“Across state after state, people say the same thing unprompted: they have never seen anything like it. Many can point to previous great floods but there is common agreement that it is rare to see so much water for so long across one state after another.
“To compound the misery, about 270 tornadoes were recorded in May, including a record 13 straight days of twisters in the second half of the month…
“Duvall reflected on the cause of all the rain.
““The weather seems to be more unusual every year to me,” he said. “Something’s changing. I don’t know what it is.””
“Almost three dozen levees have been breached or overtopped since May 22, and more could be facing a similar fate as additional rain targets the region.
“Some places could see 4 inches locally as moisture makes its way north from the Gulf of Mexico.”
“The calendar turned to June on Saturday and our statewide snowpack was 437% of normal, with highs peaking at 768% in the San Juan Mountains, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
“The heavy snowfall this year has been a good thing for skiing… But heading into summer, the snowpack is likely to result in some flooding.”
“Did the past few months feel particularly warm to you? Even without having just coming off of the “snowpocalypse” in February? If you think so then you’re not alone:
“According to the National Weather Service, spring in Seattle this year was warmer than usual — the third warmest on record, to be exact.”
“The hot month of May ended with two more days of heat records [Maui, Hawaii] …
“…Temperatures have been in the 90s since May 18, the weather service said. On May 22, temperatures topped out at 96 degrees, a record for the month of May.”
“The deaths of dozens of grey whales washed ashore in recent months along the US West Coast are to be investigated by a team of US government biologist.
“Declaring the spike in deaths an “unusual mortality event”, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said designation the deaths required greater scrutiny and allocation of more resources to determine the cause.”
“In what represents the highest temperatures recorded so far this season, yesterday showed maximum of 44 degrees Celsius [111.2f] in the shade in the north of the state [Sinaloa, Mexico].
“The Directorate of the North Pacific Basin Organization of the Conagua reported that the high records were detected within the municipality of Choix, while the maximum in El Fuerte was 39.5 and 35 in the town.”
“Residents in Menindee, the far-west New South Wales town now synonymous with ecological demise, are worried for the rich and rare birdlife that relies on the area to breed.
“The mass death of more than a million fish at the Darling River town early this year was attributed to a combination of blue-green algae, drought and water mismanagement.”
“Last year’s typhoon season was one for the books, mainly due to the devastation unleashed on the Greater Bay Area by the arrival of Typhoon Mangkhut…
“Unfortunately for those of us living in coastal Guangdong province, the 2019 typhoon season is expected to deliver four or five destructive and powerful typhoons, according to the Guangdong Meteorological Bureau.”
“Five people were killed in three districts of the nation [Bangladesh] after being struck by lightning on Sunday. In Naogaon, three people—including a child—were killed after thunderbolts struck them in separate areas of the district.”
“As pre-monsoon season ended on May 31, the northeast region witnessed a gross rainfall deficiency to the tune of 14 percent.
“According to a recent report by skymetweather, India recorded only 99 mm of rainfall against the normal average of 131.5 mm for the pre-monsoon season – March, April and May. The three-month long pre-monsoon season ended in India with gross rainfall deficiency to the tune of 25 percent.”
“The pre-monsoon heat increase in India and Pakistan is breaking records again. In Jacobabad, Sindh Province in central Pakistan, the temperature was recorded as 51.1 degrees celsius [124f] on June 1.
“This equals the standing record for June and is 7 degrees above average.”
“Rainstorm and flood flashes have killed at least two persons and swept up hundreds of houses in Afghanistan’s northern Takhar province…
“More than 130 people have lost their lives and more than 200 others sustained injuries, and more than 4,000 houses have been destroyed due to heavy rains and floods over the past three months in Afghanistan, according to official.”
“Factory activity contracted in most Asian countries last month as an escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing raised fears of a global economic downturn and heaped pressure on policymakers in the region and beyond to roll out more stimulus.
“Such growth indicators are likely to deteriorate further in coming months as higher trade tariffs take their toll on global commerce and further dent business and consumer sentiment leading to job losses and delays in investment decisions.
“Some economists predict a world recession and a renewed race to the bottom on interest rates if trade tensions fail to ease at a Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan at the end of June, when presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping could meet.”
“Oil posted its worst May performance in seven years as global trade tensions escalated, undermining the outlook for energy demand growth…
“A key Chinese manufacturing gauge for May dropped more than forecast.
“The world’s second-largest economy is mobilizing its state-run energy industry to prepare for a long struggle with the U.S., and also has readied a plan to restrict exports of rare earths, according to people familiar with the matter.”
““China is now looking at its oil supply situation from the worst-case scenario, like what the U.S. has done to Iran,” Laban Yu, an analyst with Jefferies Group LLC in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg…
“China… appears to be filling in its strategic petroleum reserves in recent months, as it has been boosting oil imports by 10 percent while refining output has been growing at 5 percent, according to the analyst.”
“The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) took control of Baoshang on May 24, rattling Chinese markets and prompting the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) to inject cash into the banking system.
“In response to concerns that regulators planned more takeovers of financial institutions, the PBOC said on Sunday that Baoshang was a standalone case.
““Everyone, please don’t worry. At present we don’t yet have this plan,” it said in a statement on its website.”
“Bank of Jinzhou Co. said its auditors resigned, sending some of its debt securities plunging and reigniting investor concerns about the riskiness of China’s smaller lenders… Trading in bank’s Hong Kong shares suspended; AT1 debt plunges.”
“The most recent GDP numbers are out, and they reveal that US consumer activity is weak.
“This is important, because consumer spending represents more than 2/3 of total GDP. Consumption weakness is most obvious in the declining spending on goods, where purchases are at their lowest percentage of GDP since the Great Recession.”
“US President Donald Trump has waded once again into UK’s Brexit debate, urging Theresa May’s successor to leave the EU with no deal.
“Trump said Britain should refuse to pay its 39 billion pound ($49bn) EU divorce bill and “walk away” from Brexit talks if Brussels does not give the UK what it wants, he told the UK’s Sunday Times newspaper.”
“The leader of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s junior coalition partner stepped down in a surprise move that puts into question the survival of the government itself.
“Andrea Nahles, head of the Social Democratic Party, said she will resign as chief and parliamentary caucus leader after losing the rank and file’s backing.
“The party suffered a devastating defeat in the European Parliament elections last week.”
“The Italian government is confident it can reach a compromise with Brussels and avoid sanctions over its deteriorating public finances, the economy minister said as talk of a looming government crisis grew…
“…the EU Commission had found Tria’s letter too vague and non-committal, and was likely to take the first steps toward a disciplinary procedure this week.”
“Millions of protesters have marched in cities across Algeria each Friday for months, calling for a complete political overhaul.
“However, the largest protest movement in 57 years has moved the country no closer to prosperity and stability, economists warned… Economists and political analysts worry that a worsening economic crisis could turn the largely peaceful protests violent, driving further instability.”
“There is now no denying that the second Modi government takes office [in India] amid a clear economic slowdown.
“The first macro data set released under the new Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman’s watch, on Friday, showed an under-performing economy with GDP growth falling to 5.8% in the fourth quarter of 2018-19.”
“The [Australian interest rate] cut in June and 3Q 2019 would address current concerns regarding weak growth and low inflation, while the 3Q 2020 cut would likely be a response to the anticipated US recession,” Societe Generale told its clients last week.
“A US recession — and the associated global contagion — would be another level of worry…”
“Yesterday on May 30, Prayagraj previously known as Allahabad [India] recorded the highest maximum ever that is 48.6, breaking an all-time record of 48.4°C [119.12F] set back in 1994…
“[The] heatwave will continue until the next week or so.”
“A menacing black glacier is bulldozing its way down a valley in northern Pakistan, threatening to cut off a vital road link to China and blocking melt-water that could flood villages below…
“…deposits of snow on the glacier have increased due to larger amounts of snowfall in the winter months over the past five years linked to climate change, he said.
“But Philippus Wester from the Nepal-based ICIMOD, who led the study, said that while some glaciers in Pakistan are stable and a few are even gaining ice, they will nonetheless all start to melt in time as the planet heats up.”
“Between June 28 and July 8, 2018, there was record widespread rainfall, particularly across western Japan, with some areas receiving more than 1,800 millimeters [71 inches] of precipitation.
“The death toll in the 2018 Japan floods came to more than 220 and according to Cabinet Office data, approximately 17,000 houses were either totally or partially destroyed, while 30,000 houses were flooded.”
“Several May temperature records have been broken with a winter blast hitting southern Queensland [Australia] overnight. Applethorpe, Oakey and Dalby have all had their coldest May mornings on record.
“The temperature plummeted to -6.1 in Applethorpe, –2.1 degrees below its previous record 13 years ago.”
“Perth has just posted its second-driest May on record and shivered through the coolest mornings ever experienced during the month. Perth has had 17.8mm of rain, against the May average of 89.4mm.
“The dry has extended across the state, with farmers forced to “dry seed”.”
“The angst on farmer Twitter is palpable. Across the Midwest, torrential rains have soaked the fields, leaving the sodden soil unsuitable for planting millions of acres with corn, soybeans, and other crops, presaging a terrible harvest.
“Seeds are usually in the ground this time of year. But thanks to floods, unrelenting rains, hail, and scores of tornadoes, the season is off to one of the worst starts in history.”
“Chicago broke its record Thursday for the most rainfall during the month of May with a full day to spare. As of Thursday afternoon, the total amount of rainfall was 8.25 inches for the month, according to the National Weather Service.
“The previous record for May was 8.21 inches, set in 2018. The average for May is 3.68 inches.”
“It’s been an unusually harrowing month for millions of Americans living in the path of a spate of tornadoes that have torn through the heart of the country.
“An incredible 225 tornadoes have been confirmed since 17 May, with eyewitness reports of around 500 tornadoes over the course of the month.”
“Shocking footage filmed in Pennsylvania shows hail stones the size of baseballs falling into a lake earlier this week. Hail was captured falling in large clumps over Lake Winola, with other surrounding areas including Lancaster County and Schuylkill County also reportedly being hit.
“Resident Ian Roberts shared video of himself wearing a hard-hat as he recorded massive chunks of hail splashing into the water.”
“California regulators on Thursday approved allowing utilities to cut off electricity to possibly hundreds of thousands of customers to avoid catastrophic wildfires like the one sparked by power lines last year that killed 85 people and largely destroyed the city of Paradise.
“Utilities’ liability can reach billions of dollars, and after several years of devastating wildfires, they asked regulators to allow them to pull the plug when fire risk is extremely high…”
“Thousands of more people have been put on evacuation alert Thursday as smoke from out-of-control wildfires in northern Alberta billowed across the province. Edmonton was enveloped in smoke, prompting the Air Quality Health Index to jump to a 10+ Thursday afternoon.
“An estimated 10,000 people have already been evacuated due to the wildfires and smoky conditions while thousands more have been put on evacuation alert as at least three major fires have spread rapidly since Wednesday.”
“The drought in [Alaska’s] Southeast has gotten worse. Last week parts of the southern Panhandle dropped into the “extreme drought” range for the first time…
“Black Bear Lake is normally filled at this time of year due to snow melt. Not this year. “We did not have any significant snowpack this year,” said Mickelson. “The melting snow effect is pretty much going to be negligible going forward for us. The only way the lake will fill is if we get precipitation.””
“[Ireland] Farm incomes declined by more than a fifth last year because of severe weather including storms and drought.
“Figures published by Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority, show that average incomes fell by 21 per cent, with drops across most farm types and annual decreases of up to 31 per cent on dairy farms.”
“Climate-change-related drought in Somalia could put 2.2 million people at risk of starvation this year, according to the United Nations.
“Justin Brady, UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs head for Somalia, told The Irish Times that the international community should be “very worried”… Mr Brady said the latest drought had come “out of the blue”, and badly affected farmers who rely on rain to grow crops.”
“Haustein and his colleagues calculated that the interplay of greenhouse gases and atmospheric pollution almost singlehandedly shaped 20th century climate.”
“Researchers asked leading experts on the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to provide their best updated estimates for the future of these frozen masses as temperatures spike…”
“On their voyage to oblivion, a tribute of the icebergs of Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord.
“Stian Klo: “Our boat in the midst of the ice breaking off from the active Eqi Glacier. We had to stop a good 800m-1km away from the actual front of the glacier. There were terrifyingly intriguing sounds as it big chunks broke off every 20 minutes.””
“Communities along the swollen Arkansas River in Oklahoma and Arkansas are preparing for further flooding, with the mayor of Tulsa urging thousands of residents behind the city’s aging levees to be ready to evacuate in the event of a ‘worst-case scenario’.
“‘This is a flood of historic magnitude,’ said Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, joined by state emergency officials and officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday.
“Hutchinson said that he directed $250,000 in state funds toward the flood response. The Republican says he has also requested federal assistance from the Trump administration.”
“The severe weather that spawned tornadoes in Kansas and Missouri Tuesday also brought heavy rains that helped set a new record for the wettest May in Kansas City, according to the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill…
“This May’s rainfall total has also has made this month the third wettest month in Kansas City’s 131-year-history of collecting weather data.”
“More heavy rain is in the forecast for today, and over 10 million remain under flood warnings from Oklahoma into Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. The greatest flash flood potential will be from Texas into Arkansas, where 2-4 inches of rainfall will be common.”
“More tornadoes ripped across the central US overnight and on Wednesday almost 40 million people remain at risk of severe weather across a vast area from Texas to New York…
“With tornado warnings as far east as New York City, a huge chunk of the US is caught up in wild weather and flooding that goes far beyond a typical year of seasonal storms.”
“Macon broke yet another high temperature record today, warming to 99 degrees this afternoon.
“This makes it 6 days in a row of record tying or breaking temps in Macon!
“We last saw a high of 100 degrees on both Sunday and Tuesday, which broke the all time record for high temperatures in Macon during the month of May.”
“Californians wish they were dreaming as record-breaking cold and wet weather hits… On Sunday and Monday, precipitation fell and temperatures dropped, establishing daily records across the southern two-thirds of the state, from Modesto to Death Valley…
“Downtown Los Angeles had a daytime low of 49 on Memorial Day, the first sub-50 day in the month of May since 1967.”
“Alberta farm incomes plummeted in 2018 due to a “brutal” combination of conditions that included severe drought, wild weather and global trade barriers.
“According to data released by Statistics Canada this week, realized net income of farmers in the province fell by 68 per cent to just $535 million in 2018…
“…a wet early spring gave way to an extended hot and dry spell that withered crops in the field, and was followed by an unseasonably early dump of rain and snow.”
“Residents across British Columbia and the Yukon Territory can expect this summer to feature long stretches of unusually warm and dry weather with temperatures occasionally challenging record levels. This may set the stage for large wildfires to erupt across the region that could have far-reaching impacts.”
“Marine mammal officials say a fourth gray whale has been found dead along Alaska’s shore. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says a young gray whale was spotted north of the Clam Gulch Recreation Area on the Kenai Peninsula.
“More than 60 dead gray whales have been found dead from Mexico to Alaska.”
“Tufted puffins, those adorable black and white birds with big orange beaks, experienced an unusual die-off in the Bering Sea in late 2016 through early 2017.
“Massive mortality events like this seem to be increasing, likely because of climate change, according to a new study running in PLOS ONE…
“Researchers found over 350 carcasses on St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea, Alaska, between October 2016 and January 2017. They estimate anywhere from 3,150 to 8,800 birds died in that time period.”
“The water will not go down before the middle of June.
“The news was given on Tuesday by the meteorological service of Paraguay , where it has been raining for weeks and the floods displaced 62 thousand families.
“The Paraguay River gives no respite to thousands of families. The rising river has caused extraordinary floods during the course of its journey of some thousand kilometers in the Paraguayan territory.”
“There is an island in the South Pacific called Henderson Island that used to be a beautiful white sandy beach island.
“It is now called the Garbage Island due to all the plastic that has floated upon its shores from the countries of China, Thailand, Indonesia, Europe, United States, Russia, South America, Japan, and the Philippines.”
“Days of extreme heat and rainfall skyrocketed [in Australia] last summer by several times the 30-year average, delivering the hottest summer on record in another clear signal of the risks posed by climate change, a report by the Actuaries Institutes has found.
“The latest Australian Actuaries Climate Index found the number of days of extreme heat over the 2018-19 summer was three times the 30-year average between 1980 to 2000.
“Meanwhile, the days of extreme rainfall in the wet tropics was up a massive 430 per cent.”
“Japan’s heatwave in July 2018 could not have happened without climate change. That is the unequivocal conclusion of a report released last week, as the country battles yet another record-breaking heatwave.
“The July 2018 heatwave, which killed 1,032 people, saw temperatures reach 41.1C, the highest temperature ever recorded in the country. Torrential rains also triggered landslides and the worst flooding in decades.”
“The heatwave conditions across India will peak on Monday, and continue until Tuesday. In Delhi, maximum temperatures may remain at around 45°C until next Tuesday.
“On Friday, the maximum temperatures of 45°C or more are likely over Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.”
““As we start to get drought stress hitting, there will be crop failures and a loss of livestock. It could cause people to migrate and if you can’t migrate, it might cause conflict as people will need to fight with their neighbours for food.”
“This will hit areas such as the fertile Indus Valley, which has been inhabited by human civilisations for many thousands of years and today feeds 237 million people.”
“Kenya is facing one of the worst stretches of drought in years, causing underdevelopment, fights over water, and fears of starvation.
“However, a village in western Kenya is using a high-tech solution to water scarcity with so-called “digital wells” in a bid to improve local livelihoods and prevent waste.”
“Mozambique says it needs $3.2 billion to recover from a pair of powerful tropical cyclones that ripped into the southern African nation earlier this year and left hundreds dead, raising alarm about the effects of climate change on coastal nations.”
“On Sunday 26th May 2019, heavy rains hit several areas of Uganda including the Capital, Kampala. A number of areas flooded, roads cut off and a lot of property was destructed.
“Over eight people are believed to have lost their lives in the areas of Kikajjo, Lubowa and Lufuka all located in Masajja and Bunamwaya divisions (Kampala suburbs).”
“The [Cyprus] met office has issued the week’s second yellow weather alert for Thursday, warning temperatures will peak at 41C inland. The warning is in force from 11am until 4pm.
“The highest temperature on Wednesday was measured at Athalassa weather station, Kitas Weather reported, 42.1C. This is a new record for May, Kitas announced, while saying this record may be broken on Thursday.”
“Vital water supplies are at risk of running worryingly low as reservoirs are sucked dry in the wake of a baking hot spring that saw little rainfall [UK]… dramatic pictures reveal how these supplies are poised to run empty including one that is usually filled with 500 million gallons of water quickly turning into a bed of cracked mud.
“The Met Office said the rainfall during May was only 45 per cent of what one might expect during the month.”
“The Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers are set to rise to ‘record-breaking’ levels as the Midwest reels from ‘catastrophic’ flooding with more rain to come this week.
“As the nation reels from heatwaves, tornadoes, and storm warnings, the Midwest is about to be inundated with record flooding this week as several major rivers are forecast to reach historic levels.
“The Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers are expected to flood at record-breaking levels as a downpour of rain is forecast to drench the Midwest states on Tuesday and Wednesday.”
“A vicious storm tore through the Kansas City area, spawning tornadoes that left a trail of devastation, as the US reeled from a record run of twisters…
“The National Weather Service had already received at least 27 more reports of tornadoes on Tuesday, suggesting that the record for consecutive days would be broken once the official totals are in.”
“National Weather Service meteorologist Lucas Boyer says that as of 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Anchorage had received 2.08 inches (5.28 centimeters) of rainfall for the month. The previous record set in 1989 was 1.93 inches (4.9 centimeters). May is generally considered a dry month for Anchorage.”
“As the climate warms, glaciers are receding on a very human scale. At many trailheads and scenic vistas across the state, this retreat can be observed from one season to the next. It’s hard for hikers to keep up.
““Glaciated areas are changing so rapidly, if you want to see them, now’s the time,” warns Robert Sheldon.”
“Smoke from Alberta’s out-of-control wildfires has reached B.C.’s largest urban centre. Global B.C. meteorologist Mark Madryga said satellite imagery shows the haze began rolling into the Metro Vancouver area on Monday and thickened on Tuesday.”
“Otago and Southland’s autumn temperature records are on the verge of falling like autumn leaves this year [New Zealand].
“There are still a couple of days left in the season, but prolonged warm weather and less rain than normal means Niwa scientists believe Dunedin, Invercargill and Milford Sound are on track to post their warmest autumns on record.”
“New Zealand scientists are monitoring a possible “catastrophic” 3.5m Antarctic sea-level rise.
“GNS Science has been part of an international team of researchers mapping the sea floor under the Ross Ice Shelf…
“”Most of the ice in West Antarctica sits on ground below sea level and is particularly vulnerable to increases in ocean temperature,” GNS Science says.”
“Torrential rain hit many locations across southern, central and eastern China since May 25, 2019. Residents were trapped in floods and rescuers mobilised to evacuate villagers.”
“Dozens of Burmese star tortoises, an endangered species found only in Myanmar, have died at a sanctuary in Magwe Region due to the extreme heat of the past few weeks, a conservation official said.
“U Thein Lwin, administrator of Shwe Sett Taw Wildlife Sanctuary, said its staff had found 62 dead Burmese star tortoises, which were among the 650 tortoises released in the sanctuary in February.”
“The Death Valley in the Californian desert is said to be the world’s hottest place. Yesterday (May 28), though, it was a town in India’s water-deprived Vidarbha region that earned the title—even if only for a day.
“On May 28, Chandrapur city in the western state of Maharashtra recorded a maximum temperature of 47.8°C [118F], the highest in the world…”
“An intense heatwave is expected to hit Pakistan in the coming weeks due to a delay in the start of the monsoon season. According to weather website accuweather, the heatwave will start in the next few days and last into June.”
“Heavy winter rainfalls led to more wild brush growth than usual, increasing the chance of summer wildfires, says the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Agriculture.
“Brush is already becoming increasingly dry, with temperatures already surpassing 35 Celsius in May.”
“The temperature record for the month of May was broken in Istanbul on May 28 with 35.4 degrees Celsius.
“According to information from the Meteorology General Directorate, it was the highest temperature that the megacity saw [beating the previous record of] 34.5 Celsius degrees on May 27 of 1950.”
“Severe drought in Somalia is putting over two million people at risk of starvation and forcing thousands out of villages and into a relief camp outside the capital. The United Nations has called for emergency aid to help those in need, including nearly a million Somali children facing hunger. Mohamed Sheikh Nor reports from Mogadishu.”
“May in Croatia has been very sparse on the sunshine front, and it seems another May weather record could be broken as the months with the lowest amount of sunshine hours. According to meteorologists May this year has seen only 60 percent of the normal amount of sunshine for May. And the forecast for the rest of this week certainly isn’t promising with more grey skies and rain predicted at least until Friday.”
“Last year’s Beast from the East and scorching summer hit bumblebee populations in Scotland and the UK, with numbers dropping to their lowest in the past six years.
“BeeWalk surveys, carried out by volunteers across the UK, show 13 of the country’s 24 species declined in 2018.”
“Atmospheric researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research have now developed a climate model that can accurately depict the frequently observed winding course of the jet stream…
“Using their new combo-model, they can now show that the jet stream’s wavelike course in winter and subsequent extreme weather conditions cold air outbreaks in Central Europe and North America are the direct result of climate change.”
“Ocean heat content (OHC) set a new record in early 2019, with more warmth in the oceans than at any time since OHC records began in 1940…
“Atmospheric methane concentrations have increased at an accelerating rate, reaching record highs in recent months… Arctic sea ice is currently at a record low for this time of year. Antarctic sea ice set new record lows in January, and is currently at the low end of the historical range…
“Based on temperatures in the first quarter, 2019 is likely to be the second or third warmest year on record for all of the surface temperature series. However, with only three months of 2019 available so far it is not out of the question that it could be the warmest year…”
“The low corn planting progress of 30% along with a wet planting season to date and a continued wet forecast played key roles in pushing corn 30 cents higher in just one week on May 17.
“Already at that date, market talk was suggesting reduction of 3 to 5 million corn acres and a 3- or 4-bushel lower corn yield due to late planting.”
“Augusta and Savannah, Georgia marked record highs for the month of May reaching a peak 101 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday.
“The previous record for Augusta was 100F in 1926 and 100F in Savannah in 1953. Charleston and Columbia in South Carolina and Wilmington and Fayetteville North Carolina also hit triple digits – sweltering to 100 degrees on Sunday.”
“If it doesn’t feel like a typical Memorial Day in Phoenix, there’s good reason for it.
“Phoenix matched its lowest recorded Memorial Day high temperature in state history on Monday with a high almost 20 degrees below normal for the holiday.”
“The wettest region in Alaska is experiencing the first extreme drought recorded by the U.S. Drought Monitor, officials said. Scientists say the southernmost portion of Southeast Alaska has been in a drought for the last two years, The Anchorage Daily News reported Sunday.”
“An extended, severe drought in southern Veracruz [Mexico] has proved fatal for rare howler monkeys.
“A combination of extreme temperatures nearing 40 C and a three-month dearth of rainfall in the region has deprived the monkeys of access to sufficient water.”
“Heavy flooding in Paraguay has displaced 70,000 families and is threatening to further inundate the capital Asuncion in the coming weeks, the country’s weather bureau said.
“Water levels on the Paraguay River are rising at a rate of 4-5 centimeters (1.5-2 inches) every day and is only 46 cm (18 in) below a “disaster” level, according to official data from the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology.”
“Several coastal cities in southern Guangdong province including Shenzhen, Zhongshan and Zhuhai – as well as Hong Kong and Macau – experienced more than 12 hours of heavy rainfall.
“This resulted in severe flash flooding in the port city of Zhuhai, which recorded maximum overnight rainfall of 482.8 millimetres (19 inches) in one area.”
“Severe drought in Yunnan has damaged about a third of the province’s cane planting areas, said the report, and will reduce cane output by 2.23 million tonnes. The ongoing drought is expected to cause more damage, the report added. It has also impacted rubber production in the province.”
“Ellen Madson’s home is now rubble. Cyclone Idai swept through her Malawi village in March and left her with little but a mud-covered teapot. Like hundreds of thousands of people in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe she has been forced to start anew.
“Idai was “one of the deadliest storms on record in the southern hemisphere,” the United Nations has said. More than 1,000 people were killed.”
“A heat wave springing from North Africa has hit Turkey, bringing the average temperatures to the extreme levels. “The temperatures will rise significantly across the country, floating well above the seasonal norms,” said a statement by the Turkish Meteorological Service on May 27. “The temperatures are forecast to reach extremely high levels recorded in any month of May as of May 28,” it added.”
“The Chinese windmill palm tops a list of ornamental plants that are escaping from greenhouses and flourishing in the wild.
“British gardeners have reported that the palms are ‘self-seeding’ – reproducing without human help – and it is thought to be a matter of time before they become a familiar sight in woods and fields around the country.”
“…as global warming melts the polar sea ice, these marine hunters are increasingly being forced onto land.
“The risk is rising of conflict with the humans, who are also arriving in greater numbers as Russia develops oil and gas deposits and expands its military capabilities in the Arctic.”
““We found that the ice loss from [Antarctica’s] Ross Ice Shelf and flow of the adjoining grounded ice are sensitive to changes in processes along the ice front, such as increased summer warming if sea ice or clouds decrease,” said co-author Laurie Padman, a senior scientist at Earth and Space Research.”
“An unusually warm April followed a top 3 hottest March, and indicates that the Earth is headed for yet another top 3 warmest year on record. In addition, Arctic sea ice extent reached a record low for April, NOAA reports.
“This follows recent news that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere edged past 415 parts per million for the first time in human history, likely becoming the highest level on record in at least 3 million years.”
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“Across state after state, people say the same thing unprompted: they have never seen anything like it. Many can point to previous great floods but there is common agreement that it is rare to see so much water for so long across one state after another.
“Almost three dozen levees have been breached or overtopped since May 22, and more could be facing a similar fate as additional rain targets the region. 
“The calendar turned to June on Saturday and our statewide snowpack was 437% of normal, with highs peaking at 768% in the San Juan Mountains, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. 
“Did the past few months feel particularly warm to you? Even without having just coming off of the “snowpocalypse” in February? If you think so then you’re not alone: 
“The hot month of May ended with two more days of heat records [Maui, Hawaii] … 
“The deaths of dozens of grey whales washed ashore in recent months along the US West Coast are to be investigated by a team of US government biologist. 
“In what represents the highest temperatures recorded so far this season, yesterday showed maximum of 44 degrees Celsius [111.2f] in the shade in the north of the state [Sinaloa, Mexico]. 
“Residents in Menindee, the far-west New South Wales town now synonymous with ecological demise, are worried for the rich and rare birdlife that relies on the area to breed. 
“North Korea’s state TV on Sunday called on people to secure water and promptly finish planting rice
“Last year’s typhoon season was one for the books, mainly due to the devastation unleashed on the Greater Bay Area by the arrival of Typhoon Mangkhut… 
“As pre-monsoon season ended on May 31, the northeast region witnessed a gross rainfall deficiency to the tune of 14 percent. 
“The pre-monsoon heat increase in India and Pakistan is breaking records again. In Jacobabad, Sindh Province in central Pakistan, the temperature was recorded as 51.1 degrees celsius [124f] on June 1. 
“Rainstorm and flood flashes have killed at least two persons and swept up hundreds of houses in Afghanistan’s northern Takhar province… 
“At least nine people have died across Puntland (Somalia) after three consecutive days of heavy rain…
“Factory activity contracted in most Asian countries last month as an escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing raised fears of a global economic downturn and heaped pressure on policymakers in the region and beyond to roll out more stimulus.
“Oil posted its worst May performance in seven years as global trade tensions escalated, undermining the outlook for energy demand growth… 
““China is now looking at its oil supply situation from the worst-case scenario, like what the U.S. has done to Iran,” Laban Yu, an analyst with Jefferies Group LLC in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg… 
“The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) took control of Baoshang on May 24, rattling Chinese markets and prompting the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) to inject cash into the banking system.
“Bank of Jinzhou Co. said its auditors resigned, sending some of its debt securities plunging and reigniting investor concerns about the riskiness of China’s smaller lenders… Trading in bank’s Hong Kong shares suspended; AT1 debt plunges.”
“The most recent GDP numbers are out, and they reveal that US consumer activity is weak. 
“US President Donald Trump has waded once again into UK’s Brexit debate, urging Theresa May’s successor to leave the EU with no deal. 
“The leader of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s junior coalition partner stepped down in a surprise move that puts into question the survival of the government itself. 
“The Italian government is confident it can reach a compromise with Brussels and avoid sanctions over its deteriorating public finances, the economy minister said as talk of a looming government crisis grew… 
“Millions of protesters have marched in cities across Algeria each Friday for months, calling for a complete political overhaul. 
“There is now no denying that the second Modi government takes office [in India] amid a clear economic slowdown. 
“Yesterday on May 30, Prayagraj previously known as Allahabad [India] recorded the highest maximum ever that is 48.6, breaking an all-time record of 48.4°C [119.12F] set back in 1994…
“A menacing black glacier is bulldozing its way down a valley in northern Pakistan, threatening to cut off a vital road link to China and blocking melt-water that could flood villages below… 
“Between June 28 and July 8, 2018, there was record widespread rainfall, particularly across western Japan, with some areas receiving more than 1,800 millimeters [71 inches] of precipitation. 
“Several May temperature records have been broken with a winter blast hitting southern Queensland [Australia] overnight. Applethorpe, Oakey and Dalby have all had their coldest May mornings on record. 
“Perth has just posted its second-driest May on record and shivered through the coolest mornings ever experienced during the month. Perth has had 17.8mm of rain, against the May average of 89.4mm. 
“On Saturday, heavy downpours will continue across Guatemala and western portions of El Salvador. 
“The angst on farmer Twitter is palpable. Across the Midwest, torrential rains have soaked the fields, leaving the sodden soil unsuitable for planting millions of acres with corn, soybeans, and other crops, presaging a terrible harvest. 
“Chicago broke its record Thursday for the most rainfall during the month of May with a full day to spare. As of Thursday afternoon, the total amount of rainfall was 8.25 inches for the month, according to the National Weather Service. 
“It’s been an unusually harrowing month for millions of Americans living in the path of a spate of tornadoes that have torn through the heart of the country. 
“Shocking footage filmed in Pennsylvania shows hail stones the size of baseballs falling into a lake earlier this week. Hail was captured falling in large clumps over Lake Winola, with other surrounding areas including Lancaster County and Schuylkill County also reportedly being hit. 
“California regulators on Thursday approved allowing utilities to cut off electricity to possibly hundreds of thousands of customers to avoid catastrophic wildfires like the one sparked by power lines last year that killed 85 people and largely destroyed the city of Paradise. 
“Thousands of more people have been put on evacuation alert Thursday as smoke from out-of-control wildfires in northern Alberta billowed across the province. Edmonton was enveloped in smoke, prompting the Air Quality Health Index to jump to a 10+ Thursday afternoon. 
“The drought in [Alaska’s] Southeast has gotten worse. Last week parts of the southern Panhandle dropped into the “extreme drought” range for the first time… 
“[Ireland] Farm incomes declined by more than a fifth last year because of severe weather including storms and drought. 
“The heat wave that closes the month of May in Galicia remains today and tomorrow in Ourense… 
“Climate-change-related drought in Somalia could put 2.2 million people at risk of starvation this year, according to the United Nations.
“On their voyage to oblivion, a tribute of the icebergs of Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord.
“Communities along the swollen Arkansas River in Oklahoma and Arkansas are preparing for further flooding, with the mayor of Tulsa urging thousands of residents behind the city’s aging levees to be ready to evacuate in the event of a ‘worst-case scenario’.
“The severe weather that spawned tornadoes in Kansas and Missouri Tuesday also brought heavy rains that helped set a new record for the wettest May in Kansas City, according to the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill… 
“…it’s not over yet. 
“More tornadoes ripped across the central US overnight and on Wednesday almost 40 million people remain at risk of severe weather across a vast area from Texas to New York… 
“Macon broke yet another high temperature record today, warming to 99 degrees this afternoon. 
“Californians wish they were dreaming as record-breaking cold and wet weather hits… On Sunday and Monday, precipitation fell and temperatures dropped, establishing daily records across the southern two-thirds of the state, from Modesto to Death Valley… 
“Alberta farm incomes plummeted in 2018 due to a “brutal” combination of conditions that included severe drought, wild weather and global trade barriers. 
“Tufted puffins, those adorable black and white birds with big orange beaks, experienced an unusual die-off in the Bering Sea in late 2016 through early 2017. 
“The water will not go down before the middle of June. 
“There is an island in the South Pacific called Henderson Island that used to be a beautiful white sandy beach island. 
“Days of extreme heat and rainfall skyrocketed [in Australia] last summer by several times the 30-year average, delivering the hottest summer on record in another clear signal of the risks posed by climate change, a report by the Actuaries Institutes has found.
“Japan’s heatwave in July 2018 could not have happened without climate change. That is the unequivocal conclusion of a report released last week, as the country battles yet another record-breaking heatwave. 
“The heatwave conditions across India will peak on Monday, and continue until Tuesday. In Delhi, maximum temperatures may remain at around 45°C until next Tuesday. 
““As we start to get drought stress hitting, there will be crop failures and a loss of livestock. It could cause people to migrate and if you can’t migrate, it might cause conflict as people will need to fight with their neighbours for food.” 
“Kenya is facing one of the worst stretches of drought in years, causing underdevelopment, fights over water, and fears of starvation. 
“On Sunday 26th May 2019, heavy rains hit several areas of Uganda including the Capital, Kampala. A number of areas flooded, roads cut off and a lot of property was destructed. 
“The [Cyprus] met office has issued the week’s second yellow weather alert for Thursday, warning temperatures will peak at 41C inland. The warning is in force from 11am until 4pm. 
“Vital water supplies are at risk of running worryingly low as reservoirs are sucked dry in the wake of a baking hot spring that saw little rainfall [UK]… dramatic pictures reveal how these supplies are poised to run empty including one that is usually filled with 500 million gallons of water quickly turning into a bed of cracked mud. 
“The Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers are set to rise to ‘record-breaking’ levels as the Midwest reels from ‘catastrophic’ flooding with more rain to come this week.
“A vicious storm tore through the Kansas City area, spawning tornadoes that left a trail of devastation, as the US reeled from a record run of twisters… 
“In Augusta, Macon, Savannah and Charleston, it was the earliest instance touching the century mark on record. 
“A prolific hail storm pounded Nebraska Monday night and Tuesday morning, battering trees and clogging streets with up to a foot of ice in places. 
“As the climate warms, glaciers are receding on a very human scale. At many trailheads and scenic vistas across the state, this retreat can be observed from one season to the next. It’s hard for hikers to keep up.
“…where I live, near Anchorage in south-central Alaska, the snowpack should be deep enough to support skiing for weeks to come. 
“Otago and Southland’s autumn temperature records are on the verge of falling like autumn leaves this year [New Zealand]. 
“New Zealand scientists are monitoring a possible “catastrophic” 3.5m Antarctic sea-level rise. 
“Torrential rain hit many locations across southern, central and eastern China since May 25, 2019. Residents were trapped in floods and rescuers mobilised to evacuate villagers.”
“Dozens of Burmese star tortoises, an endangered species found only in Myanmar, have died at a sanctuary in Magwe Region due to the extreme heat of the past few weeks, a conservation official said. 
“The Death Valley in the Californian desert is said to be the world’s hottest place. Yesterday (May 28), though, it was a town in India’s water-deprived Vidarbha region that earned the title—even if only for a day. 
“Heavy winter rainfalls led to more wild brush growth than usual, increasing the chance of summer wildfires, says the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Agriculture. 
“The temperature record for the month of May was broken in Istanbul on May 28 with 35.4 degrees Celsius. 
“Severe drought in Somalia is putting over two million people at risk of starvation and forcing thousands out of villages and into a relief camp outside the capital. The United Nations has called for emergency aid to help those in need, including nearly a million Somali children facing hunger. Mohamed Sheikh Nor reports from Mogadishu.”
“Morocco’s Directorate of National Metrology (DMN) has announced that another heat wave is likely to hit several cities across Morocco…
“Last year’s Beast from the East and scorching summer hit bumblebee populations in Scotland and the UK, with numbers dropping to their lowest in the past six years. 
“Atmospheric researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research have now developed a climate model that can accurately depict the frequently observed winding course of the jet stream… 
“Ocean heat content (OHC) set a new record in early 2019, with more warmth in the oceans than at any time since OHC records began in 1940… 
“Parts of the Plains have picked up over a foot of rain in May.
“The low corn planting progress of 30% along with a wet planting season to date and a continued wet forecast played key roles in pushing corn 30 cents higher in just one week on May 17. 
“Augusta and Savannah, Georgia marked record highs for the month of May reaching a peak 101 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday. 
“If it doesn’t feel like a typical Memorial Day in Phoenix, there’s good reason for it. 
“An extended, severe drought in southern Veracruz [Mexico] has proved fatal for rare howler monkeys. 
“Heavy flooding in Paraguay has displaced 70,000 families and is threatening to further inundate the capital Asuncion in the coming weeks, the country’s weather bureau said. 
“At least five people have died and nearly 600 have been hospitalized as a heat wave grips Japan. 
“Several coastal cities in southern Guangdong province including Shenzhen, Zhongshan and Zhuhai – as well as Hong Kong and Macau – experienced more than 12 hours of heavy rainfall. 
“Monday saw heat breaking several records in Ramagundam [India] as mercury touched new heights at 47.2˚C. 
“At least two children were killed by flash floods on Monday in Yemen’s eastern Maarib province, according to witnesses, reports Anadolu Agency. 
“Ellen Madson’s home is now rubble. Cyclone Idai swept through her Malawi village in March and left her with little but a mud-covered teapot. Like hundreds of thousands of people in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe she has been forced to start anew. 
“The Chinese windmill palm tops a list of ornamental plants that are escaping from greenhouses and flourishing in the wild. 
“…as global warming melts the polar sea ice, these marine hunters are increasingly being forced onto land. 
“An unusually warm April followed a top 3 hottest March, and indicates that the Earth is headed for yet another top 3 warmest year on record. In addition, Arctic sea ice extent reached a record low for April, NOAA reports. 