“Turns out, Monday’s high temperature of 51° is the warmest temperature ever recorded at Ted Stevens International [Anchorage, Alaska] during the month of December.
“Records at this location go back to 1953 and before Monday, the highest temperature ever recorded in the month of December was 48°, which happened in 2005, 1999 and 1992.”
“NOAA measuring stations in Anchorage, Cold Bay, Homer, and Kodiak have all reported their warmest November on record, culminating in the whole state’s fourth-warmest autumn of all time.
“That leaves 2019 as Alaska‘s warmest year so far, narrowly beating out 2016 as Alaska’s hottest year since measurements first started in 1925.”
“…glaciers in the “Frontier State” [are] melting at record or near-record levels, pouring waters into rising global seas, scientists said after taking fall measurements…
“Alaska’s glaciers account for far less than 1 percent of the world’s land ice. But their melt contributes roughly 7 percent of the water that is raising the world’s sea levels… There are also local impacts.”
“Like much of the country, Alaska is gripped by a local-food movement with a range of benefits…
“But there is a special force behind Alaska’s farming boomlet: climate change. Alaska is warming twice as fast as the global rate, and changes in the state are accelerating…”
“The last remaining tropical glaciers between the Himalayas and the Andes will disappear in the next decade—and possibly sooner—due to climate change, a new study has found.
“The glaciers in Papua, Indonesia, are “the canaries in the coal mine” for other mountaintop glaciers around the world…”
“Sydney disappeared behind a thick layer bushfire smoke that blanketed the city and pushed air quality 11 times higher than considered “hazardous” on Tuesday, while Australia’s weary firefighters faced what authorities warned were the potentially “lethal” combination of high temperatures and heavy winds.
“Across Sydney, buildings were evacuated regularly as fire alarms were triggered at random.”
“Towns along the NSW coast from Bega to Tweed are facing dwindling water supplies as the drought saps usually reliable rivers and major dams drop at alarming rates.
“Water Minister Melinda Pavey has also written to councils across the state urging regions to stocktake their needs, particularly “areas unfamiliar with severe drought”.”
“…the current crisis is “far worse” than previously recorded droughts, according to Roger Stone, director of the Centre for Applied Climate Sciences at University of Southern Queensland.
“In terms of intensity and severity, for southern Queensland and northern NSW, this is the most severe in recorded history,” Prof Stone, who’s a vice president of the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organisation, told 7NEWS.”
“Cyclone Belna has hit northern Madagascar, with nine dead and three missing from the first tropical storm of the season, according to local officials. …
“Belna has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it travels south on the island. Heavy rains and winds are expected through Wednesday.”
“Day Zero and a ticking time bomb await farmers, both veteran and emerging, in the Northern Cape.
“It is a day when cattle, sheep, goats, and other livestock will all die a slow painful death caused by hunger. It is also a day when the hard work of farmers will come to end because of a catastrophic drought gripping the province…”
“By far the biggest story of the day; Centurion [South Africa] was transformed into a scene of devastation and large parts of the metropolitan was engulfed in flash floods.
“In Mamelodi, shacks were swept away by the relentless floodwaters, and many more homes were left submerged as torrents of water gushed through the neighbourhood.”
“Ugandan authorities say the death toll from a week of floods and mudslides has risen to 36 people and left thousands stranded after heavy rains swept across a mountainous region.
“A week of heavy rains caused floods and mudslides in Eastern Uganda’s Bugisu and Bundibugyo regions near Rwenzori Mountain.”
“Since October 2019, heavy rains have affected at least 170,000 people in the three most affected departments alone, including 30,000 Central African and Congolese refugees.
“Flooding caused by the overflow of the Oubangui and Congo rivers has damaged infrastructure and impeded access to food, water, education and health care.”
“When the waters finally receded, Lebanese in the south Beirut suburb of Jnah were left looking at a carpet of brown sludge and stains running up every wall…
“Rains turned the roads into rivers…
“…Mohammad estimated the water reached a height of around 1.5 metres.”
“Refugees and people displaced within countries because of conflict are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of extreme weather, experts say.
“Humanitarian agencies told the BBC this posed significant challenges for their operations in different parts of the world. Temporary camps for the displaced in Africa and Asia have been affected.”
“As a crippling drought and mismanagement have left more than a dozen Australian towns and villages without a reliable source of water, the country is beginning to confront a question that strikes at its very identity: Is life in Australia’s vast interior compatible with the age of climate change?
“In the outback — a landscape central to Australian lore, far removed in distance and spirit from the coastal metropolises — rivers and lakes are disappearing, amplifying fears that wide swaths of rural territory may eventually have to be abandoned.”
“Record-breaking temperatures have rocked the Top End since the start of December as Northern Australia swelters through a heatwave.
“Senior Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Billy Lynch said an unseasonably strong high-pressure system across the southern parts of the country was responsible for the mercury-melting heat.”
“The Brisbane suburb of Archerfield hit 40.2 degrees on Friday, making it the warmest December day in the area since records began in 1929. The previous record was 39.8 degrees in 1944.
“The Scenic Rim town of Beaudesert reached 41 degrees on Friday, breaking the previous record of 40.7 degrees in 2013.”
“Aerial pictures show a “firenado,” also known as a fire tornado, rolling across Queensland, Australia, as emergency crews across the country continue to battle more than 100 bushfires.”
“East Gippsland residents threatened by out-of-control bushfires were urged to leave their homes on Monday, with temperatures in parts of Victoria forecast to reach as high as 43C.
“Extreme fire danger warnings issued for the Mallee district, while Wimmera and northern country were issued a severe warning. All three were under total fire bans.”
“Nearly a thousand tourists stranded by flooding in a tiny New Zealand alpine town woke on Monday to clear, sunny weather, but little other good news: there was still no way in or out by road.
““It’s the first time we’ve seen the sky in about six or seven days, so that’s nice,” said Khira MacWatt, from Aberdeen, who is among those stranded in Franz Josef, a picturesque town nestled into a glacier on New Zealand’s South Island, after bad weather caused major flooding.”
“The cost of fighting this summer’s Alaska wildfires has topped $300 million, and state and local officials say the final tally may not be known for years.
“The new figure also does not include the cost to Alaskans who saw their land torched and homes burned.”
“Faced with an unprecedented string of wildfires across California, overtime costs for firefighters have surged by 65% in the last decade, pushing annual wages to nearly $5 billion, according to a Times analysis of state payroll records.
“The overtime spending is further evidence of a statewide toll…”
“A new mobile phone app has been devised to help Inuit hunters in northern Canada avoid an increasingly dangerous effect of climate change: unpredictable sea ice…
“Named after the Inuktitut word for sea ice, Siku is intended to provide an all-in-one system of critical information for hunters.”
“Kunuk has spent his entire life on this sheep farm [Greenland]. He says the summers are longer now than when he was a child — lasting from May to October — and drought has become a problem…
“Kunuk says the effects of a warming climate are obvious on the land and the fjord, which now has less ice than before, and in daily life for many of the 56,000 people who live in Greenland — including him.”
“The rain was falling hard outside when Jade Croft gave birth to her baby girl at 4.26am, following an emergency C-section at Doncaster Royal Infirmary [UK]. She was well prepared for the arrival of Indie…”
“Floated along by barge, one of the 10-ton barriers designed to relieve Venice‘s perennial flooding looks like a giant plaything: an oversized hinged yellow Lego…
“Concerns that high tides are becoming more frequent because of climate change have increased the urgency. While the concept is simple, its realisation has been anything but.”
“Firefighters rescued at least 8 people from submerged vehicles in southern Israel as several roads flooded after heavy rains late Sunday night.
“In Ashkelon, six people, including a pregnant woman, were pulled from water-logged cars. Several of them were trapped in an underground parking lot that flooded.”
“At least 16 bodies have been recovered after torrential rain caused landslides in western Uganda, the Red Cross has said.
“”Our team continues to recover more bodies including some that are trapped by cocoa trees in Bundibugyo hills. It is a very devastating moment,” the humanitarian agency said in a tweet on Sunday.”
“Farmers have lost more than 21,400 cattle in Matabeleland [Zimbabwe] as this year’s drought — regarded as the worst in four decades — takes its toll.
“It is feared the figures could be more as some deaths are not being captured. Most animals are succumbing to depleted grazing fields and diminishing water sources.”
“Heavy, uncompromising rains have left parts of Gauteng submerged. Centurion has been the worst-hit area, with Midrand and Pretoria also experiencing the terrible aftermath of the downpours…
“The devastation is going to be widespread. Business premises have already reported damage to their operations, and several homes have been pummeled by flood water.”
“Over 10,000 thousand people have been displaced while several others affected due to the floods caused by torrential rains in the Tamil dominated Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.
“Sri Lanka has been receiving torrential rains for couple of weeks…”
“Heavy rains in Greater Bandung [Indonesia] since Friday afternoon have caused the Cisangkuy River, part of West Java’s longest river, the Citarum, to overflow…
“…inundating with floodwater 11 of the 13 community units (RWs) in Kamasan village in Banjaran district, Bandung regency, at night.”
“Northern Philippines has been hit by some of its worst flooding in decades, with torrents of muddy runoff forcing 66,000 from their homes and prompting rescues of trapped locals, authorities said Friday.
“Luzon island, the nation’s largest, has been hit by a string of storms that have battered its northern tip…”
“Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on earth, is experiencing a rare phenomenon.
“Flowers are blooming due to unprecedented rainfall… abnormal weather believed to be caused by global warming has seen heavy rain hit the desert in recent years.”
“Tropical Cyclone Pawan is making its way to the Horn of Africa and heading for the Somali coast, raising fears of fresh flooding.
“Several countries in East Africa, including Somalia, Kenya, Uganda and Djibouti, have reported deadly floods and landslides in recent weeks of heavy rains, with more in the forecast for the region.”
“The city of Beira in Mozambique’s north has been submerged after heavy rains battered the place, the office of the Mayor said in a social media post on Thursday, December 5.
“The message accompanied with photos of the floods said large parts of Beira had been adversely affected by the rains. It said the situation had hit “at a time when the population seeks to rise after Cyclone Idai.””
“The iconic Victoria Falls, known as “The Smoke That Thunders”, is struggling to live up to its moniker as Southern Africa lies in the grip of one of its worst droughts in decades…
“The Zambian President, Edgar Lungu, has linked the drying up of Victoria Falls with climate change, and has warned that one day they could disappear entirely.”
““Countries within the region [Southern Africa] have experienced failed agricultural seasons back to back. They’ve not had adequate time to recover from one season before another shock sets in…
““They need help urgently. The scale of the drought devastation across southern Africa is staggering,” Oxfam regional director Nellie Nyang’wa told Our Burning Planet.
“Just when the drought-stricken Northern Cape city of Upington thought it was finally experiencing the welcome relief of heavy rains, it turned out the clouds were also bringing flooding to the desert town, illustrating the old adage of “it never rains but pours”…
“The drought-stricken region’s weather forecast, however, indicates the rains were, unfortunately, a fleeting event, with a 0% chance of rain forecast for Friday”
“Bangladesh is one of the world’s most vulnerable nations to the impacts of climate change. Millions of people in its southern coastal region face displacement due to rising sea levels and erratic weather conditions…
“Cyclone Fani and Bulbul hit Bangladesh earlier this year damaging crops worth millions of dollars.”
“The bridge connecting Cagayan towns to Isabela and other provinces in the Cagayan Valley region [Phillipines] is still closed to all types of vehicle since yesterday, except those trucks with high injection pump and air cleaner, due to massive flooding caused by the continuous heavy rains…
“The city council also approved a resolution declaring Tuguegarao City under a state of calamity due to the massive flooding.”
“Perth [Australia] is on track to record it hottest ever start to December after the city sweltered to a top of 37.8C at 1pm today…
“Despite a cool change on Saturday with a forecast top of 27C, Perth remains on course for an average 36C maximum over the first week of December – which would smash the 88-year-old record of 35C set in 1931.”
“Helicopters, horse floats and dozens of volunteers have joined a mammoth mission to evacuate a wildlife sanctuary of more than 300 animals under threat from the massive fires in New South Wales…
“Containers were brought in to take away the pigs, goats, peacocks, chickens, alpacas and other animals.”
“Streets in the South Island tourist towns of Wanaka and Queenstown [New Zealand] were slowly going under water on Friday, after Lake Wanaka and Lake Wakatipu burst their banks earlier in the week, flooding businesses and sewerage systems…
“Wanaka residents were told to be on “high alert” with heavy rain predicted all weekend.”
“Atmospheric river storms like the one pounding California this week are becoming more intense and cost Western states roughly $1 billion in damage annually, according to a report on the weather phenomenon.
“The storms, which carry moisture from the tropics to the mid-latitude regions, have caused some of California’s biggest deluges.”
“More than 50 polar bears have gathered on the edge of a village in Russia’s far north, environmentalists and residents said, as weak Arctic ice leaves them unable to roam.
“The Russian branch of the World Wildlife Fund said climate change was to blame, as unusually warm temperatures prevented coastal ice from forming.”
“There are over 20,000 species of bees on this earth and all have been officially added to the list of endangered species with the threat of extinction looming.
“According to True Activist, the loss of bees on this earth will be a disaster for mankind because they are irreplaceable insects.”
“As delegates from 197 member states convene in Madrid, Spain, this week for the twenty-fifth annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 25) the world’s polar scientists are sounding the alarm in a new report over the rapidly changing Arctic and Antarctic regions.
“In the last decade alone, the Arctic warmed 0.75 degrees Celsius (1.35 degrees Fahrenheit). In contrast, it took 137 years for the entire Earth to warm nearly that same amount, 0.8 degrees Celsius (1.44 degrees Fahrenheit).
“Subsequently, the region has undergone a significant transformation as sea ice melts, permafrost thaws, and wildfires burn…”
“What may have been the world’s tallest waterfall briefly formed on Greenland‘s ice sheet last year, draining a meltwater lake of 5 million cubic meters of water — equivalent to 2,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools — in just five hours.
“Scientists from the University of Cambridge in the UK recorded the extraordinary phenomenon through the use of aerial drones.”
“France is one of the most exposed countries in the world to the risks of extreme weather, a new report has found, with nearly 20,000 deaths linked to heatwaves, floods and storms in the last 20 years…
“Last weekend saw six people die in flash floods in south eastern France.”
“Green Christmas, glowing cities, crumbling mountains. Due to its diversity of valleys, hills and high mountains, climate change manifests itself differently in the various regions of Switzerland.
“The Swiss government’s CH2018 Climate Scenarios for Switzerland illustrate how climate change could affect each region.” [interactive]
“Rescuers in Kenya have retrieved the body of a teenager who drowned as she tried to save a man who had got into trouble as he was crossing a swollen river…
“She is one of more than 130 people who have died as a result of the flooding caused by the heavy rains that have been falling since October.”
“Niger, one of the world’s poorest countries, depends on farming, particularly herding, to provide a livelihood for 80 percent of its population.
“In addition to its vulnerability to climate change, the country is on the frontline of desertification — the equivalent of around 150,000 football pitches is lost each year.”
“Elephants in Zambia are being collared to try to combat the rising conflict between wildlife and humans in the country as both struggle to survive a particularly devasting drought.
“The lack of rain has led to animals encroaching on to human territory to seek out food and water.”
“The Eastern Cape received less than 30% of its usual average spring rainfall between September and November with drought-stricken Graaff-Reinet receiving only 12%…
“Garth Sampson from the Weather Office in Port Elizabeth said the rainfall between September and November was a new record low, and coupled with record-high average maximum temperatures this is contributing to the province’s woes.”
“The rate glaciers are melting in the Himalayas is being significantly accelerated by lakes already formed by glacial retreat, new research led by the University of St Andrews has found.”
“No one can deny that Hong Kong has had a lashing this year, and it wasn’t just on the city’s protest-hit streets – 2019 has been one of the stormiest and wettest on record.
“Thunderstorms battered the city on 59 days between February and October, an unusually high number and almost 50 per cent above the annual average.”
“The heatwave has arrived in eastern Queensland, with the mercury expected to go as high as 12 degrees above average and create severe fire conditions…
“Severe fire dangers were expected for the Darling Downs, Granite Belt, south-east coast and Wide Bay-Burnett districts for Friday and Saturday.”
“Six emergency warnings have been issued for fires in New South Wales on Thursday, including the 230,000-hectare Gospers Mountain blaze on Sydney’s north-western outskirts, as firefighters battle through a “long and challenging day”.
“…The NSW environment department said this season’s bushfire emergency had caused “some of the highest air pollution ever seen in NSW”.”
“Last month was the joint hottest November on record, according to a new report that uses multiple data sets to calculate global temperatures.
“The most recent monthly analysis from the EU’s climate change service shows global temperatures were 0.64°C warmer than the average for November between 1981 and 2010.
“Last month was the joint highest November on record – on par with the same month in 2015 and 2016 – and was also the sixth month in a row to approach or break a temperature record.”
“…yesterday, Iceland‘s December temperature records were broken… the temperature journeyed up to 19.7º C in Kvísker í Öræfum, located in the Skaftafell National Park area, breaking the previous record of 18.4º C, which occurred at Sauðanesvita in 2001…
“…scientists warn that Iceland will be glacier free in 200 years, Iceland’s fast-growing temperatures, melting glaciers and rising waters are heart-clenching proof that something needs to be done fast.”
“The UK is at risk of running low on supplies of carrots because of torrential downpours and severe floods…
“More than half to the UK’s supplies have been affected in areas including Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, Shropshire and Lancashire. Carrot growers are continuing to harvest the vegetable, but farmers are unable to use machines on their fields because the ground is so sodden.”
“Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes following on from the low pressure storm across the east coast of [Spain‘s] mainland.
“Over 100 litres of rain per square metre fell yesterday across parts of the region, causing major disruption due to flooding. Murcia is reported to have bore the brunt of the storm, with dozens of people being rescued from their vehicles after getting stuck in flood waters.”
“As world leaders gather in Madrid to come up with solutions to the climate crisis, the people of East African nations such as South Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia are feeling the effects firsthand. Incessant rains throughout the region have spurred flash floods, affecting millions across the region as families are displaced and killing more than 250 people…”
“Following a brief quiet spell, the Indian Ocean is set to explode with tropical activity this week as multiple cyclones may develop.
“The development got underway on Monday as a tropical depression developed to the east of Somalia. Up to four additional tropical cyclones may develop across the northern and southern Indian Ocean before the end of the week.”
“The death toll from Typhoon Kammuri rose to 17 after destroying houses and displacing hundreds of thousands on its path across the Philippines…
“At least 800 million pesos ($15.7 million) of damage to agriculture was recorded in Bicol and Southwestern Tagalog regions alone, local disaster management officials reported.”
“Millions of Australians could suffer blackouts this Christmas thanks to power cuts caused by extreme heat and bushfires.
“Emergency provisions are being put in place to support the crippling network this summer, with Victoria, NSW, South Australia and Queensland given the green light to access extra power reserves.”
“New Zealand has just experienced its hottest November on record, according to NIWA climate scientists.
“Data from NIWA’s Seven-Station Series, which began in 1909, shows that last month’s temperature was 1.55C above the 30-year average. The previous record for the hottest November on record was jointly reached in 1954 and 2013 when the temperature was 1.38C above average.”
“Officials at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center worry that early-season strandings of starving and sick sea lion pups could foreshadow a high number of rescues in coming months.
““We are closely monitoring a warm water marine heatwave that could potentially resemble the infamous warm water ‘blob’ that was last formed in 2014 and disrupted ocean waters until 2016. It caused massive sea lion strandings,” said Peter Change, CEO at PMMC.”
“Parts of southern California saw twice the normal rainfall for the month of November and conditions remain soggy with more rain. Flash flood watches have been issued for nearly 10 million across that region.”
“The weekend storm that exited Tuesday morning dumped more than 8 inches of rain in parts of Marin [California], and more is on the way, the National Weather Service said…
“The overnight rainfall was measured at about a half inch of rain or less Tuesday morning. Storm totals, from Saturday through Tuesday, show that parts of San Rafael received 8.7 inches of rain.”
“The Missouri River has been in a state of flood since March 2019. According to the National Weather Service, that’s the longest it has ever been that way.”
“Japan, the Philippines and Germany top a list of countries worst hit by climate-enhanced extreme weather last year, with Madagascar and India close behind, researchers said Wednesday…
“Flood-inducing rains, two deadly heatwaves, and the worst typhoon to hit Japan in a quarter century—all in 2018—left hundreds dead, thousands homeless and more than $35 billion (31.5 billion euros) in damage nationwide.”
“Carbon dioxide emissions rose weakly this year as the use of coal declined but natural gas took up the slack, a comprehensive study of the global “carbon budget” has found…
“Emissions for this year will be 4% higher than those in 2015, when the Paris agreement was signed.”
“This year has been one of the hottest on record, the World Meteorological Organisation has said.
The UN body says the planet has seen a decade of “exceptional” heat – and since 2015, each year has broken records for being the warmest.
“Data from January to October reveals temperatures have been 1.1C above pre-industrial levels, putting 2019 on course to be the second or third-hottest year ever.
“Extreme events, such as cyclones, hurricanes and flooding, have forced millions of people from their homes.
“There have been droughts in many parts of the world and there have also been two major heatwaves in Europe in late June and July – with a new temperature record of 38.7C set in the UK.”
“The Cannes region [Southern France], including Mandelieu-La Napoule, was one of the hardest hit as more than 175 mm (7 inches) of rain fell from Sunday into Monday morning triggering severe flooding.
“The region averages around 100 mm (4 inches) of rain for the entire month of December.”
“Rain-triggered disasters, including flash floods and landslides, have killed at least 250 people and affected some three million people across East Africa in recent weeks, with about half of the deaths occurring in Kenya.
“Homes have been demolished, crops destroyed and roads swept away, hampering relief efforts in far-flung areas.”
“Over 16,000 people have been displaced by flooding in Malaysia‘s eastern states of Terengganu and Kelantan, the Malaysian Department of Social Welfare said on Tuesday (Dec 3).
“The two states, located along the east coast of the Malaysian Peninsular, have seen torrential rain since the start of the monsoon season at the end of October, with Kelantan being the worst hit so far, according to the department.”
“Typhoon Kammuri, known locally as Tisoy, made landfall on the southeastern part of Luzon, the Philippines‘ most populous island.
“It hit as the equivalent of a Category 4 Atlantic Hurricane, packing maximum sustained winds of nearly 215 kilometers per hour (130 miles per hour). Thousands had evacuated ahead of time.”
“A bushfire emergency has forced the evacuation of a town in Perth’s south [Australia] as the city posts its earliest 40-degree day in December on record.
“The temperature climbed to 41.6 degrees Celsius just after midday, eclipsing the previous record of 40.4C on December 5, 1977.”
“More than 10% of the area covered by New South Wales national parks has been burned in this season’s bushfires, including 20% of the Blue Mountains world heritage area, state government data obtained by Guardian Australia has revealed.”
“The devastating impact of the drought in NSW grain-growing regions has been likened to “Armageddon” as a new report says the double-barrel hit from low rainfall and high temperatures in spring have slashed forecasts for Australia’s 2019 winter crops…
“The forecast is down a hefty 13 per cent since September due to deteriorating conditions…”
“The bushfires raging across Australia have destroyed homes, turned entire towns orange, and now, painted the snow on some of the South Island’s glaciers [New Zealand] red and pink.
“Smoke and dust from the blazes across the ditch, mixed with persistent westerly winds to create the incredible sight at Mount Aspiring National Park on Friday.”
“A tornado-like wind whipping around a Central Otago lake [New Zealand] rose to around 60 metres, felling trees up to 15m tall.
“A 45-second swirling gust appeared over the Lowburn inlet off Lake Dunstan near Cromwell shortly after 3pm on Tuesday, before crashing into a grove of trees.”
“With only a month to go in the year, [Miami‘s] average temperature was just two-tenths of a degree shy of the 2017 average of 79.8 degrees. That’s after smashing the record for the number of days with high temps above 92 degrees and daily low temperatures above 75 degrees, said University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science researcher Brian McNoldy.
“Scientists say sea level rise caused by climate change is inevitable. CNN’s Phil Black investigates how this might affect London, one of the world’s most developed cities.”
“”As we see climate change progressing in Greenland, we’re seeing more lakes, and we’re seeing them get larger, and we’re seeing them higher up into the colder section of the ice sheet, and we can see that some of these lakes are beginning to drain,” said Chudley.
“”Potentially we’re increasing the amount of lakes that are draining in new places that we haven’t previously identified,” he warned.”
“Arctic sea ice this summer was the second lowest on record… AMOC is one of nine critical climate systems that greenhouse-gas-fueled warming is actively pushing toward a tipping point.
“Crossing that threshold in one of these systems could trigger rapid and irreversible changes that drive other systems over the edge—leading to a global tipping cascade with catastrophic consequences for the planet.”
“As far as I know, your work is unique in pulling together stories from all over the world. Very sobering but a better and more complete view. Terrific and necessary work. Thank you!” – Simon
“With the inundation of so much depressing news, Justin Panopticon presents it in a succinct format that one can quickly go thru and see the big picture of climate and economics/politics to stay current and if a particle topic is of interest one can delve into the details… I try never to miss any of his posts…I am a Patreon of his work.”
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Weekday updates on both climate change and the global economy. Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.
“Turns out, Monday’s high temperature of 51° is the warmest temperature ever recorded at Ted Stevens International [Anchorage, Alaska] during the month of December. 
“NOAA measuring stations in Anchorage, Cold Bay, Homer, and Kodiak have all reported their warmest November on record, culminating in the whole state’s fourth-warmest autumn of all time. 
“…glaciers in the “Frontier State” [are] melting at record or near-record levels, pouring waters into rising global seas, scientists said after taking fall measurements… 
“Like much of the country, Alaska is gripped by a local-food movement with a range of benefits… 
“A rare tornado touched down near the El Alto International Airport in Bolivia on Sunday, tossing debris into the air
“The last remaining tropical glaciers between the Himalayas and the Andes will disappear in the next decade—and possibly sooner—due to climate change, a new study has found. 
“Sydney disappeared behind a thick layer bushfire smoke that blanketed the city and pushed air quality 11 times higher than considered “hazardous” on Tuesday, while Australia’s weary firefighters faced what authorities warned were the potentially “lethal” combination of high temperatures and heavy winds. 
“Towns along the NSW coast from Bega to Tweed are facing dwindling water supplies as the drought saps usually reliable rivers and major dams drop at alarming rates. 
“…the current crisis is “far worse” than previously recorded droughts, according to Roger Stone, director of the Centre for Applied Climate Sciences at University of Southern Queensland.
“Cyclone Belna has hit northern Madagascar, with nine dead and three missing from the first tropical storm of the season, according to local officials. … 
“Day Zero and a ticking time bomb await farmers, both veteran and emerging, in the Northern Cape. 
“By far the biggest story of the day; Centurion [South Africa] was transformed into a scene of devastation and large parts of the metropolitan was engulfed in flash floods. 
“Ugandan authorities say the death toll from a week of floods and mudslides has risen to 36 people and left thousands stranded after heavy rains swept across a mountainous region. 
“Since October 2019, heavy rains have affected at least 170,000 people in the three most affected departments alone, including 30,000 Central African and Congolese refugees. 
“When the waters finally receded, Lebanese in the south Beirut suburb of Jnah were left looking at a carpet of brown sludge and stains running up every wall… 
“Refugees and people displaced within countries because of conflict are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of extreme weather, experts say. 
“As a crippling drought and mismanagement have left more than a dozen Australian towns and villages without a reliable source of water, the country is beginning to confront a question that strikes at its very identity: Is life in Australia’s vast interior compatible with the age of climate change?
“Record-breaking temperatures have rocked the Top End since the start of December as Northern Australia swelters through a heatwave. 
“The Brisbane suburb of Archerfield hit 40.2 degrees on Friday, making it the warmest December day in the area since records began in 1929. The previous record was 39.8 degrees in 1944. 
“Aerial pictures show a “firenado,” also known as a fire tornado, rolling across Queensland, Australia, as emergency crews across the country continue to battle more than 100 bushfires.”
“East Gippsland residents threatened by out-of-control bushfires were urged to leave their homes on Monday, with temperatures in parts of Victoria forecast to reach as high as 43C. 
“Nearly a thousand tourists stranded by flooding in a tiny New Zealand alpine town woke on Monday to clear, sunny weather, but little other good news: there was still no way in or out by road.
“Faced with an unprecedented string of wildfires across California, overtime costs for firefighters have surged by 65% in the last decade, pushing annual wages to nearly $5 billion, according to a Times analysis of state payroll records. 
“A new mobile phone app has been devised to help Inuit hunters in northern Canada avoid an increasingly dangerous effect of climate change: unpredictable sea ice… 
“Kunuk has spent his entire life on this sheep farm [Greenland]. He says the summers are longer now than when he was a child — lasting from May to October — and drought has become a problem… 
“Floated along by barge, one of the 10-ton barriers designed to relieve Venice‘s perennial flooding looks like a giant plaything: an oversized hinged yellow Lego… 
“Firefighters rescued at least 8 people from submerged vehicles in southern Israel as several roads flooded after heavy rains late Sunday night. 
“At least 16 bodies have been recovered after torrential rain caused landslides in western Uganda, the Red Cross has said. 
“Farmers have lost more than 21,400 cattle in Matabeleland [Zimbabwe] as this year’s drought — regarded as the worst in four decades — takes its toll. 
“Thousands of dead fish lie on cracked earth, deposited by a receding dam and farmers’ animals are dying in their hundreds. 
“Heavy, uncompromising rains have left parts of Gauteng submerged. Centurion has been the worst-hit area, with Midrand and Pretoria also experiencing the terrible aftermath of the downpours… 
“Over 10,000 thousand people have been displaced while several others affected due to the floods caused by torrential rains in the Tamil dominated Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. 
“Heavy rains in Greater Bandung [Indonesia] since Friday afternoon have caused the Cisangkuy River, part of West Java’s longest river, the Citarum, to overflow…
“Northern Philippines has been hit by some of its worst flooding in decades, with torrents of muddy runoff forcing 66,000 from their homes and prompting rescues of trapped locals, authorities said Friday. 
“Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on earth, is experiencing a rare phenomenon. 
“Tropical Cyclone Pawan is making its way to the Horn of Africa and heading for the Somali coast, raising fears of fresh flooding.
“The positive Indian Ocean Dipole has spread far-above-average water temperatures over much of the western Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. 
“The city of Beira in Mozambique’s north has been submerged after heavy rains battered the place, the office of the Mayor said in a social media post on Thursday, December 5. 
“The iconic Victoria Falls, known as “The Smoke That Thunders”, is struggling to live up to its moniker as Southern Africa lies in the grip of one of its worst droughts in decades… 
““Countries within the region [Southern Africa] have experienced failed agricultural seasons back to back. They’ve not had adequate time to recover from one season before another shock sets in…
“Just when the drought-stricken Northern Cape city of Upington thought it was finally experiencing the welcome relief of heavy rains, it turned out the clouds were also bringing flooding to the desert town, illustrating the old adage of “it never rains but pours”…
“Bangladesh is one of the world’s most vulnerable nations to the impacts of climate change. Millions of people in its southern coastal region face displacement due to rising sea levels and erratic weather conditions… 
“The bridge connecting Cagayan towns to Isabela and other provinces in the Cagayan Valley region [Phillipines] is still closed to all types of vehicle since yesterday, except those trucks with high injection pump and air cleaner, due to massive flooding caused by the continuous heavy rains… 
“Perth [Australia] is on track to record it hottest ever start to December after the city sweltered to a top of 37.8C at 1pm today… 
“About 100 bushfires are raging in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), with the most severe forming into a “mega blaze” north of Sydney. 
“Helicopters, horse floats and dozens of volunteers have joined a mammoth mission to evacuate a wildlife sanctuary of more than 300 animals under threat from the massive fires in New South Wales… 
“Streets in the South Island tourist towns of Wanaka and Queenstown [New Zealand] were slowly going under water on Friday, after Lake Wanaka and Lake Wakatipu burst their banks earlier in the week, flooding businesses and sewerage systems… 
“Atmospheric river storms like the one pounding California this week are becoming more intense and cost Western states roughly $1 billion in damage annually, according to a report on the weather phenomenon. 
“Relentless torrential rains in spring and summer, followed by early autumn cold and snow, have stalled harvests in parts of the Corn Belt.
“In the Mid-Atlantic states, the rain in 2018 seemed to never end. 
“This year’s first-to-forty title was awarded this week in Nunavut, when Shepherd Bay recorded a ‘brisk’ -41ºC temperature on December 4. 
“More than 50 polar bears have gathered on the edge of a village in Russia’s far north, environmentalists and residents said, as weak Arctic ice leaves them unable to roam. 
“There are over 20,000 species of bees on this earth and all have been officially added to the list of endangered species with the threat of extinction looming. 
“As delegates from 197 member states convene in Madrid, Spain, this week for the twenty-fifth annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 25) the world’s polar scientists are sounding the alarm in a new report over the rapidly changing Arctic and Antarctic regions.
“What may have been the world’s tallest waterfall briefly formed on Greenland‘s ice sheet last year, draining a meltwater lake of 5 million cubic meters of water — equivalent to 2,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools — in just five hours. 
“France is one of the most exposed countries in the world to the risks of extreme weather, a new report has found, with nearly 20,000 deaths linked to heatwaves, floods and storms in the last 20 years… 
“Green Christmas, glowing cities, crumbling mountains. Due to its diversity of valleys, hills and high mountains, climate change manifests itself differently in the various regions of Switzerland. 
“Rescuers in Kenya have retrieved the body of a teenager who drowned as she tried to save a man who had got into trouble as he was crossing a swollen river… 
“Niger, one of the world’s poorest countries, depends on farming, particularly herding, to provide a livelihood for 80 percent of its population. 
“Elephants in Zambia are being collared to try to combat the rising conflict between wildlife and humans in the country as both struggle to survive a particularly devasting drought. 
“The Eastern Cape received less than 30% of its usual average spring rainfall between September and November with drought-stricken Graaff-Reinet receiving only 12%… 
“The Arabian Sea has recorded five cyclones this year equalling a 117-year-old record, data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows… 
“No one can deny that Hong Kong has had a lashing this year, and it wasn’t just on the city’s protest-hit streets – 2019 has been one of the stormiest and wettest on record. 
“The heatwave has arrived in eastern Queensland, with the mercury expected to go as high as 12 degrees above average and create severe fire conditions… 
“Six emergency warnings have been issued for fires in New South Wales on Thursday, including the 230,000-hectare Gospers Mountain blaze on Sydney’s north-western outskirts, as firefighters battle through a “long and challenging day”. 
“As the climate warms, birds are shrinking and their wingspans are growing, according to a new study. 
“Last month was the joint hottest November on record, according to a new report that uses multiple data sets to calculate global temperatures.
“…yesterday, Iceland‘s December temperature records were broken… the temperature journeyed up to 19.7º C in Kvísker í Öræfum, located in the Skaftafell National Park area, breaking the previous record of 18.4º C, which occurred at Sauðanesvita in 2001…
“The UK is at risk of running low on supplies of carrots because of torrential downpours and severe floods… 
“Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes following on from the low pressure storm across the east coast of [Spain‘s] mainland.
“As world leaders gather in Madrid to come up with solutions to the climate crisis, the people of East African nations such as South Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia are feeling the effects firsthand. Incessant rains throughout the region have spurred flash floods, affecting millions across the region as families are displaced and killing more than 250 people…”
“Following a brief quiet spell, the Indian Ocean is set to explode with tropical activity this week as multiple cyclones may develop. 
“The death toll from Typhoon Kammuri rose to 17 after destroying houses and displacing hundreds of thousands on its path across the Philippines… 
“Millions of Australians could suffer blackouts this Christmas thanks to power cuts caused by extreme heat and bushfires. 
“New Zealand has just experienced its hottest November on record, according to NIWA climate scientists.
“Officials at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center worry that early-season strandings of starving and sick sea lion pups could foreshadow a high number of rescues in coming months. 
“Parts of southern California saw twice the normal rainfall for the month of November and conditions remain soggy with more rain. Flash flood watches have been issued for nearly 10 million across that region.”
“The weekend storm that exited Tuesday morning dumped more than 8 inches of rain in parts of Marin [California], and more is on the way, the National Weather Service said… 
“The Missouri River has been in a state of flood since March 2019. According to the National Weather Service, that’s the longest it has ever been that way.”
“Carbon dioxide emissions rose weakly this year as the use of coal declined but natural gas took up the slack, a comprehensive study of the global “carbon budget” has found… 
“This year has been one of the hottest on record, the World Meteorological Organisation has said.
“The Cannes region [Southern France], including Mandelieu-La Napoule, was one of the hardest hit as more than 175 mm (7 inches) of rain fell from Sunday into Monday morning triggering severe flooding.
“Severe flooding in the south of France has now caused a landslide that has forced the evacuation of an entire village there. 
“Rain-triggered disasters, including flash floods and landslides, have killed at least 250 people and affected some three million people across East Africa in recent weeks, with about half of the deaths occurring in Kenya. 
“Over 16,000 people have been displaced by flooding in Malaysia‘s eastern states of Terengganu and Kelantan, the Malaysian Department of Social Welfare said on Tuesday (Dec 3). 
“Typhoon Kammuri, known locally as Tisoy, made landfall on the southeastern part of Luzon, the Philippines‘ most populous island. 
“A bushfire emergency has forced the evacuation of a town in Perth’s south [Australia] as the city posts its earliest 40-degree day in December on record. 
“The devastating impact of the drought in NSW grain-growing regions has been likened to “Armageddon” as a new report says the double-barrel hit from low rainfall and high temperatures in spring have slashed forecasts for Australia’s 2019 winter crops… 
“The bushfires raging across Australia have destroyed homes, turned entire towns orange, and now, painted the snow on some of the South Island’s glaciers [New Zealand] red and pink. 
“A tornado-like wind whipping around a Central Otago lake [New Zealand] rose to around 60 metres, felling trees up to 15m tall. 
“With only a month to go in the year, [Miami‘s] average temperature was just two-tenths of a degree shy of the 2017 average of 79.8 degrees. That’s after smashing the record for the number of days with high temps above 92 degrees and daily low temperatures above 75 degrees, said University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science researcher Brian McNoldy. 
“Scientists say sea level rise caused by climate change is inevitable. CNN’s Phil Black investigates how this might affect London, one of the world’s most developed cities.”
“”As we see climate change progressing in Greenland, we’re seeing more lakes, and we’re seeing them get larger, and we’re seeing them higher up into the colder section of the ice sheet, and we can see that some of these lakes are beginning to drain,” said Chudley.
“Arctic sea ice this summer was the second lowest on record… AMOC is one of nine critical climate systems that greenhouse-gas-fueled warming is actively pushing toward a tipping point. 