“Scientists aboard a NASA airplane swooped over some of Greenland’s largest glaciers on Monday, spotting melted ice and raging rivers.
“It’s significant, because though it’s not nearly summer, large blue ponds have already formed on the icy ground. NASA’s Operation IceBridge researchers observed this as part of their mission to watch for changes in Earth’s giant masses of polar ice. Greenland, in particular, has been melting at an accelerated rate for some two decades.
“”Although the story of the summer of 2019 in Greenland hasn’t yet been written, it’s starting on a worrying note,” said Joe MacGregor, the project scientist for Operation IceBridge…
“Last week in Greenland — one of the coldest parts on Earth — temperatures measured in the upper 50s to low 60s Fahrenheit…”
“Researcher Santiago de la Peña of Ohio State University’s Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center posted video on Twitter of raging streams of meltwater carving through the surface of Greenland’s Russell Glacier.
““Early May and melt season is already in full swing in western Greenland,” he wrote. “The amount of meltwater at Russell glacier for this time of year is staggering.””
“Today in Utqiaġvik there are two annual hunts when the whales pass by on their migration. The fall hunt has historically been done on open water, and the spring hunt from the ice that attaches to the coast each winter.
“But as temperatures have risen in the Arctic, the ice that serves as the platform for spring whaling has changed dramatically.”
“A convoluted weather pattern will allow warmth and sunshine to build over the northwestern United States, while much of the Southwest turns cool and unsettled with showers through this weekend. This time of the year, sunshine can be a big player in warm versus cool weather. However, the jet stream also plays a big role.”
“Deadly thunderstorms unleashed baseball-sized hail, flooding rainfall and numerous tornadoes across western portions of Texas and Oklahoma Tuesday into late Wednesday as severe conditions jolted the region for a second consecutive day.
“Those same weather elements will remain a threat for a large swath of the country through Thursday as the explosive atmospheric conditions continue to fire up powerful storms across the country.”
“Insurance claims have topped $12bn for the November wildfires in California, making them the most expensive in state history. The figure released Wednesday by the insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara, covers the fire that destroyed the town of Paradise and two southern California blazes.
“Most of the damages relate to the Paradise fire, which killed 85 people and destroyed nearly 19,000 buildings.”
“Paraguay declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in a province along the border with Argentina as torrential rains continued to swell rivers and cause floods…
“The Paraguay River’s normal level is 4 metres, but it has reached 6.75 metres in the capital due to unusually heavy rains since March.”
“Last month, a torrent of water knocked down a wall in Rita de Cassia Goncalves da Silva’s house in the Horto favela behind Rio de Janeiro’s botanical garden, at the foot of the Tijuca rainforest.
““It looked like a horror movie,” the tearful financial assistant told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.”
“Australia’s livestock feed supplies are under threat due to the drought, which is putting pressure on both domestic customers and the export market. Not only is less fodder being grown, but farmers are needing to buy more feed for their animals — meaning exporters and primary producers are either facing shortages or are paying much higher prices.”
“Suzy Browne hasn’t been able to live in her South Hobart home for a year now and she’s “very, very over it”.
“This time last year, water was filling her house from two directions, splattering mud up the walls and destroying most of her family’s belongings. The Browne family have still not returned to their home and are among many Tasmanians still feeling the effects of last year’s flash flooding…”
“If it seems like it has been rainier than usual in Guangzhou this spring, that’s because it has: according to statistics released by the Guangzhou Meteorological Observatory, the city received the third most rainfall since records began…
“Guangzhou received a whopping 819.9 millimeters of rain between the start of the year and May 2, a 74% increase when compared with the average level from the same period in 2018.”
“Walls of fire are burning on both sides of federal R-255 highway from Irkutsk to Angarsk.
“Drivers warn each other about the most threatening areas of the road where the inferno gets too close by sharing videos highlighting the thick clouds of smoke. Spectacular videos and pictures show the carnage being wrought.”
“Several parts of north India continued to reel under scorching heat Wednesday with Jammu recording its season’s hottest day at over 40 degrees Celsius, according to the Meteorological Department.
“Heat wave was observed at isolated places in west Rajasthan where Sri Ganganagar became the hottest place at a maximum of 45.6 degrees c [114f] Celsius.”
“In Karnataka, which has the second highest extent of dry land after Rajasthan, villages like Harogere are left at the deal with the vagaries of the monsoon.
“Kallambella hobli (cluster of villages), where Harogere is located, received “deficient” rains in the southwest monsoon, recording a 29% shortfall over the long period average. This was compounded by the deficit during the northeast monsoon, which was 46%.”
“Zimbabwe’s state-owned power utility on Thursday warned it may ration electricity supplies as low water levels reduce output from its biggest hydro plant, while aging coal-fired generators are shuttered or running at reduced capacity.
“Power cuts would hit the mining sector — which contributes more than two thirds of Zimbabwe’s export earnings — hardest, adding to difficulties in a country already grappling with a lack of U.S. dollars, soaring prices and shortages of fuel, food and medicines.”
“Repeated and increasingly sophisticated armed attacks in the Sahel and food shortages linked to last year’s severe drought, have reached unprecedented levels…
“…putting the future of a “whole generation” at stake, three top UN humanitarian officials said on Wednesday. “
“Environment Agency calls for urgent action to protect country from river and coastal floods…
“Entire communities might need to be moved away from coasts and rivers as the UK takes urgent action to prepare for an average global temperature rise of 4C, the Environment Agency warned.”
“Namibia is facing a “natural disaster” because of poor rains, President Hage Geingob says. He has declared a state of emergency – the second in three years – over the situation, mobilising all government agencies to respond to the drought.
“The lack of rain has already left 500,000 people – one in five Namibians – without access to enough food… The sparsely-populated country has seen a succession of droughts since 2013.”
“The rain has flooded areas of the city and forced the closure of some roads. Dar-es-Salaam has seen 144mm of rain in the last two days, fast approaching the average of 198mm that is expected in the entire month of May.
“Zanzibar has seen even more, with the airport reporting 328mm [roughly 13 inches] of rain in the last three days.”
“Areas recovering from destructive Cyclone Fani will have to endure dangerous temperatures this week as a heat wave builds across northern and eastern India.
“The heat already turned deadly with at least three deaths from sunstroke reported in Andhra Pradesh, according to OneIndia. The hottest locations on any given day will endure temperatures near 45-46 C (113-115 F).”
“Natural disasters affected about 1.7 million people in China last month, with 47 killed, 3 missing and 15,000 relocated, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management Tuesday. Destroying houses and damaging crops, natural disasters caused direct economic losses of 3.23 billion yuan in April (about 477.71 million U.S. dollars), the ministry said.
“The country was mainly hit by floods and hailstorms last month…”
“Torrential rain is pounding eastern Indonesia with the village of Saumlaki on Yamdena Island reporting 281mm [11 inches] of rain in the last two days. As thunderstorms begin to consolidate into a tropical cyclone, there are fears that more heavy rain could trigger landslides in the region.
“Conditions in the Banda Sea in eastern Indonesia are currently favourable for cyclone development.”
“A huge dust storm blanketed the north-west Victorian town of Mildura on Tuesday afternoon, turning daylight to midnight in a matter of minutes as the front blew in from the west.
“Tanvi Mor, who was at the airport when the storm came in about 5pm, said “it seemed to be swallowing Mildura”. Mor said it was Mildura’s worst dust storm in 40 years… “Normally this time of year we’ve had enough rain and we don’t see dust,” he said.”
“Fires, floods and the worst drought in living memory have ravaged Australia in the past year, laying waste to thousands of homes, devastating the livelihoods of farmers and wreaking millions of dollars’ worth of damage. In January, record-breaking temperatures soared so high, for so long that asphalt roads started to melt.”
“Some 40,000 Paraguayans have been evacuated in recent weeks because of flooding from heavy rains across the South American nation… more than 10,000 of the evacuees live in the capital of Asuncion…
“The other evacuees are scattered across the country along the rain-swollen Paraguay River. Its normal stage is 4 metres (13.10 feet), but it has reached 6.92 metres (22.7 feet) in the capital due to unusually heavy rains since March.”
“A fungal plant disease from Asia has been spreading across banana-growing areas of Latin America and the Caribbean since the 1960s.
“New research suggests that climate change is aiding the spread of this highly destructive plant infection. Black sigatoka, commonly known as “black leaf streak,” can reduce the fruit produced by infected plants by up to 80%…”
“The Barbados-based Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) on Monday urged Caribbean countries to “closely monitor water resources and try to conserve as much as possible, at least until June/July” as the drought situation in the region worsens.”
“The heat wave that has been felt in much of Mexico, caused by an atmospheric high pressure system, will intensify from today, so day temperatures are expected from hot to extremely hot in the coast of the Mexican Pacific, the southern Gulf of Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula.
“Therefore, temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius [104f] are estimated in many regions.”
“Hundreds of students were stranded in an elementary school Tuesday night as heavy rain hit southeast Texas.
“A massive downpour kept buses and parents off the roads in Cleveland, Texas and forced Southside Elementary to keep students inside, Cleveland Independent School District spokesperson Susan Ard told CNN.”
“Waves of flooding that began in March have caused significant damage to farmland, homes and businesses throughout the Midwest. At least seven deaths since March have been blamed on flooding.
“Rivers at many communities have been above flood stage for more than six weeks. The worst may not be over. Heavy rain over the central U.S., expected to continue through Thursday, is creating new problems.”
“It’s only the first week of May, but Western Washington is headed into a very August-like stretch of weather… “We’re very concerned already,” state Department of Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Janet Pearce said Tuesday.
“”Our fire season is here now. It’s starting a little earlier than usual.””
“US objections to wording on climate change prevented Arctic nations signing a joint statement at a summit in Finland, delegates said. It is the first time such a statement has been cancelled since the Arctic Council was set up in 1996.
“”Arctic sea lanes could become the 21st-Century Suez and Panama Canals,” Mr Pompeo said. At short notice he cancelled talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Tuesday, in a surprise move.”
“Experts say landslides are becoming more common in Iceland, partially around glaciers and along the island’s south coast.
“Geologist and landslide researcher Þorsteinn Sæmundsson told RÚV there is a need to increase monitoring of areas which are at risk of such geological events, especially those which happen to be popular tourist sites.”
“When permafrost thaws, ancient carbon, sometimes frozen for hundreds of thousands of years, is freed up. As the planet continues to warm, more and more of this frozen carbon is escaping.”
“A forecaster spokesperson said that from May 4-6, “a mass of cold polar air directly from the Arctic [hit, leading to] frosts over lowlands to the foothills of the Pyrenees, often in the range of 0°C to -2°C. Some records, some more than 50 years old, were broken.”
“Among the longest-standing records broken were those registered at Barcelonnette, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (-7.4°C), a weather station that had been open since 1959, which previously had a cold record for May dating back to 1979.”
“A bomb cyclone is set to bring damaging winds, heavy rainfall and localized severe thunderstorms to parts of western Europe beginning on Wednesday… Due to its rapid pressure fall, the storm achieved bomb cyclone status and will bring dangerous weather to parts of western Europe into Thursday.”
“The pattern of El Niño has changed dramatically in recent years, according to the first seasonal record distinguishing different types of El Niño events over the last 400 years.
“A new category of El Niño has become far more prevalent in the last few decades than at any time in the past four centuries. Over the same period, traditional El Niño events have become more intense…
“By the end of the 20th century, though, our research shows a sudden change: a sharp increase of Central Pacific El Niño events becomes evident…
“This extraordinary change in El Niño behaviour has serious implications for societies and ecosystems around the world. For example, the most recent Eastern-Pacific El Niño event in 2015-2016 triggered disease outbreaks across the globe. With the impacts of climate change continuing to unfold, many of the hottest years on record also coincide with El Niño events…
“What’s more, the Pacific Ocean is currently lingering in an El Niño state. With these confounding events, many people around the world are wondering what extreme weather will be inflicted upon them in the months and years to come…”
“Thawing permafrost — an occurrence raising “alarm bells” in Canada’s Arctic — is threatening to sweep away the local cemetery in an N.W.T. community, located on the shores of the Arctic Ocean…
“A study published last week in the journal Nature shows permafrost is thawing much faster than believed in some areas of Canada’s Arctic.
“Researchers have found several metres of soil can destabilize in days versus a few centimetres thawing a year.”
“Earlier this month, wildfire experts warned Yukoners to be extra careful in the bush as the unusually early spring and record-setting temperatures have increased the risk of wildfires in the area.
“Fancie said recent snow has helped with dry conditions but is no guarantee against wildfires.”
“Snowpack in every part of Colorado’s high country is sporting layers of dust, according to a new statewide survey of the state’s winter accumulation. Dust is darker than snow. Just like a black T-shirt on a sunny day, it absorbs more sunlight, causing what’s underneath it to heat up more rapidly. “It’s like holding a magnifying glass up to the snowpack,” Derry said.”
“Heavy flooding continued inundating towns and farmland along rivers in the Midwest on Monday. The swollen Mississippi River forced road closures and forced people from their homes as high water levels are making their way downstream…
“Local news cameras captured dramatic aerial images of the moment floodwaters breached a levee in St. Charles County.”
“We are facing a global, ecological emergency. And human activity is to blame for that. That is what a report on the state of nature on the Earth, due to be released on Monday, is expected to say…
“Rising ocean temperatures are threatening the arctic cod, a fish considered to be a delicacy around the world.”
“Over 110 wildfires have occurred in Russian natural reserves and national parks since the start of 2019, the press service of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said on Monday.”
“Extraordinary weather conditions have brought great challenges in fire prevention to the people working in the Greater Khingan forests in North China this spring…
“Extraordinary weather, including higher temperatures and less rainfall, has brought great challenges to the people guarding the forests.
“At the same time, the firefighting work is facing problems such as aging personnel.”
“At least 20 villages in Barhatta upazila of Netrokona district [Bangladesh] have been marooned as a big portion of a dam… washed away… sending flash floods through 20 villages. More than 5,000 people have been made homeless. The flood caused by incessant rain and the onrush of water coming down from the hills over the last few days has inundated the standing crop on 500 hectares in the upazila, said Netrokona Water Development Board sources.”
“The Sundarbans, 4,000 square miles of marshy land in Bangladesh and India, hosts the world’s largest mangrove forest and a rich ecosystem supporting several hundred animal species, including the endangered Bengal tiger. But 70 percent of the land is just a few feet above sea level…
“Changes wrought by a warming planet will be “enough to decimate” the few hundred or so Bengal tigers remaining there.”
“Drought has left nearly two-million Somalis in desperate need of food, a humanitarian agency warned Monday, as poor rainfall pushes communities to the brink across East Africa.
“The Norwegian Refugee Council said hundreds of thousands of children were already suffering malnutrition in Somalia and millions had abandoned their homes in search of food in the arid, conflict-torn nation.”
“The Namibian government has declared a national state of emergency with respect to a drought that has hit several areas in the southern African nation.
“A statement from the presidency attributed to the president Hage Geingob said:
““the State of Emergency exists on account of the natural disaster of drought in all regions of the Republic of Namibia.””
“The South African wine grape harvest 2019 has hit a record low, largely due to the preceding drought and fluctuating weather conditions during the season, Vinpro announced on Monday… Severe weather fluctuations during bud break and flowering, followed by cool windy conditions during set, contributed to less and uneven bunches and smaller berries.”
“They may be both the least responsible for and most vulnerable to climate change and its consequences: indigenous peoples are facing immediate risks as global warming hits home around the world.
“Being nearby to nature and local natural resources in their daily lives and traditions, indigenous populations are exposed to the effects of climate change.”
“…you can imagine the delight of a toddler seeing [rain] for the first time in South Australia.
“The heartwarming moment the 18-month-old from Petina was captured on video as he ran around his farm watching the puddles grow and feeling the drops fall on his tiny head.
“Imagine getting to 18 months old and never seeing rain…
“Adelaide has the driest start to the year on ever, with only 17.8mm falling since January 1. The previous record was 19.2mm, which was recorded way back in 1888.”
“Shops and homes have been flooded in Victoria’s north-east in a final burst of wild weather that delivered more than 100 millimetres of rain…
“The same band of rain had earlier dumped 69 millimetres of rain on Stawell, more than double the 30 millimetres the town received since January in its driest start to a year since 1996. Meanwhile, meteorologists are still trying to determine if a severe storm which flattened a caravan park in the south-west was a tornado.”
“Rain in parts of Australia’s wheat producing regions has brought relief to some parts of New South Wales, South Australia, but planting may fall 10%.”
“Hundreds of survivors of flash floods in Central Sulawesi’s Sigi regency [Indonesia] are having a hard time getting basic necessities, including fuel, while their mobility is hampered by damaged roads, leaving some districts isolated.
“Governor Longki Djanggola has declared a state of emergency in the area until Saturday.”
“Several districts in northern Sarawak [Malaysia] are facing extreme weather patterns. Limbang, Bintulu, Mukah and Daro districts are hit by floods while Mulu National Park is facing water shortage.
“Folk living near the national park in remote northern Sarawak are facing dry taps.”
“Temperatures in April were among the warmest on record in Hong Kong for the month, according to forecasters. In yet another “exceptionally warm” month…
“Hongkongers sweltered as the mercury rose to the highest for the month last Friday, with temperatures hitting a sizzling 31.5 degrees at the Observatory. The previous day, the daily mean temperature was 28.5 degrees, the joint highest on record for April.”
“So, why the sudden need for cold alerts [in Shanghai]? “More and more extreme cold weather has come into being during the past few years,” Chen Qi, Deputy Division Chief of Observation and Forecast Division of the bureau, explained…
“For example, in 2016 the temperature plummeted to -7 degrees Celsius (19 degrees Fahrenheit).
“The record-breaking cold weather froze a large number of water pipes in some older neighborhoods and caused all sorts of problems to the daily life of residents.”
“Tropical cyclone Fani, the most severe storm to hit the Indian subcontinent in two decades, has made landfall on the coast of the eastern state of Odisha…
“…officials were trying to evacuate the homes of 1 million people in its path.”
“Aid agencies have been struggling to get there by air after this isolated spot in Mozambique was pounded by Cyclone Kenneth and the days of torrential rain which followed have made it practically inaccessible.
“We decided to hire a boat and see if we could look for ourselves. It took us seven hours in rough seas to get there, and on our arrival we were struck by the devastation.”
“The Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) issued an advisory on expected temperatures from 5 May to 10 May, the period which coincides with the first week of the holy month of Ramadan, saying that the country will see an intense heatwave starting Sunday.
“The average number of days with temperature peaks that affect much of Spain has increased threefold from five days between 1975 and 2000 to more than 15 in the last five years.
“The worst waves recorded by the Aemet have been those of 2015, 2003 and 2012. In 2017 there were five different episodes. Extreme temperatures trigger mortality…”
“Although the outgoing winter saw normal rainfall of 210 liters per square meters, Schwarz’s field [in Germany] is already too dry for his vegetables.
“Corina Schube of DWD says that is because “the rainfall of the winter couldn’t compensate for the enormous deficit resulting from the extremely hot and dry summer in 2018. We are lacking between 200 and 300 liters of water per square meter.””
“Just when we thought it was over, Scotland is set for yet another cold snap as temperatures drop close to the lowest on record for the May bank holiday – just a year on from the hottest one ever recorded.”
“Record-breaking weather conditions blew hot and cold in Ireland last month with the coldest ground temperature on record registered in Cork, new data from Met Éireann has shown. Its synopsis for April conditions showed the lowest “grass minimum” was reported at Cork Airport on the 5th which, at -8.6 degrees, was the coldest for the month in at least 57 years.
“Somewhat conversely though, the highest maximum temperature – reported on the 20th at Oak Park in Carlow – of 22.9 degrees was the warmest in 44 years.”
“The wider Caribbean region is being warned to brace for a dry season that could extend well into July
“…weather experts in the region urge government to prepare for eventualities that could be compounded by events associated with the annual hurricane season.”
“If you thought 2018 was a wet year, you are correct. In fact, the State Climate Extreme Committee (SCEC) voted to accept the 2018 rainfall total of 123.45 inches at weather station Jocassee8 WNW located at Walhalla Fish Hatchery as the new official state annual rainfall record for South Carolina.”
“A slow-moving complex of storms continue to produce tornadoes, damaging winds, hail and flooding on Thursday, one day after two people were killed and at least 22 others injured by storms in Oklahoma.
“There were six reported tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas on Wednesday, with 61 damage reports from Texas to Indiana.”
“Amid historic flooding in July 1993, the Mississippi River near Davenport rose to its highest level ever: 22.63 feet.
“That record is no more. The river hit 22.64 feet shortly before noon Thursday, the National Weather Service reported, and the water continues to rise.”
“Grenville-sur-la-Rouge residents are still barred from returning home one week after an evacuation order was issued due to a potential breach in the Chute-Bell hydroelectric dam.
“Those living close to the dam in the Laurentians were forced to leave in a hurry on April 25 when Quebec’s Public Security Ministry launched an emergency alert. The alert is still in effect until Friday night.”
“Much of the U.S. has experienced a very wet start to the year, but California’s wet season ramped down dramatically in mid-April, and there are concerns for significant wildfire potential in parts of the West as the summer unfolds.
“A wet winter is not necessarily good news regarding the potential for wildfires in the summer, especially where summers tend to be dry. This is because the extra precipitation can lead to a more robust growth of grasses and other vegetation that can become fuel for fires as they dry out.”
“Permafrost in some areas of the Canadian Arctic is thawing so fast that it’s gulping up the equipment left there to study it.
“”The ground thaws and swallows it,” said Merritt Turetsky, a University of Guelph biologist whose new research warns the rapid thaw could dramatically increase the amounts of greenhouse gases released from ancient plants and animals frozen within the tundra.”
“India has begun the evacuation of 800,000 people and deployed emergency personnel as the country’s east coast braces for a severe cyclonic storm.
“Tropical Cyclone Fani, located in the Bay of Bengal and packing wind speeds up to 205 km (127 miles) per hour, is expected to make landfall on the coast of Odisha state on Friday.”
The metropolis continues to be gripped by a heatwave with temperatures soaring to 42°C [107.5] on Wednesday. Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued a heatwave alert on its website which states that the maximum temperature will range between 40-42°C till May 4.”
“Five people have died after a deadly dust storm hit southern Iraq.
“More than 60 people were also injured after the storm swept through several cities on Monday. A video filmed in Najaf, where local media reported one person had died, shows a huge sand-coloured cloud slowly descending on the city.”
“Swelled by local rains and snowmelt from Turkey and Iran, both the Tigris and Euphrates and their many tributaries burst their banks and flooded plains and cities in Iraq, despite the country’s considerable networks of dams and canals.
“And despite a trend toward a hotter and drier climate, an unseasonably chilly April and high humidity damaged crops on the farmlands around Baghdad.”
“They have never witnessed or experienced a cyclone in the town of Macomia before. Yet this isolated town found itself in the eye of the storm when a weather system called Kenneth tore through the community. Nothing here was left untouched.
“The meteorologists say it is the first time in recorded history that a cyclone has tracked this far north in Mozambique and the town’s residents still seem shocked.”
“The Atlantic hurricane season doesn’t officially begin for another month, but a tropical disturbance off Florida is threatening to get things kicked off early this year.”
“Severe weather erupted Tuesday across the central United States. Numerous tornadoes touched down in at least five states, with the focus of severe weather fury targeting Oklahoma. Heavy rain and flooding also were common.
“Large zones of three or more inches of rain fell across parts of Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Illinois, in particular.”
“The numbers are in, and Saskatoon saw its driest April on record. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada the airport recorded only 0.4 millimetres of precipitation from April 1 to 30, with that miniscule bit of moisture falling on the first two days of the month. That represents only two per cent of the typical April precipitation for the area.”
“The cemetery has already been moved twice, the old school is underwater and the new one is facing the same fate as erosion constantly eats away at the land in Napakiak.
“The tiny village located in southwestern Alaska, along the meandering Kuskokwim River, is one of dozens of coastal indigenous communities across the state that are on the front lines of climate change, their very existence and way of life threatened by the warming temperatures.”
“Earth scientists are talking a lot about ice right now. I met quite a few of them at the European Geosciences Union general assembly in Vienna, Austria.
“One particularly eye-opening moment came when Harry Zekollari from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands showed me how his computer models indicate that half of Alpine glaciers are doomed by mid-century, whatever action we now take to curb carbon emissions. If anything, the models seem a conservative representation of facts on the ground…”
“The driest wet season in decades has failed to replenish groundwater levels across the Darwin [Australia] rural area and could soon see residents like Simon Smith run out of water completely…
“”Twenty-four hours without water in a nursery and you’re talking tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars of plant losses,” he said.”
“Western Victoria [Australia] copped the brunt of the overnight rain, which dumped 69mm on Stawell – including 48mm in just one hour – in the town’s highest one-day total on record… a mini tornado caused more than $1 million of damage at Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park in the state’s west, according to The Warrnambool Standard…
“Human activity has probably had an impact on the world’s risk of drought since the start of the 20th century, according to a new study, which also predicts that droughts related to climate change will get much worse.
“This could come at a great cost. Each drought costs the United States about $9.5 billion, according to government statistics. It is the second most costly weather disaster, behind tropical cyclones. Droughts can drive up the cost of food, threaten drinking water, increase the risk of wildfires, cause mass migrations and even hurt people’s health.”
I must admit that, futile though it is, this made me happy. In part, I suppose, because it is vindication of sorts for those of us who have been deeply concerned about the climate for a while now.
“Cyclone Fani is only the second severe cyclone in the last 118 years to form in the Bay of Bengal (BOB) in the month of April and cross over to the Indian mainland, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). “The last severe cyclone, Nargis, devastated Myanmar in 2008,” said M Rajeevan, secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences on Twitter.
“He further added that “in between 1891-2017, only 14 severe tropical cyclones formed in April over BOB and only one storm crossed the Indian mainland.”
“April cyclones are rare and the track and severity of Fani makes it even rarer. In recent times, cyclones have either had unusual timing, like Cyclone Pabuk in January, or they have intensified rapidly before making landfall, like Cyclone Ockhi in 2017 and Cyclone Titli last year.
“In fact, the IMD in October last year, had called the formation of the two very severe cyclones—Titli and Luban—on two sides of the Indian mainland as the ‘rarest of rare’ occurrences. The IMD had also said that the movement of both these storms was unique. While Titli changed its direction and moved towards the northeast after making a landfall, Luban too kept going in different directions over the nine days that it travelled through the south-eastern Arabian Sea towards Yemen and Oman on the Gulf of Oman coast and then made landfall on October 13…
“Seas and oceans have been unusually warm this March. Globally, the month of March 2019 was the second-hottest ever recorded since observations began 140 years ago, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).”
“With most parts of Maharashtra [India] reeling under drought wild animals like tigers and leopards are moving out of forest areas and into bordering villages in search of water, according to information available from the state forest department… This has led to worsening of man-animal conflict…
WLast week, 45-year old Kavdu Masram, a resident of Jatlapur village in this district, was mauled to death by a tiger…”
“Intense heat baked Delhiites on Tuesday afternoon, with city breaking several records. Today, Palam Observatory in Delhi recorded day maximum at 45.3°C, which is equal to what city had recorded 49 years before on April 25, 1970…
“Skymet Weather does not see any relief from the ongoing hot weather conditions across Delhi-NCR in the coming days as well. Maximum temperatures are likely to settle in the similar range from 42°C-45°C.”
“Torrential rain continued to batter northern Mozambique on Tuesday, several days after Cyclone Kenneth, as the United Nations said aid workers faced “an incredibly difficult situation” in reaching thousands of survivors.
“The rains grounded aid operations for a third consecutive day leaving some of the worst-hit communities cut off with very limited supplies.”
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared seven days of national mourning for those who lost their lives in the recent floods which ravaged parts of South Africa…
“Ramaphosa visited flood-stricken communities and assured residents that the government would help communities in their rescue and recovery efforts. He also welcomed material and social support extended to affected communities by various sectors of society.”
“The National Water Commission [of Jamaica] says it will be implementing water restrictions for sections of the Corporate Area as of Monday as it indicated that several of its water supply systems across the island are being affected by worsening drought conditions.”
“Davenport abruptly joined the ranks of Iowa regions ravaged by muddy floodwaters this spring when the Mississippi River rushed into the downtown of the state’s third-largest city Tuesday afternoon.
“The HESCO barriers holding back floodwaters from the river failed, local media reported, spilling fast-moving waters into the eastern Iowa city with a population of 100,000. The inundation was so sudden that emergency responders had to rescue people from buildings.”
“To say Graeme Olmsted has had a streak of bad luck over the last seven months would be an understatement. His home in Trend-Arlington was damaged extensively by the EF-2 tornado that tore through the west Ottawa neighbourhood on Sept. 21, 2018… now, he’s fighting a bigger battle against water damage:
“…the swollen Ottawa River is on the brink of flooding the riverfront home he’s been renting with his wife and two children in Crystal Bay west of downtown.”
“The drinking water in Paradise, California, where 85 people died last year in the nation’s worst wildfire in a century, is contaminated with the cancer-causing chemical benzene, officials said.
“Officials said they believe the contamination happened after the November firestorm created a toxic combination of gases in burning homes that got sucked into the water pipes as residents and firefighters drew water heavily.”
“Dry conditions this spring have put many people in north central Washington on edge.
“As wildfires become more frequent and intense, the disappearance of snow now ushers in a season of higher anxiety for those who have experienced the destruction of wildfire. And this spring feels particularly ominous, with water levels in ponds and lakes already exposing bathtub rings of pale earth that wouldn’t normally be visible until the end of the dry summer months.”
“The Alaska Division of Forestry is warning Alaskans in the Southcentral region of the state about high fire danger. Division of Forestry spokesperson Tim Mowry said over a dozen wildfires cropped up around the state over the weekend…
“Mowry said that earlier snowmelts and later winters around the state have led to a longer fire season.”
“This much is clear: the Arctic is warming fast, and frozen soils are starting to thaw… As the temperature of the ground rises above freezing, microorganisms break down organic matter in the soil.
“Greenhouse gases — including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide — are released into the atmosphere, accelerating global warming. Soils in the permafrost region hold twice as much carbon as the atmosphere does — almost 1,600 billion tonnes.”
“The average temperature in Taiwan this spring has been the highest since the country began collecting weather data in 1947, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said Tuesday…
“…the temperature averaged 22.23 degrees Celsius in the period February to April, soaring past the previous average record of 20.51 degrees.”
“The Northern Territory [Australia] has “well and truly smashed records” with its recent wet season, experiencing the hottest on record and the driest in 27 years.
“The extraordinary season, which made headlines for extreme heat in some communities and horrific animal die-offs, was consistent with the story of climate change affecting the region, the Bureau of Meteorology (Bom) said.”
“Melbourne has just endured its driest first four months of the year. The Victorian capital has counted just 49 mm of rainfall from January to the end of April.
“That’s the lowest on record for the first four months of the year — and less than a quarter of the average it would normally expect over that period.”
“NIWA says New Zealand is in for “several spells of unseasonable warmth” over the next three months.
“During April, marine heatwave conditions continued in the Tasman Sea, and warmer than average sea surface temperatures are forecast to persist during the coming three-month period.”
“Reef corals in equatorial regions are going to start moving towards the poles as climate change takes hold, scientists have said.
“By analyzing the ranges of reefs from the fossil record, researchers were able to build a picture of how these systems respond to climate change—and then project how they might respond under future global warming.”
“Glaciers from almost half of natural World Heritage sites — such as the Khumbu Glacier in the Himalayas — may disappear completely by 2100, if emissions continue at current rate, a study warns.
“The research is the first-ever global study of World Heritage glaciers — home to some of the world’s most iconic glaciers, such as the Grosser Aletschgletscher in the Swiss Alps, and Greenland’s Jakobshavn Isbrae, scientists said.”
“As far as I know, your work is unique in pulling together stories from all over the world. Very sobering but a better and more complete view. Terrific and necessary work. Thank you!” – Simon
“With the inundation of so much depressing news, Justin Panopticon presents it in a succinct format that one can quickly go thru and see the big picture of climate and economics/politics to stay current and if a particle topic is of interest one can delve into the details… I try never to miss any of his posts…I am a Patreon of his work.”
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Weekday updates on both climate change and the global economy. Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.
“Scientists aboard a NASA airplane swooped over some of Greenland’s largest glaciers on Monday, spotting melted ice and raging rivers.
“Researcher Santiago de la Peña of Ohio State University’s Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center posted video on Twitter of raging streams of meltwater carving through the surface of Greenland’s Russell Glacier.
“Today in Utqiaġvik there are two annual hunts when the whales pass by on their migration. The fall hunt has historically been done on open water, and the spring hunt from the ice that attaches to the coast each winter. 
“While the calendar suggests it should be spring, Mother Nature surprised portions of Minnesota with a winter storm Wednesday afternoon and evening.”
“Deadly thunderstorms unleashed baseball-sized hail, flooding rainfall and numerous tornadoes across western portions of Texas and Oklahoma Tuesday into late Wednesday as severe conditions jolted the region for a second consecutive day. 
“Insurance claims have topped $12bn for the November wildfires in California, making them the most expensive in state history. The figure released Wednesday by the insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara, covers the fire that destroyed the town of Paradise and two southern California blazes. 
“Paraguay declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in a province along the border with Argentina as torrential rains continued to swell rivers and cause floods… 
“Last month, a torrent of water knocked down a wall in Rita de Cassia Goncalves da Silva’s house in the Horto favela behind Rio de Janeiro’s botanical garden, at the foot of the Tijuca rainforest. 
“Suzy Browne hasn’t been able to live in her South Hobart home for a year now and she’s “very, very over it”. 
“If it seems like it has been rainier than usual in Guangzhou this spring, that’s because it has: according to statistics released by the Guangzhou Meteorological Observatory, the city received the third most rainfall since records began… 
“Walls of fire are burning on both sides of federal R-255 highway from Irkutsk to Angarsk. 
“Several parts of north India continued to reel under scorching heat Wednesday with Jammu recording its season’s hottest day at over 40 degrees Celsius, according to the Meteorological Department. 
“In Karnataka, which has the second highest extent of dry land after Rajasthan, villages like Harogere are left at the deal with the vagaries of the monsoon. 
“Zimbabwe’s state-owned power utility on Thursday warned it may ration electricity supplies as low water levels reduce output from its biggest hydro plant, while aging coal-fired generators are shuttered or running at reduced capacity. 
“Repeated and increasingly sophisticated armed attacks in the Sahel and food shortages linked to last year’s severe drought, have reached unprecedented levels… 
“Environment Agency calls for urgent action to protect country from river and coastal floods… 
“In Angola, there has not been enough rain to end months of severe drought that has left 2.3 million people struggling to get the food they need.
“Namibia is facing a “natural disaster” because of poor rains, President Hage Geingob says. He has de
“The heavy rains were predicted in many parts of Kenya yesterday pummelled the neighbourhood of Ruaka. 
“The rain has flooded areas of the city and forced the closure of some roads. Dar-es-Salaam has seen 144mm of rain in the last two days, fast approaching the average of 198mm that is expected in the entire month of May. 
“Areas recovering from destructive Cyclone Fani will have to endure dangerous temperatures this week as a heat wave builds across northern and eastern India. 
“Natural disasters affected about 1.7 million people in China last month, with 47 killed, 3 missing and 15,000 relocated, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management Tuesday. Destroying houses and damaging crops, natural disasters caused direct economic losses of 3.23 billion yuan in April (about 477.71 million U.S. dollars), the ministry said. 
“Torrential rain is pounding eastern Indonesia with the village of Saumlaki on Yamdena Island reporting 281mm [11 inches] of rain in the last two days. As thunderstorms begin to consolidate into a tropical cyclone, there are fears that more heavy rain could trigger landslides in the region. 
“A huge dust storm blanketed the north-west Victorian town of Mildura on Tuesday afternoon, turning daylight to midnight in a matter of minutes as the front blew in from the west.
“Some 40,000 Paraguayans have been evacuated in recent weeks because of flooding from heavy rains across the South American nation… more than 10,000 of the evacuees live in the capital of Asuncion… 
“A fungal plant disease from Asia has been spreading across banana-growing areas of Latin America and the Caribbean since the 1960s. 
“The Barbados-based Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) on Monday urged Caribbean countries to “closely monitor water resources and try to conserve as much as possible, at least until June/July” as the drought situation in the region worsens.”
“The heat wave that has been felt in much of Mexico, caused by an atmospheric high pressure system, will intensify from today, so day temperatures are expected from hot to extremely hot in the coast of the Mexican Pacific, the southern Gulf of Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula. 
“Hundreds of students were stranded in an elementary school Tuesday night as heavy rain hit southeast Texas. 
“Waves of flooding that began in March have caused significant damage to farmland, homes and businesses throughout the Midwest. At least seven deaths since March have been blamed on flooding. 
“It’s only the first week of May, but Western Washington is headed into a very August-like stretch of weather… “We’re very concerned already,” state Department of Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Janet Pearce said Tuesday. 
“US objections to wording on climate change prevented Arctic nations signing a joint statement at a summit in Finland, delegates said. It is the first time such a statement has been cancelled since the Arctic Council was set up in 1996.
“Experts say landslides are becoming more common in Iceland, partially around glaciers and along the island’s south coast. 
“A forecaster spokesperson said that from May 4-6, “a mass of cold polar air directly from the Arctic [hit, leading to] frosts over lowlands to the foothills of the Pyrenees, often in the range of 0°C to -2°C. Some records, some more than 50 years old, were broken.”
“The pattern of El Niño has changed dramatically in recent years, according to the first seasonal record distinguishing different types of El Niño events over the last 400 years.
“Thawing permafrost — an occurrence raising “alarm bells” in Canada’s Arctic — is threatening to sweep away the local cemetery in an N.W.T. community, located on the shores of the Arctic Ocean… 
“Earlier this month, wildfire experts warned Yukoners to be extra careful in the bush as the unusually early spring and record-setting temperatures have increased the risk of wildfires in the area. 
“It feels like summer… The temperature reached 83 degrees Monday for Portland… 
“Heavy flooding continued inundating towns and farmland along rivers in the Midwest on Monday. The swollen Mississippi River forced road closures and forced people from their homes as high water levels are making their way downstream… 
“We are facing a global, ecological emergency. And human activity is to blame for that. That is what a report on the state of nature on the Earth, due to be released on Monday, is expected to say… 
“Extraordinary weather conditions have brought great challenges in fire prevention to the people working in the Greater Khingan forests in North China this spring… 
“The Sundarbans, 4,000 square miles of marshy land in Bangladesh and India, hosts the world’s largest mangrove forest and a rich ecosystem supporting several hundred animal species, including the endangered Bengal tiger. But 70 percent of the land is just a few feet above sea level… 
“Drought has left nearly two-million Somalis in desperate need of food, a humanitarian agency warned Monday, as poor rainfall pushes communities to the brink across East Africa. 
“The Namibian government has declared a national state of emergency with respect to a drought that has hit several areas in the southern African nation. 
“They may be both the least responsible for and most vulnerable to climate change and its consequences: indigenous peoples are facing immediate risks as global warming hits home around the world. 
Some light relief for Friday:
“Shops and homes have been flooded in Victoria’s north-east in a final burst of wild weather that delivered more than 100 millimetres of rain… 
“Hundreds of survivors of flash floods in Central Sulawesi’s Sigi regency [Indonesia] are having a hard time getting basic necessities, including fuel, while their mobility is hampered by damaged roads, leaving some districts isolated. 
“Several districts in northern Sarawak [Malaysia] are facing extreme weather patterns. Limbang, Bintulu, Mukah and Daro districts are hit by floods while Mulu National Park is facing water shortage. 
“Temperatures in April were among the warmest on record in Hong Kong for the month, according to forecasters. In yet another “exceptionally warm” month… 
“So, why the sudden need for cold alerts [in Shanghai]? “More and more extreme cold weather has come into being during the past few years,” Chen Qi, Deputy Division Chief of Observation and Forecast Division of the bureau, explained…
“Tropical cyclone Fani, the most severe storm to hit the Indian subcontinent in two decades, has made landfall on the coast of the eastern state of Odisha… 
“Aid agencies have been struggling to get there by air after this isolated spot in Mozambique was pounded by Cyclone Kenneth and the days of torrential rain which followed have made it practically inaccessible. 
“The Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) issued an advisory on expected temperatures from 5 May to 10 May, the period which coincides with the first week of the holy month of Ramadan, saying that the country will see an intense heatwave starting Sunday. 
“The average number of days with temperature peaks that affect much of Spain has increased threefold from five days between 1975 and 2000 to more than 15 in the last five years. 
“Although the outgoing winter saw normal rainfall of 210 liters per square meters, Schwarz’s field [in Germany] is already too dry for his vegetables. 
“Record-breaking weather conditions blew hot and cold in Ireland last month with the coldest ground temperature on record registered in Cork, new data from Met Éireann has shown. Its synopsis for April conditions showed the lowest “grass minimum” was reported at Cork Airport on the 5th which, at -8.6 degrees, was the coldest for the month in at least 57 years.
“The wider Caribbean region is being warned to brace for a dry season that could extend well into July
“A slow-moving complex of storms continue to produce tornadoes, damaging winds, hail and flooding on Thursday, one day after two people were killed and at least 22 others injured by storms in Oklahoma. 
“Amid historic flooding in July 1993, the Mississippi River near Davenport rose to its highest level ever: 22.63 feet. 
“Grenville-sur-la-Rouge residents are still barred from returning home one week after an evacuation order was issued due to a potential breach in the Chute-Bell hydroelectric dam. 
“The calendar says May 2 but looking at Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, you might not believe it. Marquette County saw record breaking snowfall Wednesday.
“Much of the U.S. has experienced a very wet start to the year, but California’s wet season ramped down dramatically in mid-April, and there are concerns for significant wildfire potential in parts of the West as the summer unfolds.
“Permafrost in some areas of the Canadian Arctic is thawing so fast that it’s gulping up the equipment left there to study it. 
“India has begun the evacuation of 800,000 people and deployed emergency personnel as the country’s east coast braces for a severe cyclonic storm.
“KARACHI: 
“Five people have died after a deadly dust storm hit southern Iraq. 
“Swelled by local rains and snowmelt from Turkey and Iran, both the Tigris and Euphrates and their many tributaries burst their banks and flooded plains and cities in Iraq, despite the country’s considerable networks of dams and canals. 
“They have never witnessed or experienced a cyclone in the town of Macomia before. Yet this isolated town found itself in the eye of the storm when a weather system called Kenneth tore through the community. Nothing here was left untouched. 
“In less than 24 hours it rained more than 200 millimeters in some sectors of Alto Paraguay, and as a result the isolation situation worsened. 
“Spring was on fast forward last month as the April temperature leaped to its second-highest level on record. 
“Severe weather erupted Tuesday across the central United States. Numerous tornadoes touched down in at least five states, with the focus of severe weather fury targeting Oklahoma. Heavy rain and flooding also were common. 
“The numbers are in, and Saskatoon saw its driest April on record. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada the airport recorded only 0.4 millimetres of precipitation from April 1 to 30, with that miniscule bit of moisture falling on the first two days of the month. 
“The cemetery has already been moved twice, the old school is underwater and the new one is facing the same fate as erosion constantly eats away at the land in Napakiak. 
“Earth scientists are talking a lot about ice right now. I met quite a few of them at the European Geosciences Union general assembly in Vienna, Austria. 
“The driest wet season in decades has failed to replenish groundwater levels across the Darwin [Australia] rural area and could soon see residents like Simon Smith run out of water completely… 
“Western Victoria [Australia] copped the brunt of the overnight rain, which dumped 69mm on Stawell – including 48mm in just one hour – in the town’s highest one-day total on record… a mini tornado caused more than $1 million of damage at Lake Purrumbete Holiday Park in the state’s west, according to The Warrnambool Standard… 
“Human activity has probably had an impact on the world’s risk of drought since the start of the 20th century, according to a new study, which also predicts that droughts related to climate change will get much worse.
I must admit that, futile though it is, this made me happy. 
“Cyclone Fani is only the second severe cyclone in the last 118 years to form in the Bay of Bengal (BOB) in the month of April and cross over to the Indian mainland, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). “The last severe cyclone, Nargis, devastated Myanmar in 2008,” said M Rajeevan, secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences on Twitter.
“With most parts of Maharashtra [India] reeling under drought wild animals like tigers and leopards are moving out of forest areas and into bordering villages in search of water, according to information available from the state forest department… This has led to worsening of man-animal conflict… 
“Intense heat baked Delhiites on Tuesday afternoon, with city breaking several records. Today, Palam Observatory in Delhi recorded day maximum at 45.3°C, which is equal to what city had recorded 49 years before on April 25, 1970… 
“Torrential rain continued to batter northern Mozambique on Tuesday, several days after Cyclone Kenneth, as the United Nations said aid workers faced “an incredibly difficult situation” in reaching thousands of survivors. 
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared seven days of national mourning for those who lost their lives in the recent floods which ravaged parts of South Africa…
“Several rounds of severe storms continue to move through the central United States, sparking tornadoes, hail, and flooding Tuesday. 
“Davenport abruptly joined the ranks of Iowa regions ravaged by muddy floodwaters this spring when the Mississippi River rushed into the downtown of the state’s third-largest city Tuesday afternoon.
“To say Graeme Olmsted has had a streak of bad luck over the last seven months would be an understatement. His home in Trend-Arlington was damaged extensively by the EF-2 tornado that tore through the west Ottawa neighbourhood on Sept. 21, 2018… now, he’s fighting a bigger battle against water damage: 
“The drinking water in Paradise, California, where 85 people died last year in the nation’s worst wildfire in a century, is contaminated with the cancer-causing chemical benzene, officials said. 
“The Alaska Division of Forestry is warning Alaskans in the Southcentral region of the state about high fire danger. Division of Forestry spokesperson Tim Mowry said over a dozen wildfires cropped up around the state over the weekend… 
“This much is clear: the Arctic is warming fast, and frozen soils are starting to thaw… As the temperature of the ground rises above freezing, microorganisms break down organic matter in the soil. 
“The average temperature in Taiwan this spring has been the highest since the country began collecting weather data in 1947, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said Tuesday… 
“The Northern Territory [Australia] has “well and truly smashed records” with its recent wet season, experiencing the hottest on record and the driest in 27 years. 
“Melbourne has just endured its driest first four months of the year. The Victorian capital has counted just 49 mm of rainfall from January to the end of April. 
“NIWA says New Zealand is in for “several spells of unseasonable warmth” over the next three months. 
“Reef corals in equatorial regions are going to start moving towards the poles as climate change takes hold, scientists have said. 
“Glaciers from almost half of natural World Heritage sites — such as the Khumbu Glacier in the Himalayas — may disappear completely by 2100, if emissions continue at current rate, a study warns. 