south (of Australia), probably we are in the ballpark of 400 million tons of carbon,” says Dr. Pep Canadell, a lead scientist with Australia’s national research agency and the executive director of the Global Carbon Project, which tracks greenhouse gas emissions globally.
“To put that figure in perspective, Australia’s total emissions from man-made sources last year was roughly 540 million tons.”
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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.
“Fire-ravaged Australia is facing fresh misery after a storm described as a one-in-100-year event caused flash flooding across swathes of the east coast.
“More than 80 blazes were still burning across New South Wales and Victoria on Monday, despite downpours. Melbourne and Canberra have been hit by heavy storms, with hail as big as golf balls falling in some areas. 
“Damaging winds produced by thunderstorms across central New South Wales have whipped up dust storms that turned daytime into night in some towns. 
“Cairns flying fox carers on alert after heatwave brings bat population to the brink. 
“Prolonged drought and other effects of climate change are pushing Australia’s unique platypus population towards extinction, scientists warned in a study published Monday. 
“Mbakile, 40, has been picking caterpillars off the branches of Mopane trees [Botswana] – where they are usually found – for more than two decades…
“Sistan-Baluchestan [Iran] has been greatly affected due to record-breaking rainfall in years. 
“For the third time in the past week, Israeli Occupation on Saturday opened the dams collecting rainwater towards farmland east of Gaza City, flooding hundreds of dunams of agricultural land… 
“Powerful Storm Gloria lashed parts of Spain on Sunday with high winds, heavy rain and snow, forcing the closure of Alicante airport and killing one man in the northern region of Asturias. 
“Glaciers will vanish from the Pyrenees mountain range within the next 30 years because of climate change and pollution, scientists have warned. 
“There has been a yawning gap in the overall temperature difference across Finland this weekend… 
“Europe, North America, Asia and Australia have recorded the highest January temperatures in history, at the end of a decade already confirmed as the hottest in 150 years.
Ironically, they will be needing snowploughs here!
Fort Saskatchewan, Canada colder than South Pole:
“…the Bering Sea Elders noted:
“Giant sequoia trees, the largest living organisms on the planet – some more than three millennia old – have started dying from beetle attacks linked to the climate emergency… 
“Flooding and landslides triggered by torrential rains have claimed six lives in southeast Brazil, firefighters said Saturday. Footage on social media showed streets in Espirito Santo state turned into rivers and cars being swept away by raging, muddy water.
“Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes in Tuvalu, with strong winds and giant waves churned up by Cyclone Tino causing extensive damage across the country.
“A record 45 million people in Southern Africa, mostly women and children, face severe food insecurity caused by drought, flooding, and economic disarray, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said on Thursday. 
“Heavy rainfall in recent days has led to flash floods in Zambia, mainly in the Southern Province, with Gwembe and Siavonga Districts hardest-hit.
“Climate change is massively threatening to the lives of Pakistan’s population, and as a matter of fact, people in different parts of our country are already getting adversely affected by it. 
“”This extreme weather has played havoc with the lives of people living in high altitude mountains,” Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s top administrative official, Mathar Niaz Rana, said.
“Lucknow [Uttar Pradesh, India] rains have shattered all-time high record this January, with the state capital recording a total of 98 mm of rains in first 17 days it self. 
“Officials in Thailand have announced a second case of the new Chinese coronavirus that has killed two people.
“Since January 2019, rations of [North Korea’s] Public Distribution System (PDS) were reduced to 300 grams per person per day (g/pp/day), compared to 380 grams during the same period in 2018. 
“Authorities are warning people to take care as severe to extreme heatwave conditions are expected to affect parts of North West Queensland [Australia] over the coming days. 
“At least 80% of the Blue Mountains world heritage area and more than 50% of the Gondwana world heritage rainforests have burned in Australia’s ongoing bushfire crisis. 
“Kangaroo Island in South Australia has been likened to a Noah’s Ark for its unique ecology. 
“Japanese companies have contingency plans for the floods that increasingly drench this island nation, but most have done little to fortify facilities, relying instead on insurance and securing alternative supply sources, a Reuters poll found… 
“The Fijian government has called for strong action on the climate crisis as the country is hit by its second cyclone in three weeks. 
“If you think you have felt high temperatures in recent days, you should know that this weekend and the rest of the fortnight of January is even more intense. 
“A night-time “tornado” caused a trail of destruction when it struck coastal villages in Hampshire [UK]. 
“Huge waves smashed the windows of a moving train carriage yesterday, injuring a passenger on the coastal mainline service. 
“The intense rain that has fallen on Barbanza [Galicia, Spain] has brought harsh consequences. 
“…Penguin Island [Antarctica]… has seen its chinstrap population plunge by 75 percent over the past four decades. 
“…the chances of a major ESAS methane eruption have sharply escalated over only the past 15 years with the loss of ice due to global warming. 
“Climate change has dug in its claws so thoroughly into the planet that its marks can be seen in any single day of global weather since 2012. 
“Temperatures reached 11.2C in Örebro [Sweden] on Wednesday – the hottest January day the city has seen since records began, and a full 0.7C hotter than when it broke its temperature record last week.
“A seal that is normally native to the Arctic area has been rescued in Co Clare [Ireland]. 
“For the second time in less than two weeks, Vicksburg [Mississippi] was deluged by record-setting rainfall… 
“You aren’t wrong, it was extremely cold this morning in Prince George (Jan. 15).
“The amount of land in the Amazon where deforestation has taken place has increased dramatically under the presidency of Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro – amid concerns his environmental stance has emboldened those keen to turn one of the most important regions in the world for biodiversity into agricultural land.”
“Back in 2015–16, about 62,000 dead or dying common murres — a North Pacific seabird — washed ashore between Alaska and California. 
“New Zealand’s famous kiwi birds are suffering from dehydration as drought affects many northern areas of the country, with conservationists warning chicks may soon perish too. 
“The severe drought, stagnant water and devastating bushfire have combined to cause the death of thousands of fish in the Macleay River [NSW, Australia] since late November last year. 
“…climate change is pummeling Australia on top of its notoriously volatile weather that can bring jarring shifts year to year, or even in the same year. 
“After one of the driest December’s on record, multiple states around the country [Australia] have seen more than a month’s rain in just 24 hours… 
“Floods triggered by heavy rainfall in Samarinda, East Kalimantan [Indonesia], have submerged three districts and six subdistricts since Tuesday morning, affecting at least 7,213 residents. 
“Last year was Singapore’s joint warmest year, with an annual mean temperature of 28.4 degrees Celsius, the Meteorological Service (MSS) said on Thursday (Jan 16). 
“Several spy satellite images have revealed details about Mount Everest. According to what the researchers have found, glaciers surrounding Mount Everest have lost far more ice than once thought… 
“A budget of one trillion rials (nearly $25 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) was allocated to meet urgent needs in flood-hit provinces of Iran… 
“Temperatures in some parts of Oman dropped to below zero on Wednesday as heavy rain caused flooding across the Sultanate and residents are braced themselves for a further downpour… 
“The past decade was the hottest on record, the UN said on Wednesday, warning the higher temperatures were expected to fuel numerous extreme weather events in 2020 and beyond… 
“The past five years – and the past decade – are the hottest in 150 years, the latest research has shown. It is bringing increasingly severe storms, floods, drought and wildfires, with one scientist saying the records being broken year after year is “the drumbeat of the Anthropocene”. 
More on the situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan: 
“A video of a glacier wall breaking off and sliding on to the highway in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh is revolving around the Internet and it is the scariest thing you will come across today. 
“A powerful storm bringing sub-zero temperatures has transformed parts of the Saudi Arabian desert into a winter wonderland. 
“The United States may be using a “climate weapon” to cause an unseasonably warm winter in Russia, a lawmaker has claimed in an interview with the Govorit Moskva radio station Tuesday… 
“…global warming has left its mark on Garmisch-Partenkirchen [in the German Alps] — the site of the 1936 Winter Olympics—putting the town’s identity and affluence at risk. 
“If the recent stretch of record-warm temperatures in the East [US] has you confused about what month it is, you’re not alone. 
“Authorities have activated an “emergency watch” and closed the gates of the Steele Bayou control structure Tuesday as high-water forecasts threaten the Mississippi River… 
“The world watched in horror last summer as vast swaths of the Amazon went up in flames… 
“The wildfires in Australia have caused “unprecedented” conditions that will effect the entire world, according to NASA. 
“As global temperatures rise, Australia could become so hot and dry that the country’s residents could become climate refugees. 
“Sulaiman’s story shows how Indonesia’s fishermen struggle to make a living amid the effects of climate change.
“Half of all sea turtles have ingested plastic, a new study has found, as Greenpeace warns that the species could become extinct. 
“Leatherback turtles are making exhausting journeys, in some cases nearly twice as long as usual, from nesting to feeding grounds, because of rising ocean temperatures and changing sea currents.
“Studies are underway to uncover the role Arctic seabird guano—or poop—plays in microplastic contamination. 
“Tardigrades are well-known for being one of the hardiest animals on the planet, but even they have their limits. 
“Severe winter weather has struck parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, with heavy snowfall, rains and flash floods that left at least 54 people dead, officials said Monday as authorities struggled to clear and reopen highways and evacuate people to safer places…
“The Department of Environment in the Iranian flood-stricken province of Sistan and Baluchestan on Monday warned the local people about marsh crocodiles that may have strayed from ponds into flooded areas…
“”This (non-stop rain) is a climate change phenomenon. Climate change is affecting the whole world. What we are seeing with rain is affecting the whole region. We saw snow in Saudi Arabia. And we have been affected little bit by that here in the country,” minister Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi said on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week that started in the Capital on Monday.””
“In Syria, Yemen and Sudan, research shows that climate change-fuelled drought exacerbated regional conflict… 
“Data shows the average surface air temperature over Europe was 3.2°C warmer than the standard reference period for December for 1981-2010… 
“From Naples, Fla., to Boston, several US cities saw their warmest January weather in recorded history. 
“Naples hit 89 degrees Sunday, breaking its record for a Jan. 12 by 4 degrees and setting an all-time high for any day in January. Why the summer-like heat in the middle of the winter? 
“Devastating weather that left 10 people dead over the weekend will make a dramatic encore. 
“The Panama Canal will begin collecting a surcharge from ships after the surrounding watershed had its fifth driest year in seven decades. Panama Canal administrator Ricaurte Vasquez has warned climate change is a threat to the canal’s operations… 
“Drought is already affecting productive sectors [in Chile]. 
“The information indicates that, for example, at the Bernardo O’Higgins Antarctic Base from December 15 to date there were three heat waves, that is, ” the period of time in which the maximum daily temperatures exceed a daily threshold considered extreme, for three consecutive days or more. “
“Mussels may look rather mild-mannered, but they are prominent in a new list of non-native species most likely to invade the Antarctic Peninsula over the next decade. 
“Australia’s second-largest city of Melbourne was shrouded in hazardous smoke from the country’s raging bushfires on Tuesday… 
“Aussies are being told to expect a steep price hike for our food and vegetables, after the bushfires wiped out crops around the country… 
“The National Disaster Mitigation Agency, or BNPB, issued a warning on Monday that Cyclone Claudia… may bring heavy rains to some parts of Indonesia between Jan. 13 and Jan. 15… 
“Thailand, which is already in the grip of a severe drought, is expected to face its worst dry season in 40 years in 2020. This year’s dry season has arrived earlier than normal, and is expected to last longer than in previous years, Bernama reported.
“Almost a third of the world’s oceans and land should be protected by the end of the decade to stop and reverse biodiversity decline that risks the survival of humanity, according to a draft Paris-style UN agreement on nature.
“What is the significance of record ocean heat in 2019?
“New climate models show carbon dioxide is a more potent greenhouse gas than previously understood, a finding that could push the Paris treaty goals for capping global warming out of reach, scientists have told AFP.”
The evening prior was strangely warm: 
“At least 11 people have died as a result of severe storms sweeping across parts of the southern US, bringing high winds and heavy rain. 
“Record temperatures and rainfall in Southwestern Ontario have led to extreme flooding. 
“The Russian government has published a massive new plan outlining its intentions for the Northern Sea Route… 
“Figures from the State Meteorological Agency (SMA) show that the average temperature last month [Murcia, Spain] was 11.6º celsius, 1.7º higher than normal… 
“Authorities recorded 311 animal attacks on people last year, up from 195 in 2018. 
“The Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul has declared the drought-stricken province a disaster area. 
“Last week saw major flooding along the coast and in the Negev desert [Israel]. 
“The UAE has broken the record for the most amount of rainfall to hit the country since 1996. And it’s still accumulating. 
“1,248 people have been rescued and 327 provided with emergency accommodation as flooding hits [Iran]… 
“Heavy snow and torrential rain causing flash floods and landslides claimed at least 15 lives in Afghanistan, officials said on Sunday. 
“As many as 4 persons have died and 15 sustained injuries after the roof of the houses have collapsed in torrential rains in Sukkar and Multan [Pakistan].
“Almost half of Singapore’s native butterfly species have disappeared over the past 160 years, with the loss of specific plants and deforestation being key drivers of the local extinctions. 
“In the 24 hours to 9am on Saturday 562mm of rain fell on Dum In Mirrie Island, which lies about 50km as the crow flies south west of Darwin. 
““For these fires in the southeast south (of Australia), probably we are in the ballpark of 400 million tons of carbon,” says Dr. Pep Canadell, a lead scientist with Australia’s national research agency and the executive director of the Global Carbon Project, which tracks greenhouse gas emissions globally.