“Cyclone ‘Fani’ is likely to intensify into an ‘extremely severe cyclonic storm’ by late night and can hit the Odisha coast by Friday afternoon, the India Meteorological Department said Tuesday.
“In its 12 pm bulletin, the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said Fani (pronounced as Foni) lays over southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, about 830 km nearly south of Puri (Odisha) and 670 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and about 680 km northeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka).
“It is very likely to intensify further into an extremely severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours. It is very likely to move northwestwards till May 1 evening and thereafter recurve north-northeastwards and reach Odisha coast by May 3 afternoon with maximum sustained wind of speed 170-180 kilometers per hour gusting to 200 kmph [124mph],” the IMD said.
“Since March, Iran has been ravaged by record rainfall and unprecedented flash flooding. At least 26 of 31 provinces have been impacted by the deadly floods.
“One city received 70% of its annual rainfall in a single day. Dozens of people have died… Pictures and videos posted on social media show total destruction.”
“The number of known fatalities rose to 38 in Mozambique on Monday as areas slowly began to assess damage from Cyclone Kenneth. As feared… serious flooding has unfolded in recent days… Floodwaters are waist high in parts of Pemba, and homes have collapsed… Nearly 700,000 people may have been impacted… More than 35,000 homes in northernmost Cabo Delgado were partially or fully destroyed by Kenneth.
“Kenneth is the first tropical cyclone with the equivalent of hurricane strength to strike Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado since modern record-keeping began 60 years ago.”
“After a record-breaking monsoon season and being affected by both Cyclone Penny and Trevor, the Peninsula Development Rd [Queensland, Australia] is now open and in generally good condition.”
“The wet tropics world heritage area in north Queensland has been damaged by climate change in a manner “equivalent” to coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef, the area’s management authority has said. In an extraordinary statement issued on Monday, the authority’s board said the tropical rainforest was in “accelerating decline” and that some of the area’s unique species were at imminent risk of extinction.
“Large numbers of inhabitants are still evacuated in Chaco [Argentina] and the losses are already incalculable.
“Although the climatic conditions improved, the situation continues to be critical. Against this background, the Government reinforced the assistance for those affected. The constant rain that fell in the province left houses flooded and affected near a million hectares of land.”
“…we are observing in the [Panama] canal area that climatic events are becoming increasingly extreme. …
“The biggest droughts and the eight or nine largest storms have occurred in the last 20 years, in the same way that 2014 to 2016 were the driest years in the canal’s history.”
“The Directorate of Civil Protection of Haiti today reiterated the national alert on floods and landslides throughout the national territory…
“They also pointed out that the rainy season, scheduled to begin next Wednesday, should be intense, taking into account the considerable damage of recent rainfall, especially in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, and other cities in Haiti.”
““This year’s flooding is very extreme,” said Ursule Boyer-Villemaire, an associate professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal who specializes in disaster management and climate resilience planning. Climate change means that catastrophic flooding will only become more common…
“The fact that two so-called “hundred-year floods” occurred so close together has climate preparedness experts concerned.”
“Seventy years ago, Alaska’s Excelsior Glacier stretched its cold fingers from a vast plain in the state’s southern edge nearly all the way to the North Pacific Ocean. Now, the glacier is separated from the sea by a meltwater lake more than five times the size of New York City’s Central Park.
“In a recent blog post on the American Geophysical Union (AGU) website, glaciologist Mauri Pelto of Nichols College in Massachusetts shows how that relatively new lake — now called Big Johnstone Lake — has more than doubled in size over the last 24 years.”
“Thousands of starfish have been washed ashore in a “sea of orange” after they were ripped from reefs by Storm Hannah. Hayley Jenkins, 34, spotted the mass of starfish on a Talacre beach, near her home in Flintshire, on Sunday.
“Storm Hannah brought winds of up to 80mph to parts of Wales last week and saw power cuts and major routes affected.”
“Rising temperatures are hitting Britain and some cities are now far warmer than they were in the 20th century, reveals a study of historical weather records across the UK.
“As a result, many parts of the UK have already exceeded the 2.9°F (1.6°C) target cap for temperature increases laid out in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.”
“April 2019 is the 13th consecutive month with warmer than average weather in Germany, a record since measurements began in 1881, Germany’s National Meteorological Service (DWD) says in a press release.
““We’re witnessing climate change live,” said DWD president Gerhard Adrian. At 9.6 degrees Celsius in April, the temperature average was 2.2 degrees above the internationally agreed reference period of 1961 to 1990, said DWD.”
“Record-breaking heatwaves and droughts in 2018 and recent years were connected to a newly identified pattern of the jet stream that encircles the Earth, according to a study by scientists at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the German institute announced on Monday.”
“Part of the world’s largest ice shelf is melting 10 times faster than expected due to the sea warming around it, research shows.
“The Ross Ice Shelf, a floating slab of Antarctic ice the size of France which juts into the ocean, is more vulnerable to global warming than previously thought.”
“According to the latest government data, nearly 8,000 people have been forced from their homes in Quebec – more than in 2017, during what was then the area’s worst flooding in half a century.
“The barrier protecting Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, just west of Montreal, gave way last Saturday night, causing a surge of water of up to 1.5m to crash through the area.
“We didn’t have time to do anything, the water rose while were chatting, I just had time to take my medication,” one resident told public broadcaster Radio-Canada.”
“With the calendar nearing May, north-central United States residents witnessed an unusual sight as more than 2 inches of snow fell in Chicago for the first time in more than a century…
“”The last time 2 inches of snow fell this late was back in 1910, so it is very uncommon for this late in the year,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert said.”
“Thousands of people are without power as high winds slam the Canterbury region this evening [New Zealand. According to reports on the Orion Group website 4137 homes across Christchurch and Banks Peninsula were without power as of 5:30pm.
“The MetService reports a wind gust of 159km/h [99 mph] was recorded in Banks Peninsula this afternoon.”
“Floods sparked by torrential rains have killed nearly 40 in Indonesia with a dozen more still missing, officials said Monday, marking the latest calamity for a disaster-prone nation.
“On Monday, Indonesia’s disaster agency confirmed 29 deaths and said at least 13 more people were missing in Sumatra island’s Bengkulu province.”
“A total of 210 flights were canceled as of 4 pm Saturday at the Baiyun International Airport in southern China’s Guangzhou after torrential rain hit the city… A rainstorm hit northern Guangdong province and the Pearl River Delta region at the weekend, according to the provincial meteorological observatory.
“The observatory said that severe convection weather is likely to occur over the next three days, calling on authorities to be well-prepared to cope with any emergencies caused by the rainstorm.”
“Yangon, the commercial capital of Myanmar, recorded 42 degrees Celsius on Friday. According to records retrieved from archives held by the Deutscher Wetterdienst, this was a new record for the city.
“The previous April high temperature was listed as 41.1C. These records go back to 1881.”
“Even before it is May—considered the hottest month in the year for this region—day temperatures are soaring through the roof in Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring Vidarbha in Maharashtra [India], setting world records.
“On Sunday, Khargone in southwestern part of MP recorded maximum day temperature of 47.5 degrees celsius [117.5f] – the hottest in entire world according to weather website…”
“With many parts of India are reeling from a severe drought, women in rural villages are risking their lives to fetch water for their families.
“Water sources have virtually dried up in 25 villages of Trimbakeshwar Taluka in Nashik District of western India, so many women are forced to make the treacherous descent down the walls to draw water at the bottom.”
“Cyclone Fani, currently over the southeast Bay of Bengal and the adjoining East Equatorial Indian Ocean, is likely to intensify into a “very severe cyclonic storm” on Monday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday…
“Under the impact of the cyclone, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are likely to receive heavy rains on April 30 and May 1.”
“The Sindh government and Karachi Municipal Corporation [Pakistan] on Monday issued heatwave alerts to all the concerned departments and emergency services.
“All the 13 health facilities under KMC management were put on high alert to address any untoward situation in the metropolis.”
““This is the worst damage from flooding in over 50 years in the country,” said Olivier Vandecasteele, Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) country director in Iran. “The floods have driven communities from their homes and entire villages have washed away.”
“The past days have seen flooding hit Sistan and Baluchistan province in the south-east and most areas in Khuzestan province in the south-west continue to be under water. Recent alerts for recurring floods in Golestan Province have brought concerns to the already impacted communities. It is estimated that 10 million people have been affected by the floods since they first hit in March, while up to 2 million may need aid, according to UN.”
“This month, 39 temperature records have been broken in Latvia…
“Three of these are highest temperature records for the entire month of April. Monthly record highs were set last Saturday, April 27, in Rezekne, Ventspils and Liepaja, where air temperatures rose to 25.9 degrees, 26.1 degrees, and 27 degrees Celsius [80.6f] respectively.”
“Scotland has already been hit by more wildfires in the first four months of 2019 than the whole of last year as senior firefighters and scientists warned the number will only rise due to climate change…
“Experts fear a dry winter has left countryside more combustible… In Scotland, fire crews spent four days last week tackling a blaze in Moray – the UK’s biggest ever wildfire. Another fire in Skye spread across five square miles of forestry.”
“The strongest cyclone ever to hit Mozambique has made landfall in the country’s north, five weeks after Cyclone Idai devastated its centre, according to meteorologists.
“Surpassing both Idai and the 2000 cyclone that had been the strongest to date, Cyclone Kenneth hit Cabo Delgado province with wind speeds of 140mph (225km/h), bringing the threat of extreme rainfall…
“The storm is expected to stall inland for several days and around one metre of rain is expected in the area north of the city of Pemba, more than the usual average for an entire year in the region…
“Cyclones of this magnitude are rare in the region, and two within just over a month was unknown until now.”
“…grazing conditions being experienced in most parts of the country [Namibia] amidst poor and below average rainfall led to 63 712 animals dying in six months, the Food Security Situation Report of March 2019 reveals.
“The ministry of agriculture released its follow-up report on food security on 4 April 2019, which assessed the crops’ prospects and livestock situation for 2019 to establish the country’s stance in terms of food security.”
“The city [Gadag, Karnataka, India] is witnessing its hottest summer in the last 78 years. The highest temperature ever recorded in the twin cities of Gadag-Betageri was in 1941, a maximum temperature of 41.1 degree Celsius.
“Thursday’s maximum temperature was 41 degree Celsius… The Met department predicts the mercury level to go up to 42 degree Celsius…
“Cambodian authorities have ordered a one-hour reduction in the length of school days because of concerns that students and teachers may fall ill from a prolonged heat wave….
“The current heat wave, in which temperatures are regularly reaching as high as 41 Celsius (106 Fahrenheit), is one of the longest in memory.”
“April data over a hundred years show Hanoi experiencing a record high temperature of 38.9 degrees Celsius this year. The hottest time in Vietnam usually falls in June, but this April has seen a heat wave sweep the country, and Hanoi has not been spared… Hanoi peaked at 38.9 degrees (102 degrees Fahrenheit)
“…This surpassed the record of 38.5 degrees Celsius in April 1919, the national weather office said.”
“Torrential rain triggered flooding in parts of the Indonesian capital Jakarta overnight, the disaster agency said Friday (Apr 26), forcing the evacuation of residents.
“Heavy rain pounded the greater Jakarta area, causing the Ciliwung river to burst its banks, and prompting flash flooding in at least 17 communities.”
“In early 2019, many areas in Queensland received more than their annual rainfall in less than a week. The downpour led to millions of dollars’ worth of damage, including homes being destroyed and the loss of almost 500 000 cattle.
“This [satellite] image was captured a few days after the torrential rain, and shows the muddy waters flowing from the Burdekin River into the Coral Sea.”
“The province [of Chaco, Argentina] had declared the agricultural emergency for six months after the floods in January, but now the status will rise to disaster, said Governor Domingo Peppo.
“”The rain is affecting the harvest of cotton, of soybeans, and there are already one million hectares affected, ” he said.”
“Some 2.2 million people in the region known as the Central American dry corridor have been affected by extreme weather events -such as drought or flooding- and 1.4 million need food assistance, many of them Salvadorans from the eastern region, according to the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture and the United Nations World Food Program.”
“[Canada’s] capital is in a state of emergency as the swollen Ottawa River continues to rise.
“Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson made the declaration Thursday afternoon, citing the still-rising river, and with an eye to yet another incoming system that is forecast to bring another 20-25 mm to the capital region. That’s on top of the rains of the past week, which have not only triggered flooding in Quebec and parts of eastern and central Ontario, they have also saturated the ground so thoroughly that it can’t absorb much more moisture.”
“Climate change results in warmer ocean temperatures, melting glaciers and more extreme weather patterns. Scientists have also observed its effects on the clams, snails, worms, crabs, urchins, starfish and more living on and in the deep seafloor off Alaska, as the ecosystem shifted from arctic to sub-arctic within the last few decades.”
“The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean is home to majestic creatures like polar bears, Arctic foxes, and reindeer.
“Today, their icy home is melting, and that’s disrupting life in some strange ways. For instance, a new study suggests it’s causing reindeer to eat more seaweed.”
“Norway is having one of the warmest and driest Aprils in history.
“Forest fire hazard is on orange level in many parts of the country. The Norwegian Fire Protection Association (Norsk brannvernforening) now asks for a ban on the sale of disposable grills.”
“In Austria, the first signs of drought have already appeared in the east and north, raising fears of another bleak harvest. Rainfall is already down to just a quarter of the 10-year average in recent weeks.
“Potato growers are demanding a relaxation of pesticide regulations to better control numbers of wireworm, which they say are flourishing because of drought.”
“The world’s oceans have become more turbulent over the past 33 years, with higher waves and stronger winds, according to a new study by scientists at the University of Melbourne.
“Stormier oceans could raise the likelihood of coastal flooding and exacerbate erosion, increasing the vulnerability of settlements on the coast, study author Ian Young, a professor of ocean engineering, said. “There is a high probability that climate change is playing a role but exactly how this works is still not fully understood,” he added.”
“By some measures, it has been the busiest South Indian Ocean hurricane season on record. In terms of damage and major hurricanes, it appears to have been the worst in modern history…
“For this season, the South Indian Ocean has recorded 10 “very intense cyclones,” the equivalent of a major hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean, or a Category 3 or stronger storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. According to Klotzbach, the previous record for major hurricanes in the Indian Ocean is eight, which occurred during the 2006-2007 season. Records prior to 1979 for this area are generally unreliable, due primarily to the lack of full satellite coverage until that time.
“The most notable storm of this season has been Cyclone Idai, which followed a remarkable track that brought it onshore the African nation of Mozambique in March…”
“Mozambique’s National airline LAM has suspended flights between the capital Maputo and Pemba on the northeast coast because of Cyclone Kenneth, it said in a statement.
“The UN warned that the latest storm could trigger flash flooding and landslides in Mozambique’s far north and the government closed dozens of schools likely to be in the storm’s path.”
“The death toll in KwaZulu-Natal [South Africa] as a result of heavy rains and flooding this week has risen to 70, acting Premier Sihle Zikalala announced on Thursday morning.
“At a media briefing on Thursday, Zikalala began by thanking government, communities and all those who have offered support in the aftermath of the devastating floods.”
“The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday said that after gaining more strength, the cyclonic circulation has finally induced a low-pressure area. The system is formed over Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining the southeast Bay of Bengal. The organisation also predicted that it will continue to move west-northwest and gaining latitude.”
“This summer, some parts across Vietnam would experience unbelievable mercury climbing up to 39-42 degree Celsius…
“…and the temperatures at some points may hit record highs, said Nguyen Van Huong, head of the Weather Forecast Office under the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.”
“Kangaroos have been wandering into residential areas of Melbourne in search of food and water, as the city experiences the driest start to the year in more than five decades.
“Residents in the Melbourne suburbs of Doreen, Reservoir, Craigieburn, Heidelberg, Eltham and South Morang have reported seeing scores of kangaroos in their neighbourhoods.”
“Only some of the soybeans could be saved, while the quality of the cotton was very compromised… In the southwest of the Chaco [Argentina], according to a report by INTA Las Breñas, 1070.6 mm were recorded in this region so far this year. In just four months the annual average was exceeded, which is 944 mm there.
“Meanwhile, if you consider the last six months, when the excessive rains began, the total is already around 1623.7 mm.”
“…the federal government [of Michoacan, Mexico] issued an Extraordinary Emergency Declaration for 34 municipalities located mainly in the area of Tierra Caliente, Central West of the entity.
“State Civil Protection reported in affected districts, the thermometer has marked up to 46c [115f] and it is expected that the heatwave will extend at least until next weekend.”
“The first significant heat wave of 2019 in the U.S. has parts of the West feeling like it’s Memorial Day weekend already, but it’s only a few days past Easter. Several record highs were reported by the National Weather Service… The high of 90° at Sacramento Executive Airport broke the daily record that stood for 57 years.”
“The storm system that resulted in three deaths and one person being injured, plus dozens of damage reports across western and northern Texas on Tuesday, also dumped flooding rain upon the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex into the overnight hours…
“Three people were killed after they drove their vehicle through floodwaters and were swept away south of Dublin, Texas.”
“Old Man Winter paid a long visit to Caribou, Maine, this year, with the town measuring at least one inch of snow on the ground for 163 consecutive days, starting on Nov. 10, 2018 and ending on April 21, 2019.
“This is the longest streak of its kind on record, burying the previous record of 155 days set from 2002 to 2003, according to the National Weather Service.”
“Changes in temperature and precipitation have already impacted the amount of nitrogen introduced into U.S. waterways, according to new research from a team of three Carnegie ecologists published this week in Environmental Science & Technology…
“They found that climate was a key factor in how much nitrogen ended up in the water system, with warming springtime temperatures and accompanying storms having a direct impact on nitrogen runoff.”
“When it was built in the early 1900s, the road into Mount Rainier National Park from the west passed near the foot of the Nisqually Glacier, one of the mountain’s longest. Visitors could stop for ice cream at a stand built among the glacial boulders and gaze in awe at the ice.
“The ice cream stand is long gone, and so is the ice. The glacier now ends more than a mile farther up the mountain.
“As surely as they are melting elsewhere around the world, glaciers are disappearing in North America, too.”
“Two years ago, homeowners in the Ottawa could comfort themselves that record floods were a freak anomaly. Rainfall in the Ottawa River basin that April — all 159 millimetres of it —was the highest it had been in 125 years according to the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board… Now, here we are again, with flood waters approaching and, in some areas exceeding, the levels of 2017. And this, a scant seven months after a series of tornadoes ripped through the capital region.
“Across the tundra, leaves and flowers were found to emerge as much as 20 days sooner compared with two decades ago. Within the same timeframe, spring temperatures warmed by 1 degree Celsius each decade on average, while loss of sea ice occurred around 20 days sooner across the different regions…
“Overall snow melt, which advanced by about 10 days over two decades, had the greatest influence on the timing of spring.”
“Tomorrow is the First Day of Summer (sumardagurinn fyrsti) and to celebrate that, it seems, unseasonably warm weather is on its way to Iceland, making record temperatures likely in various parts of the country.
“On this day, which is a public holiday, temperatures of up to 17°C are predicted (63°F).”
“A spate of spring wildfires in Sweden and Norway sparked memories of last year’s historic forest fires…
“Last year a historically hot summer set a total of 25,000 hectares of forest ablaze in Sweden, almost ten times the yearly average, according to a government study.”
“Russian President Vladimir Putin appears set to visit the East Siberian region of Zabaikal on Thursday as massive wildfires there have forced residents to evacuate their homes.
“The fires, which have continued for more than a month, have left 34 people injured. Ninety-nine homes have caught fire, while nearly 50 thousand residents have been forced to evacuate.”
“Scottish salmon catches have dropped to their lowest level on record, with experts warning that the species is at crisis point. Only 37,196 salmon were caught last year, two thirds of the average over the previous five years and the lowest since 1952 when modern records began.
“Experts said last year’s exceptionally dry summer contributed to the decline, drying up rivers and leaving migrating salmon trapped in sea estuaries.”
“Fleas and flies are normally a blight of the summer [in the UK] but infestations have begun early this year because of climate change, according to experts…
“The blame has been laid on milder winters allowing the insects to emerge earlier to breed. This February was the warmest on record, according to the Met Office, with temperatures soaring as high as 20C.”
“As the world’s average temperatures creep higher, marine animals are far more vulnerable to extinctions than their earthbound counterparts, according to a new analysis of more than 400 cold-blooded species.”
“Extreme weather events continue to intensify, leading home insurers to develop new services and rating plans to keep their books of business more accurately priced for risk.
“The latest research shows an increase in both the number of losses and the percentage of losses that resulted from extreme weather events.”
“The KwaZulu-Natal floods [South Africa], which began on Monday, have resulted in widespread damage and loss of life.
“As the torrential downpour, which first drenched the region over the Easter period, begins to subside, the deadly toll of flash-flooding and mudslides serves as a stark reminder of nature’s unforgiving power. The death toll, which stood at 32 on Tuesday night, has risen sharply as disaster relief efforts continue to recover bodies which have been trapped under debris…
“…the eThekwini Municipality has been hardest-hit by the natural disaster, with most of the deaths and damages reported just southwest of Durban. Low lying communities and settlements near river banks have suffered catastrophic losses.”
“Mozambique is still reeling from Cyclone Idai… Now Cyclone Kenneth is chugging from the Pacific toward Mozambique. Currently the equivalent of a tropical storm with sustained winds of about 52 mph, the cyclone is expected to strengthen in the coming days.
“Cyclone Kenneth is forecast to strafe the island nation of Comoros before plowing into Mozambique’s northern coast on Thursday or early Friday.”
“At least 17 people – mostly children – have died after heavy rains in eastern Uganda caused flooding.
“The rains hit the districts of Kamuli and Buyende during the night, with some people drowning in the flood waters and others hit by collapsing walls, the region’s police spokesperson Michael Kasadha said.”
“The hottest days of the year will grip much of central and northern India in the coming days, and this heat wave is unlikely to end anytime soon. Previous heat waves in northern India were broken by thunderstorms, which brought damaging winds and flash flooding; however, this heat wave is expected to last into May.
“Temperatures soared in Delhi and the National Capital Region… when the mercury reached 42 C (108 F).”
“Alabama is no stranger to tornadoes, but the busy start to 2019, which has already seen more tornadoes than its yearly average, is unusual for the state. According to the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, there have been 53 tornadoes in Alabama this year through April 22.
“This is more than the 47 tornadoes that the state experiences on average and the 46 tornadoes that tore through Alabama in 2018. These 53 tornadoes occurred on just 9 days.”
“A number of factors could work together to contribute to more widespread, severe flooding than usual this summer in the United States.
“Nearly two-thirds of the contiguous U.S. face an elevated flood risk through May, with the potential for moderate to major flooding in parts of 25 states, according to NOAA’s spring flood outlook issued last month.”
“The risk of drought this summer in Denmark is high, according to national meteorology agency DMI. Fields across the country are already extremely dry after an April unusually short on rain, DMI says.”
“Cargo vessels cannot navigate much of the Rhine in Germany when fully loaded after dry weather caused a drop in water levels. Traders said that from Duisburg and Cologne to south Germany the Rhine is too shallow for normal sailings, which means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates for cargo owners.
“The Rhine is a major shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, coal and fuel products including heating oil.”
“The UK has been hit by nearly a hundred large wildfires in 2019, making it the worst year on record already. The hot spell in February and the recent Easter heatwave have contributed to a total of 96 major wildfires of 25 hectares or larger, eclipsing the previous high of 79 across the whole of 2018.
“Researchers told New Scientist that the figures, collated by the European Forest Fire Information System, were evidence that climate change had already heightened the risk of wildfires in the UK.”
“Vietnam broke its all-time record high national temperature at the weekend, the latest in a string of records to fall as the word continues to warm.
“The scorcher set the mercury soaring to 43.4C in the community of Huong Khe, a rural district in Ha Tinh Province. It’s situated in Vietnam’s north central coast region, about 240km south of the capital Hanoi. Its average temperature is in the 20s at this time of year.”
“A storm brewing in the southern Indian Ocean may form a tropical cyclone and strike southeastern Africa, AccuWeather Inc. said.
“The region has barely had time to recover from the effects of Cyclone Idai, which hit in March and killed more than 1,000 people in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.”
“At least five people died in Durban [South Africa] on Tuesday after torrential rains triggered mudslides that crushed homes, according to emergency services… “Torrential rains damaged peoples houses [and] there were mudslides,” Garrith Jamieson, spokesman for Rescue Care told AFP.
““I can confirm five [deaths] but there are many more casualties,” he said, adding there were unconfirmed reports of “multiple” deaths in other parts of the province.”
“At least two people have been killed after severe storms lashed Argentina. The storms hit the provinces of Chaco and Corrientes in the northeast of the country, where up to 204 millimetres of rain was recorded…
“On January 8, the Argentine city of Resistencia recorded 224mm of rainfall, which was a new 24-hour rainfall record, much higher than the previous highest of 206mm, recorded in January 1994.”
“At least 17 people have been killed by a landslide on Sunday in south-western Colombia, officials say. Five others were injured and several houses destroyed in the town of Rosas in the Cauca region.
“The landslide happened after days of torrential rains hit the region and authorities are continuing to search the rubble.”
“Hurricane Michael, which struck the Florida Panhandle in October last year, has joined an elite group.
“The massive storm, which claimed 59 lives and caused approximately $25 billion in damages, is now one of only four storms to have made landfall in the United States at Category 5 intensity.”
“A month after severe March flooding swept the Midwest, the Missouri River is still running high, complicating recovery for many communities in the region. Sections of Scott Olson’s farm near Tekamah, Neb., are still underwater. Once the water goes down, Mr. Olson, 62, said he has much work to prepare his fields for planting before the end of June, after which it might be too late.
“Still, he considers himself lucky compared with other farmers in the area who lost their homes, grain storage, livestock and machinery.”
“Spring flooding has killed one person and forced nearly 1,700 people from their homes in Canada’s Quebec province, with waters expected to continue rising on Monday due to rising temperatures and more rain forecast for the coming days.”
“This spring in Alaska has been more like summer, or like the same season for somewhere much warmer. What it has not been like is the usual March and April above the Arctic Circle.
“The consequences are being felt in devastating effects on the local wildlife, but are taking a severe toll on humans as well… Increasingly people may be forced to choose between starving and risking the stability of the ice.”
“Greenland, home to the Earth’s second largest ice sheet, has lost ice at an accelerating pace in the past several decades – a nearly sixfold increase that could contribute to future sea level rise, according to a new study based on nearly a half century of data…
“…the shift is worrisome in part because of what it portends for the future, especially when combined with potential ice loss in Antarctica.”
“The Tass news agency reported at least 25 injuries, two of them serious, although it said there were no children among them. Local authorities said the fires destroyed 107 buildings, of which 88 were residential houses.
“The emergencies ministry put the wildfires down to unfavourable weather such as strong winds and a sudden spell of higher temperatures…”
“Firefighters worked through the night to battle a spate of blazes across Sweden – and authorities warned on Tuesday of a heightened risk of more wildfires spreading in the country this week.”
“Firefighters have been tackling two massive moorland fires in record-breaking Easter temperatures, including one believed to have been sparked by a barbecue that has caused thousands of pounds-worth of damage…
“Restoration work on the moor has been wrecked, and it is feared that numerous animals including curlews, a kind of wading bird, have been killed.”
“Ireland has recorded its warmest Easter Monday on record, the Met Office has said…
“The Met Office also said records were broken in all UK regions – 25C in England, with top temperatures in Scotland and Wales reaching 23.6C and 23.5C respectively.”
“Monday was the warmest second day of Easter since records began, weather forecaster Weerplaza reported. The temperature at the De Bilt weather station near Utrecht reached 24.8 degrees…”
“Sun and warmth might seem like the perfect weather for Easter. But experts warn that Germany is far too dry, almost everywhere in the country. Normally, the lucrative cash crop known as rapeseed, or canola, blooms throughout the German state of Thuringia at the end of May. But this year, you would look in vain for the yellow blossoms that are usually turned into one of the western world’s main sources of cooking oil.
“According to Andre Rathgeber of the Farmers’ Association of Thuringia, the prognosis for rapeseed is so bad, most farmers have decided to clear the land for other crops.”
“The holiday hotspot of Alicante in eastern Spain has experienced some of the heaviest rainfall in its history, leading to the evacuation of more than 300 people during these Easter holidays. Here are photos and videos that tell the story…
“…Sunday’s downpour saw 250 litres of rainfall for every square metre, flooding hundreds of homes and leaving cars floating in the streets like corn flakes in a cereal bowl.”
“Two weeks since the storms started, relentless rain and flooding throughout Iran has left some 2 million people facing a humanitarian crisis.
“The deluge has swamped large swaths of the country, from the mountains in the north down to the Persian gulf in the south. Twenty-five out of 31 of Iran’s provinces have been affected.”
“Caritas Pakistan has surveyed flood-affected villages in the wake of Holy Week storms, that killed 29 people and caused extensive crop and other damage, in order to respond to urgent needs. An estimated 150,000 tonnes of wheat were destroyed. Wheat is the most important staple food in Pakistan and it is grown by 80 percent of the country’s farmers…
“…flood waters are heightening the risk of people contracting dengue fever from mosquitoes.”
“Large parts of Saudi Arabia have been submerged in snowfall, sparkling wonder amazes local residents and concern among scientists.
“At one point, a hailstorm in Saudi Arabia became so severe that it triggered an icy flash flood.
“Dr Ahmad Habib, a meteorological expert at the National Center of Meteorology in the UAE, said: “It’s usually warmer in April. This isn’t familiar weather in this period.”
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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.
“Cyclone ‘Fani’ is likely to intensify into an ‘extremely severe cyclonic storm’ by late night and can hit the Odisha coast by Friday afternoon, the India Meteorological Department said Tuesday. 
“Since March, Iran has been ravaged by record rainfall and unprecedented flash flooding. At least 26 of 31 provinces have been impacted by the deadly floods. 
“Flash floods have wreaked havoc in Partimaro village in Kajiado Central, Kajiado County [Kenya]. 
“The number of known fatalities rose to 38 in Mozambique on Monday as areas slowly began to assess damage from Cyclone Kenneth. As feared… serious flooding has unfolded in recent days… Floodwaters are waist high in parts of Pemba, and homes have collapsed… Nearly 700,000 people may have been impacted… More than 35,000 homes in northernmost Cabo Delgado were partially or fully destroyed by Kenneth.
“The wet tropics world heritage area in north Queensland has been damaged by climate change in a manner “equivalent” to coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef, the area’s management authority has said. In an extraordinary statement issued on Monday, the authority’s board said the tropical rainforest was in “accelerating decline” and that some of the area’s unique species were at imminent risk of extinction.
“Large numbers of inhabitants are still evacuated in Chaco [Argentina] and the losses are already incalculable. 
“…we are observing in the [Panama] canal area that climatic events are becoming increasingly extreme. … 
“The Directorate of Civil Protection of Haiti today reiterated the national alert on floods and landslides throughout the national territory… 
“…the Mississippi… is now predicted to crest at 22.2 feet on Wednesday, May 
““This year’s flooding is very extreme,” said Ursule Boyer-Villemaire, an associate professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal who specializes in disaster management and climate resilience planning. Climate change means that catastrophic flooding will only become more common… 
“Seventy years ago, Alaska’s Excelsior Glacier stretched its cold fingers from a vast plain in the state’s southern edge nearly all the way to the North Pacific Ocean. Now, the glacier is separated from the sea by a meltwater lake more than five times the size of New York City’s Central Park.
“Thousands of starfish have been washed ashore in a “sea of orange” after they were ripped from reefs by Storm Hannah. Hayley Jenkins, 34, spotted the mass of starfish on a Talacre beach, near her home in Flintshire, on Sunday. 
“Rising temperatures are hitting Britain and some cities are now far warmer than they were in the 20th century, reveals a study of historical weather records across the UK. 
“April 2019 is the 13th consecutive month with warmer than average weather in Germany, a record since measurements began in 1881, Germany’s National Meteorological Service (DWD) says in a press release. 
“Part of the world’s largest ice shelf is melting 10 times faster than expected due to the sea warming around it, research shows. 
“According to the latest government data, nearly 8,000 people have been forced from their homes in Quebec – more than in 2017, during what was then the area’s worst flooding in half a century.
“With the calendar nearing May, north-central United States residents witnessed an unusual sight as more than 2 inches of snow fell in Chicago for the first time in more than a century… 
“The heat wave that extends throughout the national territory [of Mexico] has increased the temperatures in the eight regions of Oaxaca…
“Heavy rain this Saturday, April 27, 2019 caused havoc in different parts of the city of Quito, Ecuador. 
“Thousands of people are without power as high winds slam the Canterbury region this evening [New Zealand. According to reports on the Orion Group website 4137 homes across Christchurch and Banks Peninsula were without power as of 5:30pm. 
“Floods sparked by torrential rains have killed nearly 40 in Indonesia with a dozen more still missing, officials said Monday, marking the latest calamity for a disaster-prone nation. 
“Yangon, the commercial capital of Myanmar, recorded 42 degrees Celsius on Friday. According to records retrieved from archives held by the Deutscher Wetterdienst, this was a new record for the city. 
“Even before it is May—considered the hottest month in the year for this region—day temperatures are soaring through the roof in Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring Vidarbha in Maharashtra [India], setting world records. 
“…yesterday, the city of Pune [India] recorded 42.9°C [109f] yesterday which was the highest recorded temperature for the city in the last 36 years. 
“With many parts of India are reeling from a severe drought, women in rural villages are risking their lives to fetch water for their families. 
“The Sindh government and Karachi Municipal Corporation [Pakistan] on Monday issued heatwave alerts to all the concerned departments and emergency services. 
““This is the worst damage from flooding in over 50 years in the country,” said Olivier Vandecasteele, Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) country director in Iran. “The floods have driven communities from their homes and entire villages have washed away.”
“Mozambique’s government urged people in flood-hit areas to seek higher ground immediately to minimize the risk of drowning.
“This month, 39 temperature records have been broken in Latvia… 
“Scotland has already been hit by more wildfires in the first four months of 2019 than the whole of last year as senior firefighters and scientists warned the number will only rise due to climate change… 
“The strongest cyclone ever to hit Mozambique has made landfall in the country’s north, five weeks after Cyclone Idai devastated its centre, according to meteorologists.
“…grazing conditions being experienced in most parts of the country [Namibia] amidst poor and below average rainfall led to 63 712 animals dying in six months, the Food Security Situation Report of March 2019 reveals. 
“The city [Gadag, Karnataka, India] is witnessing its hottest summer in the last 78 years. The highest temperature ever recorded in the twin cities of Gadag-Betageri was in 1941, a maximum temperature of 41.1 degree Celsius. 
“Cambodian authorities have ordered a one-hour reduction in the length of school days because of concerns that students and teachers may fall ill from a prolonged heat wave…. 
“April data over a hundred years show Hanoi experiencing a record high temperature of 38.9 degrees Celsius this year. The hottest time in Vietnam usually falls in June, but this April has seen a heat wave sweep the country, and Hanoi has not been spared… Hanoi peaked at 38.9 degrees (102 degrees Fahrenheit) 
“Torrential rain triggered flooding in parts of the Indonesian capital Jakarta overnight, the disaster agency said Friday (Apr 26), forcing the evacuation of residents. 
“In early 2019, many areas in Queensland received more than their annual rainfall in less than a week. The downpour led to millions of dollars’ worth of damage, including homes being destroyed and the loss of almost 500 000 cattle. 
“The province [of Chaco, Argentina] had declared the agricultural emergency for six months after the floods in January, but now the status will rise to disaster, said Governor Domingo Peppo. 
“Some 2.2 million people in the region known as the Central American dry corridor have been affected by extreme weather events -such as drought or flooding- and 1.4 million need food assistance, many of them Salvadorans from the eastern region, according to the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture and the United Nations World Food Program.”
“Strong storms killed at least five people in Texas and Louisiana and left severe damage across parts of both states Wednesday and Thursday… 
“[Canada’s] capital is in a state of emergency as the swollen Ottawa River continues to rise. 
“The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean is home to majestic creatures like polar bears, Arctic foxes, and reindeer. 
“Norway is having one of the warmest and driest Aprils in history. 
“In Austria, the first signs of drought have already appeared in the east and north, raising fears of another bleak harvest. Rainfall is already down to just a quarter of the 10-year average in recent weeks. 
“The world’s oceans have become more turbulent over the past 33 years, with higher waves and stronger winds, according to a new study by scientists at the University of Melbourne.
“By some measures, it has been the busiest South Indian Ocean hurricane season on record. In terms of damage and major hurricanes, it appears to have been the worst in modern history… 
“Mozambique’s National airline LAM has suspended flights between the capital Maputo and Pemba on the northeast coast because of Cyclone Kenneth, it said in a statement. 
“The death toll in KwaZulu-Natal [South Africa] as a result of heavy rains and flooding this week has risen to 70, acting Premier Sihle Zikalala announced on Thursday morning. 
“The hottest time of the year has come and locations in Maharashta have been sizzling hot for the past couple of days… 
“This summer, some parts across Vietnam would experience unbelievable mercury climbing up to 39-42 degree Celsius…
“Kangaroos have been wandering into residential areas of Melbourne in search of food and water, as the city experiences the driest start to the year in more than five decades. 
“Only some of the soybeans could be saved, while the quality of the cotton was very compromised… In the southwest of the Chaco [Argentina], according to a report by INTA Las Breñas, 1070.6 mm were recorded in this region so far this year. In just four months the annual average was exceeded, which is 944 mm there. 
“…the federal government [of Michoacan, Mexico] issued an Extraordinary Emergency Declaration for 34 municipalities located mainly in the area of Tierra Caliente, Central West of the entity. 
“The storm system that resulted in three deaths and one person being injured, plus dozens of damage reports across western and northern Texas on Tuesday, also dumped flooding rain upon the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex into the overnight hours… 
“Old Man Winter paid a long visit to Caribou, Maine, this year, with the town measuring at least one inch of snow on the ground for 163 consecutive days, starting on Nov. 10, 2018 and ending on April 21, 2019. 
“Changes in temperature and precipitation have already impacted the amount of nitrogen introduced into U.S. waterways, according to new research from a team of three Carnegie ecologists published this week in Environmental Science & Technology… 
“When it was built in the early 1900s, the road into Mount Rainier National Park from the west passed near the foot of the Nisqually Glacier, one of the mountain’s longest. Visitors could stop for ice cream at a stand built among the glacial boulders and gaze in awe at the ice.
“Two years ago, homeowners in the Ottawa could comfort themselves that record floods were a freak anomaly. Rainfall in the Ottawa River basin that April — all 159 millimetres of it —was the highest it had been in 125 years according to the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board… Now, here we are again, with flood waters approaching and, in some areas exceeding, the levels of 2017. And this, a scant seven months after a series of tornadoes ripped through the capital region.
“Across the tundra, leaves and flowers were found to emerge as much as 20 days sooner compared with two decades ago. Within the same timeframe, spring temperatures warmed by 1 degree Celsius each decade on average, while loss of sea ice occurred around 20 days sooner across the different regions… 
“Tomorrow is the First Day of Summer (sumardagurinn fyrsti) and to celebrate that, it seems, unseasonably warm weather is on its way to Iceland, making record temperatures likely in various parts of the country. 
“Russian President Vladimir Putin appears set to visit the East Siberian region of Zabaikal on Thursday as massive wildfires there have forced residents to evacuate their homes. 
“Scottish salmon catches have dropped to their lowest level on record, with experts warning that the species is at crisis point. Only 37,196 salmon were caught last year, two thirds of the average over the previous five years and the lowest since 1952 when modern records began. 
“Fleas and flies are normally a blight of the summer [in the UK] but infestations have begun early this year because of climate change, according to experts… 
“Extreme weather events continue to intensify, leading home insurers to develop new services and rating plans to keep their books of business more accurately priced for risk. 
“The KwaZulu-Natal floods [South Africa], which began on Monday, have resulted in widespread damage and loss of life.
“Mozambique is still reeling from Cyclone Idai… Now Cyclone Kenneth is chugging from the Pacific toward Mozambique. Currently the equivalent of a tropical storm with sustained winds of about 52 mph, the cyclone is expected to strengthen in the coming days. 
“At least 17 people – mostly children – have died after heavy rains in eastern Uganda caused flooding. 
“A woman died on Tuesday in Kibra after a heavy downpour in Nairobi [Kenya]. 
“The hottest days of the year will grip much of central and northern India in the coming days, and this heat wave is unlikely to end anytime soon. Previous heat waves in northern India were broken by thunderstorms, which brought damaging winds and flash flooding; however, this heat wave is expected to last into May. 
“Alabama is no stranger to tornadoes, but the busy start to 2019, which has already seen more tornadoes than its yearly average, is unusual for the state. According to the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, there have been 53 tornadoes in Alabama this year through April 22. 
“A number of factors could work together to contribute to more widespread, severe flooding than usual this summer in the United States. 
“Weather instruments showed a record temperature of 20.2 degrees Celsius in Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland on Tuesday.”
“Cargo vessels cannot navigate much of the Rhine in Germany when fully loaded after dry weather caused a drop in water levels. Traders said that from Duisburg and Cologne to south Germany the Rhine is too shallow for normal sailings, which means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates for cargo owners. 
“The UK has been hit by nearly a hundred large wildfires in 2019, making it the worst year on record already. The hot spell in February and the recent Easter heatwave have contributed to a total of 96 major wildfires of 25 hectares or larger, eclipsing the previous high of 79 across the whole of 2018.
“Vietnam broke its all-time record high national temperature at the weekend, the latest in a string of records to fall as the word continues to warm.
“A storm brewing in the southern Indian Ocean may form a tropical cyclone and strike southeastern Africa, AccuWeather Inc. said. 
“At least five people died in Durban [South Africa] on Tuesday after torrential rains triggered mudslides that crushed homes, according to emergency services… “Torrential rains damaged peoples houses [and] there were mudslides,” Garrith Jamieson, spokesman for Rescue Care told AFP.
“At least 17 people have been killed by a landslide on Sunday in south-western Colombia, officials say. Five others were injured and several houses destroyed in the town of Rosas in the Cauca region. 
“Hurricane Michael, which struck the Florida Panhandle in October last year, has joined an elite group. 
“A month after severe March flooding swept the Midwest, the Missouri River is still running high, complicating recovery for many communities in the region. Sections of Scott Olson’s farm near Tekamah, Neb., are still underwater. Once the water goes down, Mr. Olson, 62, said he has much work to prepare his fields for planting before the end of June, after which it might be too late. 
“This spring in Alaska has been more like summer, or like the same season for somewhere much warmer. What it has not been like is the usual March and April above the Arctic Circle. 
“Greenland, home to the Earth’s second largest ice sheet, has lost ice at an accelerating pace in the past several decades – a nearly sixfold increase that could contribute to future sea level rise, according to a new study based on nearly a half century of data… 
“The Tass news agency reported at least 25 injuries, two of them serious, although it said there were no children among them. Local authorities said the fires destroyed 107 buildings, of which 88 were residential houses. 
“Firefighters have been tackling two massive moorland fires in record-breaking Easter temperatures, including one believed to have been sparked by a barbecue that has caused thousands of pounds-worth of damage… 
“Sun and warmth might seem like the perfect weather for Easter. But experts warn that Germany is far too dry, almost everywhere in the country. Normally, the lucrative cash crop known as rapeseed, or canola, blooms throughout the German state of Thuringia at the end of May. But this year, you would look in vain for the yellow blossoms that are usually turned into one of the western world’s main sources of cooking oil.
“The holiday hotspot of Alicante in eastern Spain has experienced some of the heaviest rainfall in its history, leading to the evacuation of more than 300 people during these Easter holidays. Here are photos and videos that tell the story… 
“Two weeks since the storms started, relentless rain and flooding throughout Iran has left some 2 million people facing a humanitarian crisis. 
“Caritas Pakistan has surveyed flood-affected villages in the wake of Holy Week storms, that killed 29 people and caused extensive crop and other damage, in order to respond to urgent needs. An estimated 150,000 tonnes of wheat were destroyed. Wheat is the most important staple food in Pakistan and it is grown by 80 percent of the country’s farmers… 
“Large parts of Saudi Arabia have been submerged in snowfall, sparkling wonder amazes local residents and concern among scientists.