“Floods in three provinces in Sulawesi [Indonesia] have forced thousands of people to flee their houses for higher ground.
“Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesperson of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) revealed that 4,198 people in North Konawe regency in Southeast Sulawesi had been evacuated to safer areas.”
“Coastal areas in south Gujarat [India] have been put on alert as Cyclone Vayu continues to intensify and may cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva around Veraval and Diu early morning on Thursday.”
“Sugar production in Maharashtra, the country’s second-biggest producer, is likely to fall by 39.2 per cent year on year in 2019/20 to 6.5 million tonnes because of a drought-hit cane crop, a senior government official said on Monday.”
“”We are facing one of the worst droughts in recent memory and the critical state of the local economy as well as a dilapidated sheep export scheme have thrown Namibian small stock farmers into the eye of a perfect storm. There is no light at the end of this tunnel.””
“”A swarm of locusts described as a “biblical” invasion has been devastating farmers’ crops and livestock in Sardinia. “Italy’s farming association Coldiretti says millions of locusts are causing “considerable damage” to parts of the island, which runs a risk of “seriously compromising part of the harvest”.
“…Coldiretti maintains that sudden high temperatures following from a cool month of May are to blame.”
“Several people, including a 7-year-old child, were injured in a hailstorm that hit southern Germany on Monday, police in Bavaria said. Houses were flooded due to heavy rain and damaged by hail, which meteorologists described as being 5 centimeter (nearly 2 inches) in size.
“Some witnesses, however, reported hail the size of tennis balls (over 6.5 centimeters) pounding cars on a federal highway in Bavaria, smashing car windows and side mirrors.”
“UK commuters faced a morning of disruption on Tuesday as torrential rain continues to lash the country. Weather warnings remain in place for much of the day, with forecasters predicting parts of the UK could be inundated with more than 100mm of rain this week.
“On Monday evening, heavy flooding in Kent closed all lines through Orpington railway station for several hours, while police shut a section of the M25 overnight after discovering two sinkholes on the central reservation.”
“Crystal McAteer has watched ferocious wildfires chew through her home province of Alberta through the years, so she wasn’t surprised when flames arrived on her doorstep.
“Still, McAteer, the mayor of High Level, Alberta, a town of roughly 3,200 some 460 miles north of Edmonton, had never seen anything like this…”
“Flooding swamped parts of the Southeast over the weekend, with as much as a foot of rain falling in western North Carolina. At the same time, the Mississippi River continued its long-lasting assault on communities along its banks. Near St. Louis, the crest over the weekend was the second-highest on record.
“Just the latest high-water news, during what has seemed like a never-ending parade of storms.”
“A large construction crane collapsed onto an apartment building in Dallas on Sunday, killing at least one and sending another five to the hospital, officials said…
“Dallas was under a severe thunderstorm warning at the time of the crane collapse as heavy rain and hail broke out and wind gusts of 70 mph were recorded in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.”
“Fertilizer runoff amid rampant flooding in the U.S. will contribute to a nearly record-large “dead zone” for marine life in the Gulf of Mexico this summer.
“The recurring hypoxin zone, caused primarily by human activities, has low levels or no oxygen, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in an emailed report on Monday. Widespread flooding this year washed crop nutrients into rivers and subsequently into the Gulf.”
“The sweltering heat in the Bay Area on Monday shattered multiple decades-old records, caused a meltdown of the BART system and left thousands of people without electricity.
“It got so hot, BART trains experienced major delays systemwide during the evening commute when the heat caused trackway equipment problems.”
“Hawaii has broken or tied 34 heat records since mid-May as warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures and light winds combine to send the mercury soaring. And unfortunately, there’s not much relief in the short-term forecast.”
“As Guadalajara [Mexico] weathered torrential rains and hail on Saturday that left fallen trees, roads under water and even a shopping mall flooded in its wake, a group of local musicians took it upon themselves to lighten the mood…
“Finding watery inspiration in the hit movie Titanic, musicians that had been hired to play at the mall struck up the 1997 film’s theme song, My Heart Will Go On, to the amusement and delight of assembled shoppers.”
“Drone surveys have revealed erosion of coastal permafrost in the Arctic — up to 3 feet a day. Researchers reported Friday that the recent rate of erosion is six times higher than the historical rate.
“Meanwhile, the Arctic just saw the hottest May on record, with temperatures in northwest Russia hitting a remarkable 84 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius). Global warming is driving Arctic sea ice to near-record lows, which in turn is driving ever-worsening summer heat waves in the southern United States, according to another new study.”
“More than 12 inches of rain has triggered major flooding in parts of western North Carolina as the southeastern United States faces more flooding downpours into midweek.
“Since late last week, a slow-moving storm tapping into tropical moisture has unloaded more than a month’s worth of rain across parts of the Southeast.
“For Atlanta, nearly all of the rain that would typically fall each June (3.95 inches) poured down on Saturday. The 3.90 inches measured shattered the day’s previous rainfall record of 1.45 inches from 1950.
“Many communities in North Carolina and southern Virginia have also been plagued by road closures due to flooding this weekend.
“Western North Carolina has been hit the hardest by the flooding and heavy rain. A few locations have recorded more than a foot of rain in the past three days. This includes 13.64 inches near Brookford and 13.57 inches east of Boone, North Carolina.
“The deluge has prompted declarations of states of emergency and evacuations.”
“Hundreds of barges are stalled on the Mississippi River, clogging the main circulatory system for a farm-belt economy battered by a relentless, record-setting string of snow, rainstorms and flooding.
“Railways and highways have been closed as well, keeping needed supplies from farmers and others, and limiting the crops sent to market.”
“The North American Great Lakes contain about one-fifth of the world’s surface fresh water. In May, new high water level records were set on Lakes Erie and Superior, and there has been widespread flooding across Lake Ontario for the second time in three years.
“These events coincide with persistent precipitation and severe flooding across much of central North America.”
“South Texas is searing in an oppressive heat wave that is sending temperatures into the triple digits, already topping one all-time June record and pushing heat indices above 120 degrees in some locations.
“Brownsville, Texas – in the lower Rio Grande Valley along the border with Mexico, just west of South Padre Island – soared to 104 degrees, its hottest June high temperature in records dating to 1878…”
“A heat wave that could break records is forecast for some parts of the West Coast, where dry conditions are raising fears of more wildfires in areas still reeling from last year’s deadly blazes…
“”If you think it’s hot this weekend, wait until the middle of next week,” the National Weather Service in Phoenix tweeted. “Widespread highs near 110 degrees at lower elevations.””
“The National Weather Service expected temperatures to rise above average on Sunday in San Diego County. But forecasters didn’t anticipate the records that were set in some places — notably Ramona.
“The temperature hit 102 degrees, breaking the existing record for June 9 by six degrees. The previous record was set in 1985.”
“Two more gray whales were found dead this week in Alaska amid the mysterious surge of deaths within the species this year along the US West Coast, CNN affiliate KTUU reports.
“That makes seven in Alaska and at least 75 total, in what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls an “unusual mortality event,” the station reports.”
“The Arctic is heating up twice as fast as the global average, causing massive melting of sea ice. But while we know climate change is warming the Arctic air, there is a lot more happening under the ice that we don’t fully understand.”
“High temperatures were measured in Finland this week, with a record seasonal high of 32.2 degrees Celsius measured in the northwest coastal city of Oulu on Friday.
“That beat the June record by 0.5C and was more than 14 degrees above average.”
“With British temperatures recently rivalling the Mediterranean, it may have seemed that summer had firmly arrived. But June is now odds on to be the wettest on record, with yellow weather warnings issued for the coming week and the country set to be deluged by heavy rain.
“Meteorologists claimed that 20 hours of continual downpours could be seen on Monday.”
“Kuwait registered the highest temperature in the world on Saturday…
“…52.2 degrees Celsius [126f] in the shade – in Mitribah in north of the country, according to member of the Arab Union of Space and Astronomy Dr Khalid Al-Zaaq of Saudi Arabia.”
“Tehran’s department of environment deputy director for technical affairs Mehrdad Katal-Mohseni said that given that heavy rainfall saturated the country over the past few months, plant and vegetation cover has been expanded which seems to be vulnerable to temperature rise, so wildfire risk increases during this summer.”
“A troop of monkeys died from suspected heatstroke in India as scorching temperatures that have lasted more than a week take a mounting toll on humans and animals, media reports said Saturday.
“Vast swathes of the country have been sweltering in temperatures that have risen to over 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in Rajasthan state.”
“Severe dust storms and lightning in central and northern India have left at least 34 people dead, emergency officials said Saturday.
“The storms which hit Uttar Pradesh state on Thursday night claimed 26 lives, according to figures released by the state relief commissioner. Another 57 were injured.”
“More than 88,000 people have been evacuated in southeastern China because of heavy rains and flooding that have left at least six people dead and one person missing.
“More than 100 houses have been destroyed in Jiangxi province where storms brought strong winds, hail and floods, the official Xinhua News Agency said Sunday.”
“Last year, drought-stricken Cape Town almost became the first major city to run out of water. That brought attention to the fact that many other places face a comparable threat, among them Nairobi, Bangalore, and Mexico City. It also led to the serious consideration of a seemingly crazy idea: towing an iceberg from Antarctica to Cape Town to help solve the city’s water crisis…
“With the complexity, uncertainty, and high prices involved, it’s little wonder the project has critics within the Cape Town government. But the drought-prone city, and others like it, must consider ideas that once seemed crazy. Within a few decades, towing bergs to thirsty cities could be routine.”
“Global sea ice extent was near-record lows for the month of May.
“According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), much of the Arctic region experienced temperatures that were several degrees above normal for the month of May.
“The average sea ice extent in the Arctic for last month was the second lowest for May in the satellite record, which began in 1979. The lowest May sea ice extent on record occurred in 2016…
“The estimated sea ice volume in the Arctic is also running well below normal.
“The situation is not much better in the Antarctic… Currently, Antarctic sea ice extent is running slightly lower than 2018, which currently holds the record for lowest sea ice extent in the satellite era. “
“The heat is expected to peak once again this weekend and early next week as temperatures climb to near-record highs in New Delhi [India].
“The highest temperature ever reported in the city at Safdarjung Airport is 47.2 C (117 F), while the record at the nearby international airport sits at 48.4 C (119.1 F). Temperatures may near or even reach these records on Sunday and Monday as sweltering conditions grip the NCR.”
“At least 19 persons were killed and 48 injured due to dust storm and lightning in various parts of Uttar Pradesh, the state relief commissioner said today…
“Different parts of the state witnessed dust storms late on Thursday evening resulting in trees being uprooted and walls collapsing. It is being reported that 41 people were injured in Mainpuri district.”
“Parts of western Japan were inundated by torrential rain from early Friday, with hundreds of people forced to evacuate and transportation services widely disrupted in the affected areas… In contrast to last July when some 200 people lost their lives as a result of torrential rain, there have been no reports of injuries…
“Rainfall in the 12-hour period through Friday morning exceeded 200 mm [7.9 inches].”
“The election of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s far right wing president, sparked concerns that the Amazon and the people who live there would be under siege by fossil fuel, mining, timber, and agriculture interests.
“Unfortunately, new data suggests that those fears might be very well founded. Brazil’s own satellite agency that monitors the Amazon released deforestation rates for May.
“The data show that it’s the biggest May spike in deforestation in recent years…”
“Yesterday was the rainiest day on record in the city of León, Guanajuato [Mexico], since the city started recording rainfall in 1961.
“Wednesday’s rainfall totaled 88.8 millimeters, breaking the record set on June 12, 2018, when 66.6 millimeters [3.5 inches] of rain fell over a period of 24 hours. But yesterday’s record-breaking downpour took place over just seven hours.”
“The Mississippi Gulf Coast is now bearing the effects of the record rain and snowmelt that has caused major flooding throughout the Midwest this year.
“The influx of water that has drained into the Mississippi River and is now being diverted into the gulf coast has wreaked havoc on marine life and Mississippi’s commercial fishing industry.”
“The Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast was deluged by drenching rain Wednesday night into Thursday with some places seeing a month’s worth of precipitation in a 24-hour period.
“The heavy rains sparked flash flooding, which is being blamed for at least one death, and triggered chaos across the south-central U.S. where an outbreak of severe weather also erupted, leading to reports of at least four tornadoes touching down in Louisiana… some areas may be hit with a foot or more of rain from the multi-day event.”
“May 2019 was the United States’ second-wettest month of all time after numerous heavy rain events soaked the nation, according to a just-released government report.
“The first five months of the year ranked as the wettest such period on record.
“The national climate report from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) said the country’s average May precipitation total was 4.41 inches, 1.50 inches above the 20th-century average…”
“The Great Lakes Erie and Superior both broke records for average water height in May, and Lake St. Clair on Detroit’s eastern edge did as well, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“Lake Erie also reached its highest level on record for any month in May. Record or near-record high water levels are forecast to continue in the summer…”
“If last month felt hotter than normal, there’s a reason. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday that last month was the hottest May in Florida in more than a century.
“The Palm Beach Post reports that last month’s average temperature of 78.8 degrees Fahrenheit was 3.7 degrees hotter than normal.”
“”All crop producing regions [of Namibia] are expecting a massive reduction in expected harvest. The assessment also showed that the whole country is expecting a harvest reduction of at least 53 percent compared to last season’s harvest and over 42 percent compared to the 20-year average production,” she said…
“…extreme weather patterns such as floods, extensive droughts and land degradation had placed Namibia in a precarious position.”
“Recurring drought in Madagascar’s south has left more than 360,000 people on the brink of famine, a top United Nations official warned on Thursday, urging donors to do more to help people prepare for climate shocks.
“Ursula Mueller, U.N. deputy humanitarian chief, said the impoverished Indian Ocean island was witnessing more frequent and severe weather events…”
“A severe multi-year drought in the Horn of Africa has put more than five million people across three countries at risk for famine.
“The United Nations warned on Wednesday that the risk of starvation was growing as more than 3 million people in Somalia alone are expected to struggle just to meet minimum food requirements by September.”
“”We are entering a very new phase of high impact epidemics and this isn’t just Ebola,” Dr Michael Ryan, the executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies programme told me.
“He said the world is “seeing a very worrying convergence of risks” that are increasing the dangers of diseases including Ebola, cholera and yellow fever.
“He said climate change, emerging diseases, exploitation of the rainforest, large and highly mobile populations, weak governments and conflict were making outbreaks more likely to occur and more likely to swell in size once they did.”
“The combination of a slow-moving non-tropical storm and a weak tropical disturbance loaded with moisture will unleash torrential rain and raise new concerns for flooding over the south-central United States into this weekend.
“Hourly rainfall of 1-3 inches can occur with daily rainfall averaging 3-5 inches.
“However, there is the potential for some areas of the Interstate 10 and 20 corridors to receive a foot or more of rain from the multiple-day event that may last through the weekend.
“Both Wharton and Palacios, Texas, received 8 inches of rain in less than 12 hours on Wednesday…
“To complicate matters, heavy rainfall over the Central states and melting snow from the Rockies has created a surge of water from the Missouri and Arkansas rivers that is emptying into the Mississippi River and flowing southward.
“Over the lower part of the Mississippi Valley, this surge of water may occur at nearly the same time that heavy rain falls.”
“Thousands of heat-related deaths in major US cities could be avoided if rising global temperatures are curbed, new research has found.
“On current global heating trends, thousands of people are set to perish due to the heat every year across 15 major US cities, in an analysis by a team of British and American researchers.”
“The skies in Edmonton, Canada were recently so red and smoky that a local meteorologist told NASA “it looked like we were on Mars.”
“Now, that prodigious wildfire smoke has left Canada, streamed thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean, and passed over the UK. On Monday morning, the UK Met Office posted imagery of the North American wildfire smoke sailing over the island nation.”
“Go back to the 1850s and annual average temperatures in Oxford would have been around 9.5C-10C. Today, the annual averages are now about 10.5C-11C.
“This uptick is captured visually in the Oxford “Climate Stripe”, which represents each year’s temperature with a coloured line, going from deep blue (coldest) to deep red (hottest).”
“A car was overturned and roofs were destroyed when a tornado struck overnight in northwest Germany in the latest spate of storms in Northern Europe.
“Bocholt, a town in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, witnessed extreme weather conditions early Wednesday, with wind speeds of 181 to 253 kilometers per hour (112 to 157 mph).”
“Four people have been killed and more than 2500 stranded in the desert town of Ghat [Libya] due to mass flooding caused by heavy rainfall…
“The town has been left without power and water, adding more suffering to the people. Ghat Municipality has warned of a health disaster after sewage mixed with rainwater flooded the town’s residential areas.”
“Five people died and dozens were missing after heavy rains triggered a series of landslides in eastern Uganda.
“A statement from the office of Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda said on Wednesday “there are reports of displacement and destruction of property as well as missing persons” in the country’s mountainous Bududa district.”
“More than 2 million people could face starvation by the end of the summer, unless there are urgent efforts to respond to the drought in Somalia.
“Mark Lowcock, the UN’s humanitarian chief, said the country is facing one of the driest rainy seasons in more than three decades, and a “rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation”.”
“When the temperature topped 120 degrees, residents of the northern Indian city of Churu stopped going outside while authorities started hosing down the baking streets with water…
“Nearly the whole country remained under a heat wave warning on Wednesday, with severe warnings for a swath of north and central India, including the states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.”
“Japan’s Kansai Airport has reported that it has recovered from its insurance program more than 75% of the losses it incurred as a result of Typhoon Jebi…
“The airport, which is located on a man-made island near the city of Osaka, was heavily impacted by Typhoon Jebi in September of last year after storm surge inundated its premises with several meters of seawater. The situation was further exacerbated when a large tanker crashed into the bridge that links the airport to the mainland…”
“May was a month of extremes for Geraldton [West Australia], with the city breaking three weather records, including its driest autumn. Between March and May, the Bureau of Meteorology recorded just 6mm of rain at Geraldton Airport, smashing the previous record of 16mm in 2006…
“Geraldton also had its driest May on record this year, with just 1.8mm landing in the rain gauge.”
“New Zealand’s official climate agency has just declared autumn the fourth warmest on record. But by one climate scientist’s model, which combined sea temperatures as well as those on land, the autumn of 2019 took the top spot as the hottest on the books.”
“Another season of drought is in store for the northern extent of South America as the region stays mainly dry through August. “Drought conditions will continue across northern Colombia into Venezuela, Guyana and parts of the Brazilian state of Roraima with only minor relief, despite the opportunities for needed rainfall, “ Nicholls said.
“The long-term drought is already taking a major toll on the agriculture across the region. Up to 60 percent of the plantations in Cordoba, Colombia, have been severely impacted by the drought, according to Fresh Plaza.”
“Heavy rains have struck Guatemala City, turning streets into raging rivers and submerging cars. Footage shows a truck struggling to drive through flood waters and parked cars almost completely submerged in the streets of the city yesterday (June 5).
“The flash floods caused traffic disruption across the city and damage to stores and other properties.”
“Globally, there’s almost 10 inches of sea level rise by 2100 only from the smaller glaciers, whereas everybody thinks it’s only Antarctica and Greenland. But these relatively small glaciers in the world have an enormous impact.”
“Through all of April and all of May, wave after wave of rain hit the nation right in the breadbasket, with April capping the wettest 12 months on record for the continental United States. The past 60 days, in particular, have coincided with planting season in much of the country.
“States across the Corn Belt led the way, nearing or breaking previous precipitation records. Midwest cities from St. Louis to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., have reported unprecedented rainfall. Data for May will be released later this week and can be expected to set more records.”
“Wet spring weather has pushed Lake Erie’s water level to its highest point in more than 100 years.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Tuesday the shallowest of the Great Lakes hit the highest level of its period of record in May, surpassing the previous peak set in 1986. Lake Superior and Lake St. Clair also reached their highest levels for the month of May.”
“Over the last 40 years, Arctic sea ice thickness, extent and volume have declined dramatically.
“Now, a new study finds a link between declining sea ice coverage in parts of the Canadian Arctic and an increasing incidence of summer heat waves across the southern United States.”
“Temperatures are so mild that today’s temperature is the coldest June 4 in Ottawa history.
“According to Environment Canada, the temperature recorded at the Ottawa Airport at 6:00 a.m. was 3.5°C. That’s nearly half a degree (0.4°C) colder than the previous record low, set in 1964. The average low for this time of the year is closer to 11°C.”
“Pierre Babinsky, director of communications and public affairs with the Insurance Bureau of Canada, confirmed the storm damage could impact rates, depending on the insurer.
“Babinsky said in 2018, insurers paid nearly $2 billion in settlements related to severe weather across Canada, a historically high amount.
“He advises tornado victims to get in touch with their insurance companies as soon as possible, and to carefully document everything.”
“Wildfires in Alberta, Canada, have burned more than 700,000 acres of land and have forced 11,000 people to evacuate, according to the province’s government…
“…there is no meaningful rainfall expected the rest of the week at Chuckegg Creek and Jackpot Creek.”
“Measurements collected using satellite radar altimetry and optical imagery suggest most of Patagonia’s ice sheets have been rapidly thinning during the past few decades.
“Outside of Antarctica, Patagonia’s ice fields are the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. But as the glacial reserves in Argentina and Chile melt, water drains into the ocean, fueling sea level rise.”
“A tornado has ripped through New Zealand’s North Island on Wednesday tearing roofs from houses and causing chaos on the roads.
“Fire and Emergency New Zealand confirmed at least 20 homes had been damaged, with two being declared uninhabitable by a Far North District Council building inspector.”
“Uneven rainfall, serious drought and flooding, and abrupt alternation of the two disasters are expected to hit China’s Yellow River basin this year, authorities said Tuesday… Regions along the Yellow River are bracing for possible flood and drought, strengthening dam checks and repair, and improving emergency plans to ensure flood control and drinking water safety.”
“Maharashtra [India], which is facing its worst-ever drought since 1972, is running out of fodder for more than 10 lakh heads of cattle that have been shifted to 1,501 cattle camps which have opened across the state.
“While the price of dry fodder has doubled to Rs 18-20 per kg, fresh green fodder has virtually disappeared.”
“The Middle East is experiencing its most severe drought in 900 years, according to NASA– one which is seemingly endless.
“The drought peaked between 2006-2010, and although 2007, 2009 and 2010 saw “normal” amounts of total rainfall, the region was still in drought.
“And therein lies the paradox. A combination of factors, including water management and when the rain falls, means there can still be drought and water scarcity even if it rains a “normal” total amount.”
“Hailstorms effective in northern Turkish province of Kastamonu since Tuesday afternoon damaged cars, houses and crops while causing flash floods in various locations…
“The province was hit by a severe hail in last September, damaging more than 20,000 vehicles and shattering windows of homes and businesses.”
“Yesterday’s rains were highly anticipated by most residents in the Mother City [Cape Town], but while the downpours were much-needed, the heavy rains took a toll on some roadways and homes in the Cape.
“The City received numerous complaints of flooding from various areas. Roads were badly flooded and emergency units needed to stay active overnight to ensure the safety of locals.”
“Marine heatwaves—defined as periods of unusual, above-average temperatures—are causing a range of effects, including species migration and non-native invasion, disruptions or closures to fisheries, and stress and death in aquaculture stocks.
“”Marine heatwaves have become longer and more frequent over the last century,” says Eric Oliver, professor in Dalhousie’s Department of Oceanography…”
“The Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Tuesday that the average carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere during May rounded to 414.8 parts per million, or ppm —
“….the highest monthly number on record and the peak of 2019.”
Huge swathes of agricultural land in North America are experiencing record flooding. Meanwhile on the Canadian prairies:
“Saskatoon saw only nine percent of its typical precipitation over the last three month. Most of the prairies have been waiting for spring showers that never materialized…
“Our polar jet has been pushing systems to the north of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, leaving Western Canada in the dry and calm air in the middle.
“This pattern has been acting as a block in our atmosphere, meaning day after day of similar conditions.”
“It seems June 2 was a day for unusual tornadoes across Canada. While one unexpected twister tore a path through the National Capital Region, another looks to have gone north. Way north, in fact — all the way to the Northwest Territories…
If confirmed, the tornado will join a very exclusive group. To date, only three tornadoes have been confirmed north of 60 degrees latitude in Canada.”
“Environment Canada is reviewing its public alerts system after residents of a suburban Ottawa neighbourhood hit by a tornado Sunday were never warned that one was on the way… A spokeswoman for the department said the weather leading up to the tornado didn’t suggest one could develop…”
“Lake Ontario water levels set a record Friday, and levels have climbed higher since then. According to the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board, which monitors water levels, the lake level reached 248.98 feet on Friday, breaking the existing record…
“The agency expects the lake level to “continue rising gradually” for several days until peaking in one to three weeks, according to a news release.”
“The Arkansas River near Little Rock is cresting at its highest level since 1945 as the region braces for more rainfall… Dozens of levees in Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas have failed, with more rain forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Tropical moisture from the Gulf of Mexico is forecast to combine with a western storm system and add to the region’s precipitation levels.”
““A lot of the farmers along this river valley won’t get a crop this year, just due to the high waters and how long it’ll take to go down and the timeframe which we’re running out of to get crops in the fields to ensure a harvest…
“”…it’s just unbelievable how much water we do have here,” he said. “If they have a crop planted and it gets flooded out, they get some flood insurance, but if they don’t get a crop in at all, I’m not sure how that works.””
“The advance of the waters of the Paraguay River left thousands of victims in our country. In the capital alone, there are 12,802 affected families.
“In the last week of May there was an increase of 5,104 new affected and total 47,434 people affected throughout the country, according to data from the SEN itself.”
“Australia is staring down the barrel of another lower-than-average winter crop, as ongoing dry weather hinders planting across the nation, according to Rabobank’s Australian 2019 Winter Crop Outlook, released today…
“…all cropping regions in the Eastern States – as well as South Australia and WA – had begun the season with below-average rainfall, record-low soil moisture and a less-than-favourable rainfall outlook.”
“Ferocious weather has lashed a 600-mile stretch of coastline in eastern Australia prompting emergency warnings from the authorities as snow fell in subtropical Queensland…
“There are warnings that climate change in Australia, the world’s driest inhabited continent, will unleash more intense bushfires, droughts and storms.”
“India’s average surface temperature has risen by 0.8 degrees Celsius from 1880 to 2018, according to a report by El Dorado Weather.
“Many cities recorded all-time high temperatures this year, with temperatures rising about 40 degrees Celcius in most cities, and exceeding 45 degrees Celcius in some of the worst-affected states.”
“Nearly half of all rural Afghans now face some level of food insecurity, a UN agency said on Monday, as a historic drought and deteriorating security grip the country.
“Described by some locals as the worst in a lifetime, the drought had a devastating effect on rural populations last year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.”
“When Cyclone Idai slammed into the African nation of Mozambique in March, the world knew recovery would be an uphill struggle. Then, just a month later, Cyclone Kenneth came roaring through with speeds reaching 174 miles per hour. Recovery from the twin cyclones is going to be a costly, uphill struggle…
“At an international conference in Beira, donors from around the world promised to donate $1.2 billion to recovery efforts. That’s less than half of the $3.2 billion the country actually needs…”
“Powerful storms, record-breaking temperatures and rising water levels remind us daily of the impact of climate change and our need to address it… Proponents of nuclear power argue that nuclear energy is the most viable and powerful alternative to fossil fuels.
“Opponents point to waste storage problems, plus the slow pace and high cost of building new reactors. And, they ask, what about when something goes wrong?”
“The number of extreme downpours increased steadily between 1964 and 2013 — a period when global warming also intensified, according to research published in the journal Water Resources Research.
“The frequency of ‘extreme precipitation events’ increased in parts of Canada, most of Europe, the Midwest and northeast region of the U.S., northern Australia, western Russia and parts of China…”
“Nearly one-fifth of the world’s population lives in a stressed water basin where the next climate change-driven incident could threaten access to an essential resource for agriculture, industry and life itself, according to a paper by University of California, Irvine researchers and others, published today in Nature Sustainability.”
“More than 200 of the world’s largest listed companies forecast that climate change could cost them a combined total of almost $1 trillion, with much of the pain due in the next five years, according to a report published on Tuesday.
“Even so, the findings by charity CDP suggested many companies still underestimated the dangers as scientists warn that earth’s climate system is on course to hit catastrophic tipping points without rapid cuts in carbon emissions.”
“Twenty days of lethal heat per year. Collapsed eco-systems. And more than one billion people displaced.
“Those are all probable scenarios that could devastate societies by 2050 if swift and dramatic action isn’t taken to curb climate change, according to a think tank report backed by a former Australian military chief.”
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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.
“At least five people have been killed and thousands more have been left stranded after record rainfall hit southern China, officials say.
“Floods in three provinces in Sulawesi [Indonesia] have forced thousands of people to flee their houses for higher ground. 
“Coastal areas in south Gujarat [India] have been put on alert as Cyclone Vayu continues to intensify and may cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva around Veraval and Diu early morning on Thursday.”
“New Delhi: The nation witnessed the hottest day of all times with the mercury rising as high as 48°C in Palam on Monday. 
““Our situation is dire [in Namibia]. 
“”A swarm of locusts described as a “biblical” invasion has been devastating farmers’ crops and livestock in Sardinia. “Italy’s farming association Coldiretti says millions of locusts are causing “considerable damage” to parts of the island, which runs a risk of “seriously compromising part of the harvest”. 
“Several people, including a 7-year-old child, were injured in a hailstorm that hit southern Germany on Monday, police in Bavaria said. Houses were flooded due to heavy rain and damaged by hail, which meteorologists described as being 5 centimeter (nearly 2 inches) in size. 
“UK commuters faced a morning of disruption on Tuesday as torrential rain continues to lash the country. Weather warnings remain in place for much of the day, with forecasters predicting parts of the UK could be inundated with more than 100mm of rain this week. 
“Crystal McAteer has watched ferocious wildfires chew through her home province of Alberta through the years, so she wasn’t surprised when flames arrived on her doorstep. 
“Flooding swamped parts of the Southeast over the weekend, with as much as a foot of rain falling in western North Carolina. At the same time, the Mississippi River continued its long-lasting assault on communities along its banks. Near St. Louis, the crest over the weekend was the second-highest on record. 
“A large construction crane collapsed onto an apartment building in Dallas on Sunday, killing at least one and sending another five to the hospital, officials said… 
“Fertilizer runoff amid rampant flooding in the U.S. will contribute to a nearly record-large “dead zone” for marine life in the Gulf of Mexico this summer. 
“The sweltering heat in the Bay Area on Monday shattered multiple decades-old records, caused a meltdown of the BART system and left thousands of people without electricity. 
“As Guadalajara [Mexico] weathered torrential rains and hail on Saturday that left fallen trees, roads under water and even a shopping mall flooded in its wake, a group of local musicians took it upon themselves to lighten the mood… 
“Drone surveys have revealed erosion of coastal permafrost in the Arctic — up to 3 feet a day. Researchers reported Friday that the recent rate of erosion is six times higher than the historical rate.
“Hundreds of barges are stalled on the Mississippi River, clogging the main circulatory system for a farm-belt economy battered by a relentless, record-setting string of snow, rainstorms and flooding. 
“The North American Great Lakes contain about one-fifth of the world’s surface fresh water. In May, new high water level records were set on Lakes Erie and Superior, and there has been widespread flooding across Lake Ontario for the second time in three years. 
“South Texas is searing in an oppressive heat wave that is sending temperatures into the triple digits, already topping one all-time June record and pushing heat indices above 120 degrees in some locations. 
“A heat wave that could break records is forecast for some parts of the West Coast, where dry conditions are raising fears of more wildfires in areas still reeling from last year’s deadly blazes… 
“The National Weather Service expected temperatures to rise above average on Sunday in San Diego County. But forecasters didn’t anticipate the records that were set in some places — notably Ramona. 
“A severe thunderstorm rolled through southeastern Manitoba [Canada] just after 7 p.m. on Friday. 
“High temperatures were measured in Finland this week, with a record seasonal high of 32.2 degrees Celsius measured in the northwest coastal city of Oulu on Friday. 
“With British temperatures recently rivalling the Mediterranean, it may have seemed that summer had firmly arrived. But June is now odds on to be the wettest on record, with yellow weather warnings issued for the coming week and the country set to be deluged by heavy rain. 
“France was clearing up Saturday after a massive storm ripped across the country, leaving three dead and thousands of homes without electricity. 
“Kuwait registered the highest temperature in the world on Saturday…
“A troop of monkeys died from suspected heatstroke in India as scorching temperatures that have lasted more than a week take a mounting toll on humans and animals, media reports said Saturday. 
“Severe dust storms and lightning in central and northern India have left at least 34 people dead, emergency officials said Saturday. 
“More than 88,000 people have been evacuated in southeastern China because of heavy rains and flooding that have left at least six people dead and one person missing. 
“Last year, drought-stricken Cape Town almost became the first major city to run out of water. That brought attention to the fact that many other places face a comparable threat, among them Nairobi, Bangalore, and Mexico City. It also led to the serious consideration of a seemingly crazy idea: towing an iceberg from Antarctica to Cape Town to help solve the city’s water crisis…
“Global sea ice extent was near-record lows for the month of May.
“Locals and tourists across Iceland have been enjoying a particularly warm spring. 
“Sweltering summer temperatures came to Moscow this week, with the thermometer reaching a record high of 30 degrees Celsius on Thursday. 
“The heat is expected to peak once again this weekend and early next week as temperatures climb to near-record highs in New Delhi [India]. 
“At least 19 persons were killed and 48 injured due to dust storm and lightning in various parts of Uttar Pradesh, the state relief commissioner said today… 
You may recall that Nepal had its first tornado on record in March: 
“Parts of western Japan were inundated by torrential rain from early Friday, with hundreds of people forced to evacuate and transportation services widely disrupted in the affected areas… In contrast to last July when some 200 people lost their lives as a result of torrential rain, there have been no reports of injuries… 
“The election of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s far right wing president, sparked concerns that the Amazon and the people who live there would be under siege by fossil fuel, mining, timber, and agriculture interests. 
“Yesterday was the rainiest day on record in the city of León, Guanajuato [Mexico], since the city started recording rainfall in 1961. 
“The Mississippi Gulf Coast is now bearing the effects of the record rain and snowmelt that has caused major flooding throughout the Midwest this year. 
“
“May 2019 was the United States’ second-wettest month of all time after numerous heavy rain events soaked the nation, according to a just-released government report. 
“The Great Lakes Erie and Superior both broke records for average water height in May, and Lake St. Clair on Detroit’s eastern edge did as well, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 
“If last month felt hotter than normal, there’s a reason. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday that last month was the hottest May in Florida in more than a century. 
“”All crop producing regions [of Namibia] are expecting a massive reduction in expected harvest. The assessment also showed that the whole country is expecting a harvest reduction of at least 53 percent compared to last season’s harvest and over 42 percent compared to the 20-year average production,” she said… 
“Recurring drought in Madagascar’s south has left more than 360,000 people on the brink of famine, a top United Nations official warned on Thursday, urging donors to do more to help people prepare for climate shocks. 
“A severe multi-year drought in the Horn of Africa has put more than five million people across three countries at risk for famine. 
“”We are entering a very new phase of high impact epidemics and this isn’t just Ebola,” Dr Michael Ryan, the executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies programme told me.
“The combination of a slow-moving non-tropical storm and a weak tropical disturbance loaded with moisture will unleash torrential rain and raise new concerns for flooding over the south-central United States into this weekend.
“Thousands of heat-related deaths in major US cities could be avoided if rising global temperatures are curbed, new research has found. 
“A raging wildfire in central Washington triggered local evacuations and air quality concerns across the state. 
“The skies in Edmonton, Canada were recently so red and smoky that a local meteorologist told NASA “it looked like we were on Mars.” 
“Go back to the 1850s and annual average temperatures in Oxford would have been around 9.5C-10C. Today, the annual averages are now about 10.5C-11C. 
“A car was overturned and roofs were destroyed when a tornado struck overnight in northwest Germany in the latest spate of storms in Northern Europe. 
“Four people have been killed and more than 2500 stranded in the desert town of Ghat [Libya] due to mass flooding caused by heavy rainfall… 
“Five people died and dozens were missing after heavy rains triggered a series of landslides in eastern Uganda. 
“More than 2 million people could face starvation by the end of the summer, unless there are urgent efforts to respond to the drought in Somalia. 
“When the temperature topped 120 degrees, residents of the northern Indian city of Churu stopped going outside while authorities started hosing down the baking streets with water… 
“Japan’s Kansai Airport has reported that it has recovered from its insurance program more than 75% of the losses it incurred as a result of Typhoon Jebi… 
“May was a month of extremes for Geraldton [West Australia], with the city breaking three weather records, including its driest autumn. Between March and May, the Bureau of Meteorology recorded just 6mm of rain at Geraldton Airport, smashing the previous record of 16mm in 2006… 
“We’re a week into winter, but you can put aside your ugg boots and down jackets for a while, with a string of unusually warm, spring-like days ahead. 
“Another season of drought is in store for the northern extent of South America as the region stays mainly dry through August. “Drought conditions will continue across northern Colombia into Venezuela, Guyana and parts of the Brazilian state of Roraima with only minor relief, despite the opportunities for needed rainfall, “ Nicholls said.
“Heavy rains have struck Guatemala City, turning streets into raging rivers and submerging cars. Footage shows a truck struggling to drive through flood waters and parked cars almost completely submerged in the streets of the city yesterday (June 5). 
“Globally, there’s almost 10 inches of sea level rise by 2100 only from the smaller glaciers, whereas everybody thinks it’s only Antarctica and Greenland. But these relatively small glaciers in the world have an enormous impact.”
“Through all of April and all of May, wave after wave of rain hit the nation right in the breadbasket, with April capping the wettest 12 months on record for the continental United States. The past 60 days, in particular, have coincided with planting season in much of the country.
“Wet spring weather has pushed Lake Erie’s water level to its highest point in more than 100 years. 
“Over the last 40 years, Arctic sea ice thickness, extent and volume have declined dramatically. 
“Temperatures are so mild that today’s temperature is the coldest June 4 in Ottawa history. 
“Pierre Babinsky, director of communications and public affairs with the Insurance Bureau of Canada, confirmed the storm damage could impact rates, depending on the insurer. 
“Measurements collected using satellite radar altimetry and optical imagery suggest most of Patagonia’s ice sheets have been rapidly thinning during the past few decades. 
“A tornado has ripped through New Zealand’s North Island on Wednesday tearing roofs from houses and causing chaos on the roads. 
“Maharashtra [India], which is facing its worst-ever drought since 1972, is running out of fodder for more than 10 lakh heads of cattle that have been shifted to 1,501 cattle camps which have opened across the state. 
“The Middle East is experiencing its most severe drought in 900 years, according to NASA– one which is seemingly endless. 
“Hailstorms effective in northern Turkish province of Kastamonu since Tuesday afternoon damaged cars, houses and crops while causing flash floods in various locations… 
“Yesterday’s rains were highly anticipated by most residents in the Mother City [Cape Town], but while the downpours were much-needed, the heavy rains took a toll on some roadways and homes in the Cape. 
“Marine heatwaves—defined as periods of unusual, above-average temperatures—are causing a range of effects, including species migration and non-native invasion, disruptions or closures to fisheries, and stress and death in aquaculture stocks. 
“The Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Tuesday that the average carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere during May rounded to 414.8 parts per million, or ppm — 
Huge swathes of agricultural land in North America are experiencing record flooding. Meanwhile on the Canadian prairies: 
“It seems June 2 was a day for unusual tornadoes across Canada. While one unexpected twister tore a path through the National Capital Region, another looks to have gone north. Way north, in fact — all the way to the Northwest Territories… 
“Lake Ontario water levels set a record Friday, and levels have climbed higher since then. According to the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board, which monitors water levels, the lake level reached 248.98 feet on Friday, breaking the existing record… 
“The Arkansas River near Little Rock is cresting at its highest level since 1945 as the region braces for more rainfall… Dozens of levees in Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas have failed, with more rain forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday. 
““A lot of the farmers along this river valley won’t get a crop this year, just due to the high waters and how long it’ll take to go down and the timeframe which we’re running out of to get crops in the fields to ensure a harvest…
“The advance of the waters of the Paraguay River left thousands of victims in our country. In the capital alone, there are 12,802 affected families. 
“Australia is staring down the barrel of another lower-than-average winter crop, as ongoing dry weather hinders planting across the nation, according to Rabobank’s Australian 2019 Winter Crop Outlook, released today… 
“Ferocious weather has lashed a 600-mile stretch of coastline in eastern Australia prompting emergency warnings from the authorities as snow fell in subtropical Queensland…
“India’s average surface temperature has risen by 0.8 degrees Celsius from 1880 to 2018, according to a report by El Dorado Weather. 
“Nearly half of all rural Afghans now face some level of food insecurity, a UN agency said on Monday, as a historic drought and deteriorating security grip the country. 
“When Cyclone Idai slammed into the African nation of Mozambique in March, the world knew recovery would be an uphill struggle. Then, just a month later, Cyclone Kenneth came roaring through with speeds reaching 174 miles per hour. Recovery from the twin cyclones is going to be a costly, uphill struggle… 
“Powerful storms, record-breaking temperatures and rising water levels remind us daily of the impact of climate change and our need to address it… Proponents of nuclear power argue that nuclear energy is the most viable and powerful alternative to fossil fuels. 
“Torrential rains over 24 hours caused floods Monday in central Serbia that covered roads, washed into homes and damaged bridges… 
“The number of extreme downpours increased steadily between 1964 and 2013 — a period when global warming also intensified, according to research published in the journal Water Resources Research. 
“More than 200 of the world’s largest listed companies forecast that climate change could cost them a combined total of almost $1 trillion, with much of the pain due in the next five years, according to a report published on Tuesday. 
“Twenty days of lethal heat per year. Collapsed eco-systems. And more than one billion people displaced. 