“Willa – a “potentially catastrophic” Category-5 hurricane – is moving quickly through the Pacific Ocean and is predicted to pound western Mexico’s shores on Tuesday, according to the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC).”
[This is the most active northeast Pacific hurricane season on record].
“Intense rainfall in Morelia, Michoacán, today has left at least 27 neighborhoods flooded and derailed a freight train.
“Civil Protection officials said the Grande river overflowed its banks while other drivers and drainage systems in the municipality were at 100% capacity… Heavy rain is expected to continue in the next few hours.”
“Typhoon Yutu is gaining strength in the Western Pacific Ocean and could make a direct strike on Saipan and Tinian in the Mariana Islands by late Wednesday into Thursday.
“The National Weather Service in Guam has posted a typhoon warning for Tinian and Saipan and a tropical storm warning for Rota in the Marianas. A tropical storm watch has been issued for Guam.”
“The full extent of the year’s once-in-a-generation drought has been revealed, just as the worst affected areas have finally been blessed with some long-awaited rain… rural analysts still predict the worst winter harvest in ten years.
“Rabobank’s Winter Crop Production Outlook – Running On Empty – estimated Australia’s total harvest was expected to drop 23 per cent from last year’s yields.”
“July 2018 in Darwin was 2C hotter than any previous July and the record temperatures has continued in recent months. Surveys show that people are leaving Darwin because of the heat.
“In the city centre, every second shop is closed and dark. Shops, offices and apartments have a 50 per cent vacancy rate. “
“Australia is set for 24 hours of wild weather, with heatwaves forecast for one part of the country while another freezes through sub-zero temperatures.
“The southern states will shiver through a cold snap for the next 24 hours, while the northern parts of the country will swelter through 40-plus degree heat.”
“Research published last week by the American Geophysical Union documents a chaotic, low-frequency hum across the Ross Ice Shelf… The pitches are caused by wind striking snow dunes, and it’s an eerie sort of song. But, the researchers argue, it’s also an early warning sign for one of the nightmare scenarios in climate change science: the disintegration of Antarctica’s largest ice shelf, and consequent slide of glaciers into the ocean. The song slows down when snow begins to melt in the ice shelf’s top layers. That’s already happened.”
“A strange gigantic ‘monolith’ iceberg has been spotted by NASA scientists flying over Antarctica.
“The rectangular berg was spotted off the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, near the Larsen C ice shelf. NASA experts believe it may have recently broken off the shelf, and say the sharp angles and flat surfaces are evidence the break occured very recently.”
“There is more to the Greenland ice sheet than meets the eye. Hiding in the depths of West Greenland’s Store Glacier, scientists have found a surprising amount of liquid water.
“The new analysis is the very first to demonstrate liquid water trapped in solid, glacial ice. And if the feature extends to other glaciers, it could transform the way we measure melting ice and sea-level rise.”
“The Dead Sea is dying. So is Israel’s Sea of Galilee – the country’s only surface-level source of freshwater… The ongoing drought has reduced the Sea of Galilee to some of its lowest levels in history, 215.5 meters (about 707 feet) below sea level…
“Israel has almost completely ceased pumping from the Sea of Galilee. But some pumping is necessary to keep the machines working and to fulfill Israel’s peace agreement with neighboring Jordan.”
“Israel’s forests have been declining for years, and now a groundbreaking study has found a correlation between increasing tree mortality and the mounting incidence of drought.
“During arid periods, the study pointed out, not only are forest fires more frequent: the trees are also more vulnerable to harmful insects.”
“…as the world realized that [sand] was not in fact an infinite resource the same rush that has characterized unethical mining practices is now threatening the world’s most treasured sand deposits: pristine beaches. Amnesty International has visited The community of Nagonha in northern Mozambique four times since 2015, when unprecedented flash flooding first partially destroyed the village. Elders who’d lived in the area for decades have no living memory of similar floods. They blame the Haiyu Mining Company for changing their world….”
“This past month was the warmest September on record for the Asheville area, averaging 74.1 degrees. September usually averages 66 degrees. That carried over into the first part of this month, including a high of 86 degrees on Oct. 5, said Jake Crouch, climatologist with the National Centers for Environmental Information, which is based in Asheville. Crouch said even overnight lows weren’t that low, with Oct. 9 and 10 seeing 67 degrees.”
“While much of the lower 48 of the United States has been mired in some chilly temperatures so far this October, one place sure hasn’t seen much cold weather: Alaska.
“Through Sunday, Anchorage, Alaska’s average temperature so far this month is a whopping 48.1°, more than 10° above the month-to-date average.”
“Residents in Austin, Texas, are being urged to boil water in the aftermath of last week’s historic storm. Copious flooding that inundated the city caused riverbeds to overflow in areas and fill up the region’s water supply lakes with silt, prompting concerns from city health officials over the state of the local water. Portions of regional water treatment plants also had to be shut down to clean their filters as a result of the storm surge.”
“Amazing pictures from Trinidad after the very active Inter Tropical Convergence Zone and tropical waves dumped record rainfall on the islands during the last few days.”
“Even while the country was recovering from one of the worst natural disasters in its modern history with massive flooding, it was rocked by two earthquakes in just under 24 hours.”
“The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, or UNISDR, claims: “Any disaster entails a potentially compounding process, whereby one event precipitates another.”
“For example, deforestation and flooding often occur together. When vegetation is removed, top soil washes away and the earth is incapable of absorbing rainfall.”
“As human-caused emissions change the planet’s atmosphere, and people reshape the landscape, things are changing fast. The receding line of Arctic ice has made headlines for years, as the white patch at the top of our planet shrinks dramatically. The ocean is rising, gobbling up coastlines. Plants, animals, and diseases are on the move as their patches of suitable climate move too.
“Sometimes, the lines on the map can literally be redrawn: the line of where wheat will grow, or where tornadoes tend to form, where deserts end, where the frozen ground thaws, and even where the boundaries of the tropics lie.”
Pictures of southern Spain’s flooding – “some of the worst weather in living memory”.
“400 millimeters (circa 16 inches) of rain fell in just 24 hours in the town of Ardales..”
“Many roads are blocked by flooding and rockfalls – particularly in the province of Malaga… footage circulating on social media shows historic city walls in Malaga being swept away as a result of the flood water.”
“Heavy rainfall, unusual for so early in the fall, fell in southern Israel Saturday, resulting in flash floods that made part of the main road to Eilat impassable and forcing the closure of the city’s airport…
“Police cautioned the public against anticipated flash floods in the upper Jordan Valley that runs through the West Bank, as well.”
“Eleven people have been killed since Sunday by fierce tropical storms in Yemen’s eastern Mahra province, a local official said, reports Anadolu Agency.
“Azzan al-Qumeiri, a member of the local emergency committee, said three bodies were recovered on Saturday as they had been washed away by floods in different places in provincial capital Al-Ghayza.”
“Torrential downpours caused extensive flooding across Qatar on Saturday with lengthy thunderstorms bringing parts of the Gulf state to a standstill.
“According to the Civil Aviation Authority, the suburb of Abu Hamor in the capital Doha, recorded 84mm of rain in less than 6 hours, making it the nation’s wettest October day on record.”
“The study found that concurrence of extreme drought and longer, more severe heatwaves is increasing in Gujarat, Central India and Peninsular India. The response of vegetation to a combination of drought and stress is complex, ranging from short-lived local mortality events to regional-scale death of forests. A variety of forest types have shown mortality in the face of concurrent heat and drought…”
“Baishui (glacier complex) is about as close to the equator as Tampa, Florida. And the impacts of climate change already are dramatic. The glacier has lost 60 percent of its mass and shrunk 250 meters (820 feet) since 1982, according to a 2018 report in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Scientists found in 2015 that 82 percent of glaciers surveyed in China had retreated. They warned that the effects of glacier melting on water resources are gradually becoming “increasingly serious” for China.”
“Many areas of Australia have seen a remarkable shift in the weather during October. Last month was the driest September on record for Australia as a whole and its driest calendar month since April 1902… Now, some parts of Australia have already doubled their average October rainfall, despite only being two thirds of the way through the month. Some pockets of southern WA, eastern NSW and northern Queensland have even picked up 3-4 times their average October rainfall.”
“Weather analyst Richard Green told Radio LIVE many parts of New Zealand are already feeling the effects of a lack of rain. “It’s mostly been in eastern areas, also North Canterbury, Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa,” he said.
“He said it is very early for the dry conditions. “That is a concern as if we do have this weak El Nino summer it is usually the east that is the driest, so if it is dry already, then that is a worry.””
“Now, Alaska and northwestern Canada are seeing the “son of the Pacific blob,” Armel Castellan of Environment and Climate Change Canada said. “To see a blob sort of establish itself at this time of year is sort of surprising,” Castellan told CBC News. “It’s a symptom of the enduring or stagnant weather we’ve been having over the last four years.” Alaska is already seeing unseasonably warm temperatures, and northern British Columbia is still experiencing summer-like weather. Alaska just ended one of its warmest Septembers in 94 years…”
“An “extremely dangerous” and potentially life-threatening storm is barrelling towards Mexico during what has been called the eastern Pacific’s most active hurricane season on record.
“Hurricane Willa in the eastern Pacific has grown rapidly into a near-Category 5 storm, which could “produce life-threatening storm surge, wind and rainfall” in Mexico in the coming days.”
“Water, water, everywhere…and it continues to rain. With the wettest September in Texas history, now moving well into October, Texas has received historic rain amounts that have led to catastrophic flooding.
“This past week across Central Texas and the Hill Country, during a 48-hour period, 13-24 inches of rain was reported…”
“As thousands of citizens remain trapped in their homes by flood waters and shelters are filling up with those who had to flee their homes in the past 72 hours, heavy rainfall has started again, causing flooding in other parts of the country and keeping levels in other areas already affected high.”
“Chile’s Atacama desert is one of the driest places on earth, but home to an abundance of high-grade lithium deposits, existing in brine pools in the desert… United States-based miners Albemarle and Chile’s SQM celebrated deals with the Chilean government earlier this year, allowing them to increase lithium output. But the firms accuse each other of drawing more brine than allowed, which could affect future production in the area.”
“Climate change is already exacerbating domestic and international conflicts, and governments must take steps to ensure it does not get worse, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross has said.
“Peter Maurer told Guardian Australia it was already making an impact and humanitarian organisations were having to factor it into their work far earlier than they were expecting.
Japan’s extraordinary meteorological year continues:
“Japan was bathed in unfamiliar heat for October on Saturday, marking a record 36.0 C in Niigata Prefecture due to a typhoon that brought warm air while moving across the Sea of Japan, the weather agency said.
“Some cities in Niigata, north of Tokyo, surpassed or matched the previous monthly record of 35.1 C, marked in 2013 also in the prefecture.”
“Two people died and one person is missing in South Korea as powerful typhoon Kong-rey hit the country yesterday, the government said.
“China’s observatory renewed a blue alert for Kong-rey, this year’s 25th typhoon, yesterday morning. The eye of Kong-rey is expected to unleash gales in north-east China.”
“Australia has just had its driest September on record, and the second driest month ever: the only drier month was April 1902… We’ve never gone through a tropical cyclone season without at least one hitting our coast, but Australia’s past may no longer be a reliable guide to our future… While we’ve always been a land of extremes, rapid warming since 1950 is starting to alter our weather patterns.”
“Torrential rain in Central America that caused floods and landslides have killed 12 people in just a few days, rescue and emergency authorities across the region said on Sunday… The rain destroyed houses and crops and forced thousands to leave their homes for temporary shelters.”
“Hurricane Sergio will double back toward the west coast of Mexico and southwestern United States with another round of flooding rainfall late this week. Sergio is currently a Category 1 hurricane located over 1,000 miles (1,609 km) away from the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. Sergio’s current track toward the northwest away from land should not trick people into thinking it will remain out to sea.”
“Heavy rains hit the Valley Sunday, adding to one of its wettest Octobers in recorded history, officials said. Sunday’s rain broke Phoenix’s daily rainfall record for Oct. 7, said James Sawtelle, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Phoenix… On Tuesday, Hurricane Rosa’s remnants dumped 2.36 inches of rain on Phoenix by evening, making this month the third wettest October in recorded state history, officials said.”
“September was the hottest September on record in 10 places around the Tampa Bay area, according to the National Weather Service, including in Plant City, Tarpon Springs, Lakeland and Brooksville, where the average temperature was anywhere from two to five degrees above normal. And it was the hottest of any month ever on record in Tampa…”
“Florida Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency for 26 counties as Tropical Storm Michael gathers strength in the Caribbean and barrels toward the Florida Panhandle. The storm is on track to become a hurricane on Monday, bringing heavy rain to the western tip of Cuba, before making landfall on the northeastern Gulf Coast on Wednesday.”
“A misty, overcast Sunday will give way to hot, sunny weather this coming week that could break long-established daily records in Rochester, NY. Temperatures are forecast to rise to 74 degrees during the day Monday, 84 degrees Tuesday and 83 on Wednesday… This October, it’s the overnight lows that will be unusually high.”
“Massachusetts health officials reported an additional nine human West Nile virus (WNV) cases Friday, bringing the total to 38 for the year. This breaks the previous record of 33 human cases reported in 2012. “The forecast includes some warm fall temperatures,” said Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH. “Mosquitoes might still be active and it remains important for people to use mosquito repellent and wear long sleeves to reduce exposed skin.””
“Britain could be about to experience the warmest October in seven years, with highs of around 25°C (77F) expected this week. According to the Met Office, low pressure towards the west will ‘drag in’ warmer air from the south and heat up the country as a result.”
“Record summer temperatures in Switzerland have heightened the danger of mountain rockslides, warns the Federal Office for the Environment. Several regions have already experienced higher than normal rockfall events in recent weeks… The record-breaking heat of the summer in Switzerland has been identified as the culprit, melting the permafrost that usually binds the rocks together.”
“Winter this year will generally be the warmest over the past 30 years, although it is expected sometimes days with 20-degree frost. This “Ukrainian truth,” said the head of the Department of applied meteorology and climatology of the Ukrainian research hydrometeorological Institute Vera Balabukha. According to her, this year’s winter can be much warmer than the climatic norm, it is expected that the average winter temperature will be 2 – 3 degrees.”
“With over 70 per cent of Bayelsa State’s landmass submerged under devastating floodwater, residents, especially farmers are counting their losses, which is running into billions of naira. The flooding caused by overflow of water banks and tributaries of the Orashi and Niger rivers, has left many farmers in dire straits as almost all farmlands along these routes have been washed off.”
“Forecasters say a tropical depression 1,040 km off the coast of southern Oman has developed into a tropical cyclone… the India Meteorological Department warned it could develop into a severe cyclonic storm with winds gusting to 135 kph… In May Cyclone Mekunu ripped through southern parts of Yemen and Oman, leaving a path of destruction, with 30 people dead and dozens more missing.”
“At least 8 persons have died, 11 persons are missing and 21,105 people have been affected due to the adverse weather conditions prevailing in Sri Lanka, according to the latest update from the Disaster Management Center.
“Nearly 1900 people of 466 families have been displaced as torrential rains lashed the country for the past two days…”
“Heavy rains in the northern and northwestern parts of Iran over the past two days claimed the lives of at least seven people, semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Saturday.”
450mm (nearly 18 inches) of torrential rain overnight in parts of southern Italy [Google-translated from the Italian]:
“A vast and violent V-shaped, stationary and self-healing storm has been affecting the South for over 8 hours, particularly Calabria, where nearly 450 mm of rain has fallen.
“The alert 3 was launched during the night for the municipalities of Lamezia Terme, Soveria Mannelli, Serrastretta, Platania, Pianopoli, Gizzeria, Feroleto Antico, Falerna, Decollatura, Conflenti. Here roads, underpasses and flooded houses are recorded and rain is still expected in the morning.
“Ugly night also in Maida, where the mayor and the city administration, at work all night, have declared on social media: “Large damage across the municipal territory, with the fear that the greatest damage will only be seen with the first light. The collapse of the bridge in the Giardini area (German crusher height) alone gives the idea of the extent of what happened.”
“Extreme weather in the south of Italy caused major flooding in Sicily, Calabria and Puglia overnight. In Catania, Sicily, roads turned into rivers lifting the asphalt and flooding houses and shops.
“The unceasing rainfall also caused the death of a mother and her son in Lamezia Terme, Calabria.”
“This summer’s drought has led to a significant drop of total E.U. cereal production, estimated at 8% below the last five-year average. This is just one of the findings of the latest short-term outlook report, published on Oct. 3 by the European Commission… The dry and hot climatic conditions also influenced the milk and dairy sector due to the significant reduction in grassland growth and fodder production.”
“Nigeria will likely experience shortage in rice production if appropriate measures were not taken to replant after the recent floods, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Audu Ogbeh warned Thursday… Heavy downpours have been hitting Nigeria since late July, triggering massive floods in some states.”
“The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on Thursday, October 4, predicted cloudy weather conditions with prospects of thunderstorms and rainfall activities over most parts of the country on Friday, October 5.”
“Meteorologists in Oman are on alert as forecast models predict the development of a tropical cyclone in the Arabian Sea that is expected to make landfall [in Oman] later this week. The system is expected to emerge from an area of active thunderstorms across southern India where Kerala and Tamil Nadu states are already seeing torrential rain… There are concerns that these downpours could cause further flooding in Kerala, which was hit by the worst flooding in nearly a century in August, killing more than 480 people.”
“The Famine Early Warning Systems Network, which tracks food security around the world, is warning of more difficulties ahead: it predicts that the combination of a stumbling economy, instability, and failing crops will increase the need for food aid [for Afghanistan] into next year. In remote Qapchiq, a village in Badghis’ Abkamari district, community leader Saskidad says his family has already lost their entire harvest.
“This year’s drought, he says, is “the worst I’ve ever seen”.”
“Typhoon Kong-rey is battering Japan’s south. At least 10 people have been injured. It’s the second storm to hit the region in less than a week… Heavy downpours are also affecting parts of the southwestern islands of Kyushu and Shikoku. Weather officials are warning people to watch out for rain storms, strong winds, high waves, mudslides, and floods.”
“It is the coast’s turn for a drenching after drought-hit areas of regional NSW welcomed record-breaking rainfalls in the past 24 hours. Sydney is set for further falls through the night, before clearing Saturday morning.
“Heavier rain will be concentrated in the north-east areas of the state… Three spots… recorded more rain in 24 hours than they’d had all year so far.”
“Saipan [Marianas Islands] saw a lot of soil erosion incidents yesterday following flash flooding that was caused by a sudden midday downpour. The flooding was so severe that it prompted the CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency to issue a flood advisory at 1:30pm… Due to the duration of the cloud’s stay and the massive amount of continuous rain it brought with it, Saipan experienced flash flooding in several spots…”
“Several hectares of crops are underwater [after] intense rains that have hit the south of Veracruz [Mexico]… Jaltipan is one of at least four municipalities where damage has been reported for a week. There, the overflow of the Coatzacoalcos and Jaltepec rivers was registered. Some people have replaced the use of their motor vehicles by canoes.”
“Historic rainfall made its way through Lexington [Texas] Thursday night. 3.3 inches of rain fell in the area in just an hour and a half. It made Thursday the second wettest October day on record in Lexington.”
“Colorado water managers are saying good riddance to water year 2018. It enters the history books alongside 2002 and 1977 as one of the driest on record for the Upper Colorado River Basin. According to preliminary numbers from the Bureau of Reclamation, water year 2018, which ended Sept. 30, had the third-lowest unregulated inflow into Lake Powell at 4.62 million acre-feet. That’s just 43 percent of average.”
“October, usually associated with scarves and spiced lattes, has instead been more appropriate for short sleeves and iced tea. Jeffrey Taylor, a meteorologist with the Greer-based office of the National Weather Service, said the high temperatures [in Asheville, N. Carolina] have been “remarkable.” …Last month’s average temperatures were hot, too: September was the warmest on record for the Asheville area.”
“High temperatures in the D.C. area, according to historical averages, should now be in the low 70s and falling… However, today’s anticipated high in the mid- to upper 80… With 131 days at or above 80 degrees so far in 2018, the city is already running 14 days above the average of 117 for such daily temperatures.
“And we’re now just a handful of days away from setting a new record…”
“Dozens of roads were closed in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, October 4, as heavy rain triggered flash flooding.The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that several cars were stranded in the flood water and first responders were called out to rescue several drivers.
“London, Jakarta, Shanghai and Houston and other global cities that are already sinking will become increasingly vulnerable to storms and flooding as a result of global warming, campaigners have warned ahead of a landmark new report on climate science… Kat Kramer of Christian Aid, who wrote the report, said: “These global metropolises may look strong and stable, but it is a mirage. As sea levels rise, they are increasingly under threat and under water.””
“The highly amplified weather pattern continues across Canada with a large ridge over Alaska that is sending Arctic air directly into the western prairies with rounds of early-season snow, while a massive ridge along the East Coast will take hold this weekend and early next week bringing record warmth to parts of Ontario and Quebec.
–Record October snowfall in Calgary, Alberta, yesterday with anywhere from 25-45 cm in and around Calgary. A total of 36 cm at Calgary International Airport through Tuesday evening! The previous October daily record for snowfall in Calgary was 29.7 cm on Oct. 4, 1914.”
“Remnants from a tropical storm that dropped a record amount of rain in the Phoenix area now are headed to Colorado and Utah… National Weather Service meteorologists say a record 2.35 inches (5.97 centimeters) of rain fell at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport as of Tuesday night.
“That made it the rainiest October day since records have been kept.”
“…summer [in Washington DC] — which refused to go away in September — obstinately persists. Don’t stow away the shorts and sandals just yet.
“Temperatures are strangely trending up during the month’s opening stanza. Over the next 10 days, they’ll frequently surpass 80 degrees and could even flirt with 90 on one or two days.”
“The entire Chesapeake Bay has seen an increase in fresh water and record water flows from a series of late-summer storms, which have brought record rainfall.
“Extra fresh water lowers the salinity of Bay waterways, which can stunt the growth of oysters.”
“Only over time does the chronic exposure to low-level pollution take its toll.
“By the time this becomes obvious, often it is too late to do anything to save a particular population, whose decline might have knock-on effects on the surrounding environment, often with socio-economic consequences.”
“Droughts, floods and storms are hitting Africa with increasing frequency. With so many people dependent on subsistence agriculture, the results can be devastating, and the future looks uncertain.”
You may recall that cyclone Mekunu dropped three years’ rain in a single day on parts of Oman and Yemen in May.
“In a statement released Thursday morning, the India Meteorology Department said, “A low pressure area is very likely to form over Southeast Arabian Sea on October 5. It is likely to concentrate into a depression and move northwestwards during subsequent 48 hours. It is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm thereafter.””
“An appalling and atrocious drought worsens more and more the most food and water scarce region of Sindh – Achro Thar [Pakistan]. The severe dearth in Thar is now usurping the cattle and livestock of the locals, who already, have been suffering from the horrible outcomes of the harsh and ruthless weather conditions of region, water scarcity and food shortage as the nomads living mainly depends upon the livestock.”
“…the researchers felt the real shock in their tents after dark. “We hear this loud boom,” Podolskiy said. “We noticed that our glacier is bursting, or exploding with cracks at night.” …The authors of the new study describing the phenomenon note this is the first time such a large amount of seismic activity due to the thermal fracturing has been observed at relatively warm temperatures and outside polar regions.”
“A canal running through three districts in Krabi [Thailand] burst its banks and inundate several villages early on Thursday after hours of heavy rain overnight.
“Officials said the Klong Sin Poon canal that runs through Klong Thom district, Nua Klong district and Khao Phanom district overflowed at about 4am, causing widespread flooding in three districts.”
“Mangkhut swept through Hong Kong on September 16.
“The strongest storm on record to hit the city, it triggered a No 10 typhoon signal. The number of reports of fallen trees received by the Development Bureau recently topped 46,000, including the cases of 11 registered old and valuable trees.”
“Kong-rey will be the third former super typhoon to impact Japan this year, though — like the previous two, Jebi and Trami — the storm will have weakened below the super typhoon threshold (winds greater than 240 kph) when it reaches the island nation.”
“Seven researchers have been evacuated from a remote atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as a powerful hurricane headed their way, officials said Wednesday.
“A research vessel picked up the seven from French Frigate Shoals, said Kate Toniolo, the acting superintendent of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.”
“The National Meteorological Service reported that Sergio” the new weather phenomenon was located 1,410 kilometers south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and away from Mexican territory.
“Hurricane Sergio reached category 3 on Tuesday Oct. 2…”
“Every [Australian drought] is different but this time Schmidt has noticed one change from previous droughts has been the higher temperature. “The essential thing was there were two or three periods there where the temperature was above 40C for 15 days in a row and it just sapped all the moisture out of the soil,” Schmidt says. “That’s the difference between this drought and the others.””
“A massive, historic high pressure zone is bringing freakishly nice weather to Alaska…
“In Anchorage, for example, temperatures have remained above normal for 32 straight days, … On Saturday afternoon, Fairbanks’s pressure about three miles high reached its greatest intensity on record so late in the year.”
“The new climate report from Roshydromet, Russia’s state agency on meteorology and environmental monitoring, leaves no doubt about the serious changes now unfolding in the Arctic parts of the country… it is the Kara Sea that over the last 30 years has experienced the most dramatic boost in air temperatures. Since 1998, the average temperatures in the area have increased with as much as 4,95 C degrees.”
“The United States is on the verge of breaking its record for the number of children who’ve died in hot cars within one year, the National Safety Council warned on Tuesday.
“Forty-eight children have died in hot cars this year — one less than the all-time high of 49 deaths, set in 2010, the organization said.”
“Tahoe City sizzled through its hottest summer on record in 2018, breaking the record it set last year.
“The daily average temperature during this past meteorogical summer, start of June to the end of August, was 62.4 degrees, breaking the record set last year of 62.2.”
“It’s the second day of October and this month is already one of wettest on record. In an update at 10 p.m., The National Weather Service said the 2.36” that had fallen Tuesday made it the wettest October day since recordkeeping began.
“The measurements for the Phoenix area come from a gauge at Sky Harbor International Airport.”
“The National Hurricane Center noted that Tropical Storm Sergio was on the verge of becoming a hurricane in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and NASA’s Aqua satellite confirmed very powerful storms within.”
“Hurricane Walaka was pounding Johnston Atoll and is on track to slam Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument next. At 11 p.m. Tuesday, Walaka remained a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph and higher gusts, moving north at 13 mph.”
“The weather has fallen quiet across Japan but in the wake of Typhoon Trami, which left four people dead, the next storm is gathering pace in the northwest Pacific.
“Super Typhoon Kong-rey is currently located around 1,000 kilometres south-southeast of Okinawa.”
“Centuries-old rainfall records are in danger of falling without significant relief across parched areas of southeast Australia in the next few months.
“An analysis of rainfall figures by The Weekly Times shows parts of the NSW Riverina, Mallee and Gippsland are tracking well below their driest years on record with just three months of 2018 remaining.”
“Some Sydney residents have reportedly received homophobic letters signed “Jesus, The Messiah” that say the state’s current drought is a “curse” brought on by marriage equality.
“One resident, who lives less than 100 metres from Oxford Street in Darlinghurst, found the ominous note in his mailbox.
““Do you know why I have dried up your state?” the letter reads.
““You chose the curse last year when your nation collectively decided to vote ‘yes’ to that which I abhor.”
“Torrential rains poured in Metro Manila, particularly Quezon City, on Tuesday afternoon, flooding several areas in the city…
“PAGASA told Philstar.com that 78.3 millimeters per hour of rain, classified as torrential, the highest rainfall intensity categorized by the state weather bureau, was measured in Quezon City.”
“…just weeks before this latest disaster [in Sulawesi], a group of scientists predicted that tsunami impacts will indeed worsen due to sea-level rises related to climate change. “Our research shows that sea-level rise can significantly increase the tsunami hazard, which means that smaller tsunamis in the future can have the same adverse impacts as big tsunamis would today,” Robert Weiss, associate professor in the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech told DW.”
Drought in W Afghanistan: “Diarrheoa, Acute Repository Infections (ARI), pneumonia, skin infections (due to poor hygiene) are major illnesses affecting women and children in the IDP settlements.
“Most of IDPs have come from Badghis province and some from Ghor and Faryab provinces, where access to quality Health care service has been seriously constrained.”
“Dubrovnik is again a world record holder, but this time it has nothing to do with the tourism industry. Due to the unbelievable amount of rain that fell on the city early this morning Dubrovnik was officially the wettest city in the city over the past 24 hours with almost double the amount of rain of any other of the 6,000 world destination measured. An incredible 260 litres of rain per metre squared fell on the city in a five-hour period from 2.00 am to 7.00 am!”
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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.
“Willa – a “potentially catastrophic” Category-5 hurricane – is moving quickly through the Pacific Ocean and is predicted to pound western Mexico’s shores on Tuesday, according to the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC).”
“Intense rainfall in Morelia, Michoacán, today has left at least 27 neighborhoods flooded and derailed a freight train. 
“Typhoon Yutu is gaining strength in the Western Pacific Ocean and could make a direct strike on Saipan and Tinian in the Mariana Islands by late Wednesday into Thursday. 
One of those narrowly focused pieces of research that draws an overly optimistic conclusion: 
“The full extent of the year’s once-in-a-generation drought has been revealed, just as the worst affected areas have finally been blessed with some long-awaited rain… rural analysts still predict the worst winter harvest in ten years. 
“July 2018 in Darwin was 2C hotter than any previous July and the record temperatures has continued in recent months. Surveys show that people are leaving Darwin because of the heat. 
“Australia is set for 24 hours of wild weather, with heatwaves forecast for one part of the country while another freezes through sub-zero temperatures. 
“Research published last week by the American Geophysical Union documents a chaotic, low-frequency hum across the Ross Ice Shelf… The pitches are caused by wind striking snow dunes, and it’s an eerie sort of song. But, the researchers argue, it’s also an early warning sign for one of the nightmare scenarios in climate change science: the disintegration of Antarctica’s largest ice shelf, and consequent slide of glaciers into the ocean. The song slows down when snow begins to melt in the ice shelf’s top layers. That’s already happened.”
“A strange gigantic ‘monolith’ iceberg has been spotted by NASA scientists flying over Antarctica. 
“There is more to the Greenland ice sheet than meets the eye. Hiding in the depths of West Greenland’s Store Glacier, scientists have found a surprising amount of liquid water. 
“A Malaga town has set a national record for the highest amount of rainfall in 12 hours. 
“Israel’s forests have been declining for years, and now a groundbreaking study has found a correlation between increasing tree mortality and the mounting incidence of drought. 
“…as the world realized that [sand] was not in fact an infinite resource the same rush that has characterized unethical mining practices is now threatening the world’s most treasured sand deposits: pristine beaches. Amnesty International has visited The community of Nagonha in northern Mozambique four times since 2015, when unprecedented flash flooding first partially destroyed the village. Elders who’d lived in the area for decades have no living memory of similar floods. They blame the Haiyu Mining Company for changing their world….”
“This past month was the warmest September on record for the Asheville area, averaging 74.1 degrees. September usually averages 66 degrees. That carried over into the first part of this month, including a high of 86 degrees on Oct. 5, said Jake Crouch, climatologist with the National Centers for Environmental Information, which is based in Asheville. Crouch said even overnight lows weren’t that low, with Oct. 9 and 10 seeing 67 degrees.”
“While much of the lower 48 of the United States has been mired in some chilly temperatures so far this October, one place sure hasn’t seen much cold weather: Alaska. 
“Amazing pictures from Trinidad after the very active Inter Tropical Convergence Zone and tropical waves dumped record rainfall on the islands during the last few days.”
“As human-caused emissions change the planet’s atmosphere, and people reshape the landscape, things are changing fast. The receding line of Arctic ice has made headlines for years, as the white patch at the top of our planet shrinks dramatically. The ocean is rising, gobbling up coastlines. Plants, animals, and diseases are on the move as their patches of suitable climate move too.
Pictures of southern Spain’s flooding – “some of the worst weather in living memory”. 
“Swathes of southern and central Italy are on high alert on Monday after a wave of extreme weather…
“Heavy rainfall, unusual for so early in the fall, fell in southern Israel Saturday, resulting in flash floods that made part of the main road to Eilat impassable and forcing the closure of the city’s airport… 
“Eleven people have been killed since Sunday by fierce tropical storms in Yemen’s eastern Mahra province, a local official said, reports Anadolu Agency. 
“Torrential downpours caused extensive flooding across Qatar on Saturday with lengthy thunderstorms bringing parts of the Gulf state to a standstill. 
“Baishui (glacier complex) is about as close to the equator as Tampa, Florida. And the impacts of climate change already are dramatic. The glacier has lost 60 percent of its mass and shrunk 250 meters (820 feet) since 1982, according to a 2018 report in the Journal of Geophysical Research. Scientists found in 2015 that 82 percent of glaciers surveyed in China had retreated. They warned that the effects of glacier melting on water resources are gradually becoming “increasingly serious” for China.”
“Weather analyst Richard Green told Radio LIVE many parts of New Zealand are already feeling the effects of a lack of rain. “It’s mostly been in eastern areas, also North Canterbury, Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa,” he said. 
“Now, Alaska and northwestern Canada are seeing the “son of the Pacific blob,” Armel Castellan of Environment and Climate Change Canada said. “To see a blob sort of establish itself at this time of year is sort of surprising,” Castellan told CBC News. “It’s a symptom of the enduring or stagnant weather we’ve been having over the last four years.” Alaska is already seeing unseasonably warm temperatures, and northern British Columbia is still experiencing summer-like weather. Alaska just ended one of its warmest Septembers in 94 years…”
“An “extremely dangerous” and potentially life-threatening storm is barrelling towards Mexico during what has been called the eastern Pacific’s most active hurricane season on record. 
“Water, water, everywhere…and it continues to rain. With the wettest September in Texas history, now moving well into October, Texas has received historic rain amounts that have led to catastrophic flooding. 
Trinidad & Tobago’s catastrophic flooding continues: 
“Chile’s Atacama desert is one of the driest places on earth, but home to an abundance of high-grade lithium deposits, existing in brine pools in the desert… United States-based miners Albemarle and Chile’s SQM celebrated deals with the Chilean government earlier this year, allowing them to increase lithium output. But the firms accuse each other of drawing more brine than allowed, which could affect future production in the area.”
“Climate change is already exacerbating domestic and international conflicts, and governments must take steps to ensure it does not get worse, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross has said.
Japan’s extraordinary meteorological year continues:
“Two people died and one person is missing in South Korea as powerful typhoon Kong-rey hit the country yesterday, the government said. 
“Torrential rain in Central America that caused floods and landslides have killed 12 people in just a few days, rescue and emergency authorities across the region said on Sunday… The rain destroyed houses and crops and forced thousands to leave their homes for temporary shelters.”
“Heavy rains hit the Valley Sunday, adding to one of its wettest Octobers in recorded history, officials said. Sunday’s rain broke Phoenix’s daily rainfall record for Oct. 7, said James Sawtelle, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Phoenix… On Tuesday, Hurricane Rosa’s remnants dumped 2.36 inches of rain on Phoenix by evening, making this month the third wettest October in recorded state history, officials said.”
“September was the hottest September on record in 10 places around the Tampa Bay area, according to the National Weather Service, including in Plant City, Tarpon Springs, Lakeland and Brooksville, where the average temperature was anywhere from two to five degrees above normal. And it was the hottest of any month ever on record in Tampa…”
“Massachusetts health officials reported an additional nine human West Nile virus (WNV) cases Friday, bringing the total to 38 for the year. This breaks the previous record of 33 human cases reported in 2012. “The forecast includes some warm fall temperatures,” said Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH. “Mosquitoes might still be active and it remains important for people to use mosquito repellent and wear long sleeves to reduce exposed skin.””
“Record summer temperatures in Switzerland have heightened the danger of mountain rockslides, warns the Federal Office for the Environment. Several regions have already experienced higher than normal rockfall events in recent weeks… The record-breaking heat of the summer in Switzerland has been identified as the culprit, melting the permafrost that usually binds the rocks together.”
“Winter this year will generally be the warmest over the past 30 years, although it is expected sometimes days with 20-degree frost. This “Ukrainian truth,” said the head of the Department of applied meteorology and climatology of the Ukrainian research hydrometeorological Institute Vera Balabukha. According to her, this year’s winter can be much warmer than the climatic norm, it is expected that the average winter temperature will be 2 – 3 degrees.”
“With over 70 per cent of Bayelsa State’s landmass submerged under devastating floodwater, residents, especially farmers are counting their losses, which is running into billions of naira. The flooding caused by overflow of water banks and tributaries of the Orashi and Niger rivers, has left many farmers in dire straits as almost all farmlands along these routes have been washed off.”
“Forecasters say a tropical depression 1,040 km off the coast of southern Oman has developed into a tropical cyclone… the India Meteorological Department warned it could develop into a severe cyclonic storm with winds gusting to 135 kph… In May Cyclone Mekunu ripped through southern parts of Yemen and Oman, leaving a path of destruction, with 30 people dead and dozens more missing.”
“Heavy rains in the northern and northwestern parts of Iran over the past two days claimed the lives of at least seven people, semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Saturday.”
450mm (nearly 18 inches) of torrential rain overnight in parts of southern Italy [Google-translated from the Italian]:
“Extreme weather in the south of Italy caused major flooding in Sicily, Calabria and Puglia overnight. In Catania, Sicily, roads turned into rivers lifting the asphalt and flooding houses and shops. 
“This summer’s drought has led to a significant drop of total E.U. cereal production, estimated at 8% below the last five-year average. This is just one of the findings of the latest short-term outlook report, published on Oct. 3 by the European Commission… The dry and hot climatic conditions also influenced the milk and dairy sector due to the significant reduction in grassland growth and fodder production.”
“Nigeria will likely experience shortage in rice production if appropriate measures were not taken to replant after the recent floods, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Audu Ogbeh warned Thursday… Heavy downpours have been hitting Nigeria since late July, triggering massive floods in some states.”
“Meteorologists in Oman are on alert as forecast models predict the development of a tropical cyclone in the Arabian Sea that is expected to make landfall [in Oman] later this week. The system is expected to emerge from an area of active thunderstorms across southern India where Kerala and Tamil Nadu states are already seeing torrential rain… There are concerns that these downpours could cause further flooding in Kerala, which was hit by the worst flooding in nearly a century in August, killing more than 480 people.”
“The Famine Early Warning Systems Network, which tracks food security around the world, is warning of more difficulties ahead: it predicts that the combination of a stumbling economy, instability, and failing crops will increase the need for food aid [for Afghanistan] into next year. In remote Qapchiq, a village in Badghis’ Abkamari district, community leader Saskidad says his family has already lost their entire harvest.
“It is the coast’s turn for a drenching after drought-hit areas of regional NSW welcomed record-breaking rainfalls in the past 24 hours. Sydney is set for further falls through the night, before clearing Saturday morning. 
Lethal flash-flooding in Honduras: 
“Colorado water managers are saying good riddance to water year 2018. It enters the history books alongside 2002 and 1977 as one of the driest on record for the Upper Colorado River Basin. According to preliminary numbers from the Bureau of Reclamation, water year 2018, which ended Sept. 30, had the third-lowest unregulated inflow into Lake Powell at 4.62 million acre-feet. That’s just 43 percent of average.”
“October, usually associated with scarves and spiced lattes, has instead been more appropriate for short sleeves and iced tea. Jeffrey Taylor, a meteorologist with the Greer-based office of the National Weather Service, said the high temperatures [in Asheville, N. Carolina] have been “remarkable.” …Last month’s average temperatures were hot, too: September was the warmest on record for the Asheville area.”
“Dozens of roads were closed in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, October 4, as heavy rain triggered flash flooding.The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that several cars were stranded in the flood water and first responders were called out to rescue several drivers.
“London, Jakarta, Shanghai and Houston and other global cities that are already sinking will become increasingly vulnerable to storms and flooding as a result of global warming, campaigners have warned ahead of a landmark new report on climate science… Kat Kramer of Christian Aid, who wrote the report, said: “These global metropolises may look strong and stable, but it is a mirage. As sea levels rise, they are increasingly under threat and under water.””
“The highly amplified weather pattern continues across Canada with a large ridge over Alaska that is sending Arctic air directly into the western prairies with rounds of early-season snow, while a massive ridge along the East Coast will take hold this weekend and early next week bringing record warmth to parts of Ontario and Quebec.
“Streets and sidewalks were a slushy, slippery mess…
“…summer [in Washington DC] — which refused to go away in September — obstinately persists. Don’t stow away the shorts and sandals just yet. 
“Severe thunderstorms ripped through most of Pennsylvania Tuesday evening, causing hail, flash flooding, damaging winds and electrical outages. 
“The entire Chesapeake Bay has seen an increase in fresh water and record water flows from a series of late-summer storms, which have brought record rainfall. 
“Only over time does the chronic exposure to low-level pollution take its toll. 
You may recall that cyclone Mekunu dropped three years’ rain in a single day on parts of Oman and Yemen in May. 
“An appalling and atrocious drought worsens more and more the most food and water scarce region of Sindh – Achro Thar [Pakistan]. The severe dearth in Thar is now usurping the cattle and livestock of the locals, who already, have been suffering from the horrible outcomes of the harsh and ruthless weather conditions of region, water scarcity and food shortage as the nomads living mainly depends upon the livestock.”
“…the researchers felt the real shock in their tents after dark. “We hear this loud boom,” Podolskiy said. “We noticed that our glacier is bursting, or exploding with cracks at night.” …The authors of the new study describing the phenomenon note this is the first time such a large amount of seismic activity due to the thermal fracturing has been observed at relatively warm temperatures and outside polar regions.”
“A canal running through three districts in Krabi [Thailand] burst its banks and inundate several villages early on Thursday after hours of heavy rain overnight. 
“Mangkhut swept through Hong Kong on September 16. 
“Kong-rey will be the third former super typhoon to impact Japan this year, though — like the previous two, Jebi and Trami — the storm will have weakened below the super typhoon threshold (winds greater than 240 kph) when it reaches the island nation.” 
“Seven researchers have been evacuated from a remote atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as a powerful hurricane headed their way, officials said Wednesday. 
“The National Meteorological Service reported that Sergio” the new weather phenomenon was located 1,410 kilometers south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and away from Mexican territory. 
Heavy rains accompanied by gales appeared from midday on Wednesday in Colombia’s Aburrá Valley, causing flash flooding. 
“Every [Australian drought] is different but this time Schmidt has noticed one change from previous droughts has been the higher temperature. “The essential thing was there were two or three periods there where the temperature was above 40C for 15 days in a row and it just sapped all the moisture out of the soil,” Schmidt says. “That’s the difference between this drought and the others.””
“A massive, historic high pressure zone is bringing freakishly nice weather to Alaska…
“The new climate report from Roshydromet, Russia’s state agency on meteorology and environmental monitoring, leaves no doubt about the serious changes now unfolding in the Arctic parts of the country… it is the Kara Sea that over the last 30 years has experienced the most dramatic boost in air temperatures. Since 1998, the average temperatures in the area have increased with as much as 4,95 C degrees.”
But, as luck would have it…
“Tahoe City sizzled through its hottest summer on record in 2018, breaking the record it set last year. 
“It’s the second day of October and this month is already one of wettest on record. In an update at 10 p.m., The National Weather Service said the 2.36” that had fallen Tuesday made it the wettest October day since recordkeeping began. 
“The National Hurricane Center noted that Tropical Storm Sergio was on the verge of becoming a hurricane in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and NASA’s Aqua satellite confirmed very powerful storms within.”
“The weather has fallen quiet across Japan but in the wake of Typhoon Trami, which left four people dead, the next storm is gathering pace in the northwest Pacific. 
“Centuries-old rainfall records are in danger of falling without significant relief across parched areas of southeast Australia in the next few months. 
Well, that’s a whole lot of crazy: 
“Torrential rains poured in Metro Manila, particularly Quezon City, on Tuesday afternoon, flooding several areas in the city… 
“Daily downpours will heighten the risk for flooding across parts of southern India and Sri Lanka into this weekend. 
“…just weeks before this latest disaster [in Sulawesi], a group of scientists predicted that tsunami impacts will indeed worsen due to sea-level rises related to climate change. “Our research shows that sea-level rise can significantly increase the tsunami hazard, which means that smaller tsunamis in the future can have the same adverse impacts as big tsunamis would today,” Robert Weiss, associate professor in the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech told DW.”
Drought in W Afghanistan: “Diarrheoa, Acute Repository Infections (ARI), pneumonia, skin infections (due to poor hygiene) are major illnesses affecting women and children in the IDP settlements. 
“Dubrovnik is again a world record holder, but this time it has nothing to do with the tourism industry. Due to the unbelievable amount of rain that fell on the city early this morning Dubrovnik was officially the wettest city in the city over the past 24 hours with almost double the amount of rain of any other of the 6,000 world destination measured. An incredible 260 litres of rain per metre squared fell on the city in a five-hour period from 2.00 am to 7.00 am!”
“Insurers are at the vanguard of a movement to put a value today on the unpredictable future of a warming planet.”