“It was the hottest summer on record for England and the joint hottest for the UK… Summer seemed to arrive early — for many places the hot and sunny weather began in May. Looking at this extended “summer” reveals that May-August 2018 had the warmest daytime maximum temperatures on record, at least for central England, in records since 1659.”
“The summer of 2018 saw record-breaking temperatures across the European Union — and while many lavished in the warm weather by heading to the beach, farmers in the fields were confronted with a crisis. Dairy farmers were worst-hit by the drought in the UK, sending herds of cows to slaughter because there wasn’t enough fodder, which is feed for livestock. Backlogs at the abattoir reached four weeks, one farmer in the UK’s Northwest told Euronews.”
“Sweden is heading for a general election on September 9, with two pressing political issues driving the agenda. But a third, simmering problem could yet define the next parliament. More than 50 wildfires raged across Sweden during the summer of 2018 – the warmest summer since 1756… The gravity of the situation brought environmental questions to the fore, as the effects of climate change became more tangible than ever.”
“Public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news service reported that the PLN 3.6 billion figure was the amount of losses estimated at the end of August, IAR added that over 130,000 farms were hit by drought but assessment of the damage is ongoing. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said at the end of July that the Polish government was ready to amend the budget if needed in order to pay compensation to farmers.”
“A farmer from Baarlo in Limburg province has dumped a million bell peppers on a field to rot because they have been damaged by the summer’s drought. Most of his harvest has been lost because the peppers have marks on their skin, caused by the lack of water, grower Erik Gubbels says. The lost harvest will cost him some €70,000 he told local broadcaster Limburg1.”
“Florence has been upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane and is likely to cause “life-threatening” surf and rip current conditions in Bermuda later this week. The National Hurricane Center said the storm’s maximum sustained winds Wednesday afternoon are estimated to be 130 mph (215 kph).”
“Tropical Depression Gordon was expected on Thursday to dump more rain on central U.S. states… Some areas in northwest Mississippi, much of Arkansas and into the Midwest could get up to 7 inches (18 cm) of rain, with isolated amounts reaching 10 inches through Saturday, and is likely to cause flash flooding, the center said.”
“When you combine the daily high and low temperatures for the month, the average monthly temperature came in more than 2.5 degrees warmer than average. This makes Aug. 2018 the second warmest on record [Florida]. The first warmest August on record was just 2017. Records for the Melbourne area go back to 1937.”
“As if this summer’s heat on land isn’t enough, sea-surface temperatures in the Gulf of Maine soared to near-record highs in August in what scientists referred to as a month-long “marine heat wave” in the typically colder waters off the New England coast.”
“Summer wants you to know it’s not over just yet, as Toronto is experiencing record-breaking temperatures Wednesday and could be hit by severe thunderstorms. The temperature rose to 34 C Wednesday afternoon, breaking the previous record for Sept. 5 of 31.7 C, which was set in 1945. But with the humidity that’s been blanketing the city in recent days, the temperature feels more like 43.”
“Temperatures plunged back to levels never before recorded on Sept. 5 across central Saskatchewan on Wednesday morning, with the mercury sliding down as cool as -4 C in Prince Albert. A 115-year-old low temperature record from 1903 of -1.1 C was broken in Saskatoon as we fell to -1.3 C to start the day.”
“With the use of satellite imagery, NASA scientists have also discovered that the San Joaquin Central Valley is sinking faster than originally thought… sinking 2 inches per month… The extreme drought in such a vivid agricultural area has fueled prolonged voracious groundwater pumping.”
“Nigeria’s hydrological body Wednesday issued an alert over possible flooding due to the high intensity of rainfall across the country… Earlier this year, heavy rains and thunderstorms caused havoc in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic nerve center and one of Africa’s most populous cities.”
Not helpful for a nation that just entered a recession – “The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has warned Southern African officials meeting in Zimbabwe to better prepare for expected drought or risk food security… The last El Nino-induced drought from 2014-2016 led to 40 million people requiring food assistance across southern Africa. Madagascar and Zimbabwe were among some of the worst hit countries.”
“Jebi, Japan’s largest typhoon in a quarter century, has left behind it a trail of wreckage. Some of the most pronounced damage was seen near the country’s shoreline, where massive gusts toppled shipping containers, blew tankers into seawalls and took down other infrastructure… Aerial photos from the storms aftermath show its terrifying power, which is reported to have killed 11 people and brought some of the strongest winds portions of the country had ever seen.”
“A 36,000-tonne Chinese cargo ship built for polar expeditions has completed its maiden voyage through the Arctic Circle in the latest sign of Beijing’s ambitions to create a “polar Silk Road”. The route has opened up because of global warming; Beijing has sent freight ships through the Northeast Passage before but this is its first with built-in ice-breaking capabilities.”
“Dr Brian Haley, co-author on the study, said: “Up near the surface, plankton grow, but when they die they sink and decompose. That is a biological pump that is always sending carbon to the bottom. The slower the circulation, the more time the water spends down there, and carbon can build up.” What concerns the researchers is that it could happen again as the climate continues to warm.”
“UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres cited the devastating floods in Kerala and the wildfires in California as he expressed concern that climate change is “running faster than we are and called for urgency and action to prevent ever greater climate-related crises.”
“The summer… was the hottest in the 174-year history of the weather station in Kaisaniemi, Helsinki, and the second hottest in the 118-year history of the weather station in Sodankylä, Lapland.
“If May is also taken into consideration, this summer was the warmest on record both nationwide and at individual weather stations in Finland, with the mean temperature being as much as 0.3ºC higher than in what is now the second warmest summer on record, the summer of 1937.
“FMI revealed that the highest temperature of 33.7ºC was recorded in Klemettilä, Vaasa, on 18 July. The reading is the second highest for at least 60 years, second only to the 37.2ºC recorded in Joensuu in 2010.
“The mercury breached the 25ºC-mark on roughly 40 days in southern parts of the country and on 20 days in Lapland. The number of such days was 10–30 higher than usual depending on the locality, with the highest number (46) being recorded in Heinola.
“FMI points out that the summer was record-breaking almost all over the Baltics and Nordics.
“In Norway, for example, the summer was the hottest and driest in the over 100-year measurement history. In Latvia, May was the warmest on record, while both June and July were similarly warmer than usual.
“There will be more and more record-breaking weather events in the future. That is why the society must prepare for a changing climate…”
“Poles took to lakes, rivers and the Baltic Sea in droves amid scorching temperatures which exceeded 35 degrees in the shade in some parts of the country this year… This summer has been the warmest in Poland since the end of the 18th century, according to private broadcaster TVN.”
“With three weeks of astronomical summer still to go, you wouldn’t expect plants to be turning colour already. But that’s exactly what’s happening in parts of the country as glowing golden heather is showing the first tones of autumn and Virginia creepers are turning red unusually early in Scotland. Horticultural experts say many plants have become stressed by the hot and dry summer…”
“British people’s concern over climate change hit the highest level in almost a decade amid the record-breaking heatwave which swept across Britain this summer, a new poll has revealed. While many people took the opportunity to enjoy the hot weather, the unprecedented temperatures also appear to have led many to worry about what caused it. The poll by Opinium showed 60 per cent of British adults think climate change made the heatwave “stronger or more likely to happen”.”
“A new study demonstrates that the recent mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef was not restricted to shallow depths, but also affected deep reefs. Although deep reefs are often considered a refuge from thermal anomalies, the new research highlights limitations to this role and argues that both shallow and deep reefs are under threat of mass bleaching events.”
“A drought across Australia’s east coast has intensified after near record-low levels of rain across much of the region over the past five months, the country’s weather bureau said on Wednesday… The bureau last week said the east coast will continue to experience dry weather for at least the next three months, offering little relief for farmers struggling to stay in business.”
“Just days after firefighters were finally able to mop up some of California’s most disastrous wildfires in years, a new blaze was reported over the Labor Day weekend just south of Emigrant Gap in Placer County, causing major tie-ups on Interstate 80 and forcing visitors to evacuate campgrounds in the Tahoe National Forest.”
“The smell of smoke is once again noticeable in the Lower Mainland [BC], serving as a reminder of the more than 400 wildfires that continue to burn in the province. CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe says the ridge of high pressure bringing blue skies to the South Coast is also bringing air from the east, where many wildfires continue to burn.”
“If you thought we weren’t getting enough rain in Prince George [BC] during August, you were right. The drought-like conditions were felt throughout the Northern Capital. Last month turned out to be a record breaker. “For Prince George, specifically, it was the driest on record since 1943 as only 6.8 millimeters of rain fell at the airport and that’s about 13 percent of normal so it was extraordinarily dry,” said David Wray, Environment Canada Meteorologist.”
“The 2018 summer season in Regina [Saskatchewan] was warm and dry, continuing a drought that has been ongoing for 17 months… The mercury has hit 30 degrees or higher 19 times during the summer months and another three times before that in May. That brings the total to 22 times this year, which is 6 above the normal.”
“After impacting South Florida with gusty winds and heavy rain, Gordon now has its sights set on the upper Gulf Coast after making landfall as a tropical storm on Tuesday night. Residents should expect dangerous surf and sea conditions to develop and spread westward from the Florida Gulf coast to Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas into Wednesday.”
“The back-to-back devastation of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, followed by catastrophic wildfires in California, overwhelmed federal disaster responders in 2017, according to a government report released Tuesday. The unprecedented sequence of storms and fires forced Federal Emergency Management Agency staff to jump from one disaster to another and in some cases use uncertified workers to fill key roles.”
“As sea ice continues to recede in the Arctic, it provides cruise, cargo and tanker companies with new opportunities, and emboldens small vessels to venture into uncharted areas. A recent analysis suggests that the average Arctic ship route has moved more than 180 miles closer to the North Pole in the past seven years…
“There are other factors portending future disasters. There are no ports in the North American Arctic from which to stage a rescue or an oil spill cleanup.
“Icebreakers are few and far between. The U.S. Coast Guard has just one in operation. Canada has a few more, but many of them are well on their way to being decommissioned.
“Weather forecasting capabilities are poor due to the shortage of meteorological stations and the increasingly unpredictable nature of Arctic weather. Powerful summers storms such as the record-breaking summer cyclone that tore through the Arctic in 2012 are on the increase. Stable shorefast ice is letting go in unpredictable ways.”
“Emerging markets are in a bad way. The MSCI EM Index of stocks fell Tuesday to bring its decline to 18.4 percent since peaking in January. MSCI’s index of EM currencies is down 8.51 percent since April. If that isn’t depressing enough, Morgan Stanley predicted in a research report Monday that it will only get worse for investors…
“The rising dollar has been blamed for much of the ills in emerging markets of late. The thinking goes that EM borrowers who took out dollar-denominated debt will have a much harder time paying back those obligations as the greenback rises. But dollar strength is also wreaking havoc with commodities, especially base metals.”
“Emerging markets are heavily indebted, and a stronger dollar makes it tougher for them to pay that money back. The main issue is that corporate debt in emerging and developing economies is significantly more than it was before the 2008 global financial crisis. As the volume of debt is much larger, the fall could be more detrimental.”
“Argentina’s economic outlook deteriorated significantly in August amid a renewed currency crisis, with economists surveyed by the central bank forecasting a deepening recession, weaker currency and higher inflation.”
“The rumbling tensions reflect anger over the destruction on Sunday of the much-loved yet dilapidated museum, which suffered from declining federal funding. It stirred emotions in Brazil, whose angry electorate is reeling from a frail economy, widespread graft and rising violence ahead of an unpredictable presidential election in October.”
“As the economy collapses, the Venezuelan exodus “is building to a crisis moment”, the UN has warned. Drawing comparisons with the desperate journeys of Syrians and Africans through the Mediterranean in recent years, it says 2.3m people — 7 per cent of the population — have left Venezuela since 2015.”
“Mexico’s economic activity in the second quarter contracted more than previously estimated as declines in industrial output and agricultural production offset gains in services. Gross domestic product, a measure of output in goods and services, was down 0.2% seasonally adjusted from the previous quarter, the National Statistics Institute said Friday.”
“South Africa’s economic growth slowed unexpectedly in the second quarter, pushing the country into a recession for the first time since 2009. Gross domestic product in Africa’s most developed economy fell by 0.7% from April to June, the national statistics agency said in a report Tuesday, compared with expectations for 0.6% growth. That followed a 2.6% contraction in the previous quarter.”
“Turkey, in the midst of a currency crisis which is quickly becoming a private sector debt crisis, appears headed toward stagflation — high inflation coupled with a contracting economy. The country’s inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.05 points in August to nearly 18% — the highest level seen since 2003 according to central bank figures released on Monday.”
“Philippine central bank Governor Nestor Espenilla said he will consider the need for more policy action after a report showed inflation exceeded 6 percent for the first time in nine years in August. Consumer prices rose 6.4 percent from a year ago, the Philippine Statistics Authority said in an emailed statement on Wednesday. That exceeded the forecasts of all 15 economists in a Bloomberg survey.”
“Indonesia rupiah hit an all-time low of 14,933 against the US dollar. The emerging market crisis has sent the currency of the country with the largest population in the region to a level that is even lower than the 1998 Asian currency crisis. The ringgit weakened against the US dollar 4.1440 at noon while the Thailand’s baht was quoted at 32.79 against the greenback.”
“Recent data prints out of China continue to point to a slowdown in growth for the world’s second-largest economy, despite efforts by policy makers to kick-start growth… “Signs of stagnation emerged as upward pressure on prices remained even though demand weakened at a faster rate.””
“US equities are outperforming non-US risk assets to a degree that hasn’t been seen since the financial crisis, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The key question investors need to answer is whether this is a buying opportunity, implying that global growth would continue and help emerging markets rebound.”
“I find the cognitive dissonance and normalcy bias regarding what has actually happened over the last ten years to be at astounding levels. As someone who views the world based upon a factual assessment of financial, economic and global data, I’m flabbergasted at the willful ignorance of the populace and the ease with which the ruling class has used their propaganda machine to convince people our current situation is normal, improving, and eternally sustainable…
“With stagnant real wages since the Wall Street created financial crisis, a critical thinking person might wonder how an economy whose GDP is 70% dependent on consumer spending could grow for the last nine years, with corporate profits at all-time highs, consumer confidence at record highs, and the stock market at record highs..
“You would think after being burned with 50% losses twice in the space of eight years, the average American would have learned their lesson. Debt kills. Consumer debt, which collapsed under an avalanche of Wall Street write-offs (paid for by you the taxpayer) in 2009/2010, has regained all-time high levels and is accelerating as we enter this final phase of blow-off top euphoria. When the next inevitable financial collapse occurs these heavily indebted suckers will be blind-sided with a baseball bat to the skull again. It seems Americans never learn.”
“Japan advised more than a million people to evacuate their homes Tuesday and canceled hundreds of flights as the west coast was hit with high winds and heavy rain in what was described as the worst typhoon in 25 years.
“Typhoon Jebi, whose name means swallow in Korean, is the latest spate of record-breaking, deadly weather patterns to hit the island nation this summer, after historic floods, landslides, and a heat wave killed at least 300 people.
“The heatwave in Japan this summer was part of a pattern of hotter weather in several parts of the world that scientists have blamed on a warming planet.”
“June through August 2018 was the hottest summer since the end of World War II, with the average temperature in eastern Japan 1.7 degrees Celsius higher than usual, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported.”
“Farmers [in New South Wales] have been warned their livestock is being attacked by feral pigs, wild boars, foxes and dingoes as the wild animals are starved by the drought. Central Tablelands Local Land Services (CTLLS) in is offering services for farmers in and around the NSW towns of Oberon, Mudgee and Cowra to tackle the predators as spring begins.”
“An Australian farmer has uploaded dramatic footage of a dust storm that swept through his property after five years of drought. The 20 second clip shows a ferocious storm, with visibility difficult beyond a few metres from the window of his Hungerford home, in south-east Queensland. ‘There was supposed to finally be some rain but instead all we got was a dust storm,” the farmer said in the video. ‘I’ve never seen one that bad before.'”
“After B.C.’s record-setting wildfire season, Langen is bracing to treat a number of animals, specifically bears, that have been displaced by the blazes. While many people across the province have been forced to flee their homes due to wildfires, so too have wildlife. Fires rip through forests, destroying habitats and burning food sources.”
“Nearly 9 inches of rain that pounded Manhattan, Kan., overnight and into the day Monday caused major flash flooding, forcing more than 300 people to evacuate their homes. Some 750 homes still lack power, the city of Manhattan reports. “We’re saying it is a 500-year event, perhaps a 700-, 800-year event,” said Manhattan’s Municipal Government Manager Mark Fehr at a 2 p.m. press conference Monday.”
“Parts of Galveston, Texas have gotten more than 10 inches of rain, flooding streets as a storm system moved across the island. National Weather Service meteorologist Josh Lichter says heavy rains fell on the island overnight Monday…”
“Yet despite South Florida’s sweltering climate — intensified by record-breaking temperatures the past few years — the federal government does not require air conditioning for public housing.”
“Tropical Storm Gordon on Tuesday barreled toward central U.S. Gulf Coast, where it was expected to become a hurricane and bring high winds and heavy rain to the region, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The storm was gaining strength and was expected to become a hurricane as it comes ashore late on Tuesday near the border between Louisiana and Mississippi…”
“During a hot and dry summer, Scotland’s River Gairn hit a record-breaking temperature of 27.5C. Photographer Paul Glendell met scientists at the James Hutton Institute who warn of the potential ecological impacts and the need to consider actions to make rivers more resilient to potential climate change.”
“The European Commission is standing by Europe’s farmers this summer, as they grapple with the difficulties of extreme droughts with an additional package of support measures to help mitigate the ongoing challenges. The European Commission has come up with more actions aimed at increasing the availability of fodder resources for livestock which is one of the main challenges faced by farmers dealing with the impact of drought.”
“As a result of global warming, temperatures in the Alps have increased by 1.8 degrees in the past 70 years. Many researchers believe that in twenty years, many small glaciers will most certainly have disappeared… The Rhone Glacier is protected by special white blankets, designed to deflect the sun light. The blankets do help, but many fear such protection measures are utterly inadequate.”
“Kerala, the southern Indian state reeling from its worst flooding in a century, is now battling a “fast, progressive” strain of leptospirosis, or “rat fever”, as it is known locally… The waterborne bacterial disease can prove fatal and is transmitted by the urine of infected animals, with symptoms including muscle pain and fever. The outbreak comes after flooding triggered by torrential rain devastated almost the entire state.”
“Death toll from severe flooding reached 31 across Myanmar… As of Sunday, Bago region led with a death toll of nine by flooding due to heavy rainfall, followed by Mon state, Kayin state, Tanintharyi and Magway regions. A total of 136 temporary relief camps have been set up to accommodate 62,435 flood victims so far.”
“Torrential rain in Southern China is battering more than 1.2 million people. Emergency crews are working around the clock to rescue trapped residents. The Quangdong province near Hong Kong is the hardest hit. Almost 130,000 people were forced to flee their homes, with some cities submerged under as much as 2 meters of water.”
“Permafrost that’s thawing deep under some Arctic lakes is speeding up climate warming. That’s according to a recent study led by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, published earlier this month in Nature Communications. Researchers looked at the “abrupt thaw” of permafrost beneath more than 300 thermokarst lakes in Alaska and Siberia over the last decade, along with high resolution images of lake changes in interior Alaska.”
“Since it snapped off the Larsen C ice shelf in July 2017, the trillion-tonne iceberg known as A68 has spent most of its time stuck in the mud. Now, new satellite data reveals that the ‘berg made its biggest move yet over the austral winter — a dramatic counterclockwise rotation that shows no signs of stopping.”
“Japan is bracing for a “very strong” typhoon, with authorities warning of high waves, floods and landslides, including in areas hit by deadly flooding earlier this year.
“Typhoon Jebi, which at one stage was packing winds of up to 252km/h, has become the strongest tropical system so far this year.
“The storm is expected to make landfall on the country’s main island on Tuesday, according to Japan’s Meteorological Agency.
“”Maintaining its very strong power, the typhoon is forecast to approach Honshu,” the agency said.”
“Sydney’s driest start to a year since 1968 appears to be encouraging a trend that has nudged large flocks of corellas and other parrots to set up home in Sydney’s parklands in recent years, experts say… Richmond, on Sydney’s north-west, has not had such a dry beginning to a year since records began in 1928… For NSW… the year-to-date maximum temperatures continue to be “the largest on record by a pretty large margin”, Blair Trewin, senior bureau climatologist, said.”
“The tropical north Queensland town of Innisfail recorded just 12 millimetres of rain in August – more than 100 millimetres short of the average… The lack of rainfall was compounded by some of Queensland’s warmest-ever August temperatures.”
“The Australian government-funded Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority drastically scaled back surveys of coral bleaching in the middle of an unprecedented two-year marine heatwave, as its monitoring program almost ran out of money.”
“California has a problem to the tune of 129 million dead trees, spread across 8.9 million acres. That’s 6,450 times the number of trees in Central Park, truly “astronomical,” in the words of Heather Williams, a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.”
“Portland [Oregon] experienced its hottest August on record this year, driven primarily by high humidity that prevented the mercury from falling overnight.”
“In Seattle, it will go down as the second-hottest meteorological summer on record at Sea-Tac Airport by average high temperature, coming in at 77.9 degrees. The only hotter summer was the scorcher of 2015, which had an average high of 80.2 degrees.”
“August 2018 was full of notable weather events and statistics [for New Jersey]. Among them: Four towns in four different counties were saturated with 12 inches or more of rain during the month, which is almost three times as much rain as normal… August 2018 was not only very wet, but it was very hot. In fact, it could turn out to be the hottest August ever recorded in New Jersey.”
“Indian researchers have documented accelerated glacial melting at an Arctic fjord, a much-discussed factor projected to influence Indian monsoon with changing global climate. The frigid Arctic, which keeps losing ice due to global warming, is one of the batteries feeding the variations in Indian monsoons, over 7000 kilometres away.”
“The summer of 2018 looks set to be confirmed as the hottest ever recorded in England. Weather forecasters have revealed the mean temperature over the past three months currently stands at 17.2C – pipping the previous record high of 17C set back in 1976… temperatures have remained above average for much of the past month, pushing the season to a historic average high.”
“UK Farmers have criticised the lack of government action after environment secretary Michael Gove promised to help them after this summer’s heatwave and drought. The country experienced its driest early summer for nearly six decades, and the extreme conditions took their toll on harvests.”
“The Director Relief, Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Garba Salisu, says 14 persons have so far died due to flooding in different part of the state.”
“Iraq risks an extremist resurgence if it fails to tackle a critical drought and other climate-related security issues, according to a study presented to the UN Security Council and made public on Saturday. “The combination of its hydrological limitations, increasing temperatures and extreme weather events puts pressure on basic resources and undermines livelihood security for Iraq’s population,” the Expert Working Group on Climate-Related Security Risks warned in its report.”
“‘With the exception of coastal areas [of Oman] where temperatures will come down, the temperature in Dhofar region and other areas will remain the same,’ the official added. In a sign of continuing long-term climate change, 2015, 2016 and 2017 were confirmed as the three warmest years on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization. ‘This year, new temperature records have been set across the world with Quriyat getting the distinction of setting a new record – that for the highest minimum temperature ever observed on the planet.”
“At least 20 people killed in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh [India]
.Heavy rain lashed different parts of Uttar Pradesh today throwing life out of gear in many cities. Incessant rain created flood like situation in western part of the state. 20 people lost their lives in rain-related incidents in the past 24 hours.”
“Flood-ravaged Kerala has seen a spurt in communicable diseases, as the administration struggles to prevent and contain them with a debilitated healthcare system. In August alone, the state government’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Project recorded 171 cases of leptospirosis with four deaths, against 46 cases with six deaths last August.”
“As Bangkok prepares to host climate change talks, the sprawling city of more than 10 million is itself under siege from the environment, with dire forecasts warning it could be partially submerged in just over a decade.”
“On Saturday… many villages in hardest-hit Cam Thuy, a mountainous district to the northwest of Thanh Hoa [Vietnam], were still submerged in muddy waters. Tran Duc Luong, vice chairman of the district, said the floods have isolated many villages and towns, inflicting great misery on local residents. As of Saturday, flash floods in Thanh Hoa had left six people dead and seven others missing, collapsed 120 houses, washed away three suspension bridges and inundated the houses of nearly 4,600 families.”
“Torrential rain has caused major flooding and prompted scores of evacuations in the China province of Guangdong on Sept. 1, 2018… “We estimate an AccuWeather StormMax™ of 380 millimeters (15 inches) in the eastern part of the Guangdong province,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Douty said… The rain does not appear to be directly related to a particular typhoon or tropical storm.”
“This summer was officially the hottest on record [for Korea], beating the previous record from 1994… the country suffered sweltering heat for 31.5 days until the end of August, up from 31.1 days in 1994 and the most since statistics began in 1973… Several temperature records were… broken left, right and center, with 41 degrees Celsius in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province on Aug. 1, breaking the record of 40 degrees in Daegu on Aug. 1, 1942. Local heat records were set at 57 of 95 weather observation stations across the country.”
“NASA has released videos of bubbling lakes in the remote Arctic tundra, where warming continues to release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at unprecedented rates.
“The international research team, funded by NASA as part of their Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE), recently published their results in Nature Communications. What they found are bubbling lakes as greenhouse gases are released from the previously frozen ground, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions and a warming positive feedback.
“The Arctic is one of the largest natural reservoirs of organic carbon… Large releases of carbon are not decades or centuries away, they are rapidly happening today and with it, changing the landscape of the Arctic.”
“Wildfires are spanning the northern hemisphere. Local impacts have been severe; notably the loss of habitat and life, including the tragic deaths in Greece. Smoke has caused air pollution problems in nearby cities, exposing millions of people… But the smoke spreads further. Smoke from Siberian forest fires crossed the Arctic to reach North America in July . Weather models and satellite pictures showed that smoke from North American forest fires crossed the Atlantic in the high atmosphere and reached Europe in mid-August, causing purple skies in southern Ireland.”
“As more than 500 forest fires burn across British Columbia., the drought conditions across the province are also worsening. On Monday, CBC reported, “Nearly one-quarter of B.C.’s regions are now at the highest drought rating, with no significant rain in the forecast.” B.C. is not alone in experiencing droughts and other extreme weather events, all of which are worsening with climate change.”
“The western United States remains a tinderbox, and wildfire conditions may worsen as September weather patterns progress. A persistent northward bulge in the jet stream allowed temperatures to soar to well above average and at times record levels in parts of the West this summer. That same weather pattern may return later in September.”
“Another day, another high-low weather record for Buffalo. For the second straight day, Buffalo recorded a record high for its low temperature, the National Weather Service announced.”
“The average sea surface temperature in the gulf [of Maine] was nearly 5 degrees Fahrenheit above the long-term average during one 10-day stretch in August, said the Andy, a marine scientist with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland Pershing, who released the work Thursday. Aug. 8 was the second warmest day in recorded history in the gulf… “We’re seeing really unusual conditions all over the planet this year. Wildfires and heatwaves. Unusual conditions. The Gulf of Maine is part of that story,” Pershing said.”
“After a record setting amount of rainfall this summer, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is asking residents to report their damage. Depending on the amount of damage reported from the rainfall, Pennsylvania can declare a state of disaster and receive federal financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to repair the damage.”
“The next tropical storm of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season [Florence] is developing off the west African coast, as a separate Caribbean tropical wave bears watching in the Gulf of Mexico next week. The National Hurricane Center initiated advisories on Potential Tropical Cyclone Six Thursday morning for a strong tropical disturbance that moved off the coast of west Africa.”
“There is talk of an Indian Summer across England… However, forecasters are now issuing warnings over a tropical cyclone brewing in America. Experts believe it could hit the UK next month – and it could be stronger than Storm Ophelia. Ophelia was the easternmost Atlantic major hurricane on record, and was widely regarded as the worst storm to affect Ireland in 50 years.”
“Extremely high temperatures, the absence of rainfall and continued sunshine dominated the summer of 2018 in Germany, the German weather service (DWD) announced at the presentation of its preliminary summer report on Thursday. This summer was the second hottest since records began in 1881, with a nationwide average temperature of 19.3 degrees Celsius. Solely in 2003 the temperatures reached even higher values with an average of 19.7 degrees Celsius.”
“Amid a precarious security situation in Afghanistan, the worst drought in recent history, that hit two out of three provinces in Afghanistan in July, has destabilized the lives of tens of thousands of civilians, some of whom have already been displaced. The United Nations has predicted that over two million people are expected to become severely food insecure in the coming period.”
“Rescuers in boats negotiated muddy waters on Thursday to reach thousands stranded in central Myanmar after a dam overflowed, sending a torrent of water across farmland and villages.. more than 63,000 people in Bago region were affected after the Swar Chaung dam overflowed early Wednesday morning.”
“Torrential rain has been lashing Hong Kong over the past few days. The downpours have been so severe that the Hong Kong Observatory issued amber or red warnings on four consecutive days, something that hasn’t happened since 2002. Shek Kong in the north of the territory was the worst affected, being hit by over 300 millimetres of rain. Streets were submerged as the flood water rose.”
“Jebi has become the third super typhoon of the northwest Pacific’s tropical cyclone season. And it appears as if central Japan, already assailed by Typhoons Prapiroon and Cimaron, just can’t buy a break. Joint Typhoon Warning Center’s latest forecast track takes Jebi over pretty much the same area that Cimaron did last week – right over the Kii Peninsula just south of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe, right around mid-day next Tuesday.”
“Many [Australian] farmers have traditionally been sceptical about climate change… Farmers see the climate is changing before their eyes. Our summers are getting hotter and cooking our pastures,” said Brent Finlay, a former National Farmers’ Federation president, who owns a farm in south-east Queensland. “I think this drought is changing farmers’ minds about climate change.””
“…with [New Zealand’s] Franz Josef Glacier, the long-term trend has been retreat… the glacier retreated 1.4 kilometers over the last decade. That has scientists worried. “That’s a big retreat and it’s happened really fast,” Brian Anderson, a glaciologist at Victoria University in Wellington, told DW.”
“The prime minister of Samoa has called climate change an “existential threat … for all our Pacific family” and said that any world leader who denied climate change’s existence should be taken to a mental hospital. In a searing speech delivered on Thursday night during a visit to Sydney, Tuilaepa Sailele berated leaders who fail to take climate change seriously…”
“Fiji’s Meteorological Office announced on Thursday a meteorological drought for Fiji after some parts of western and northern Fiji have been without rain for 10 weeks.”
“Hurricane Lane left its mark in Hawaii without ever making landfall. The hurricane now holds the notorious distinction of producing the second-highest rainfall total ever measured in a tropical cyclone in the United States. A rain gauge on Hawaii’s Big Island measured 52.02” of rain during Hurricane Lane, cementing the hurricane’s status in the record books.”
“Hurricane Norman strengthened into a “major” hurricane on Thursday and as it swirls fiercely in the Pacific Ocean, it puts the Hawaiian Islands on alert once again.”
“The Earth’s forests, deserts, landscapes and vital ecosystems risk a “major transformation” in the next century due to climate change, international scientists warned on Thursday…
““If we allow climate change to go unchecked, the vegetation of this planet is going to look completely different than it does today, and that means a huge risk to the diversity of the planet,” said co-author Jonathan Overpeck, dean of the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan.”
“As far as I know, your work is unique in pulling together stories from all over the world. Very sobering but a better and more complete view. Terrific and necessary work. Thank you!” – Simon
“With the inundation of so much depressing news, Justin Panopticon presents it in a succinct format that one can quickly go thru and see the big picture of climate and economics/politics to stay current and if a particle topic is of interest one can delve into the details… I try never to miss any of his posts…I am a Patreon of his work.”
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Weekday updates on both climate change and the global economy. Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.
“Europe had its warmest August on record — the third month this year that has seen unprecedented temperatures…
“The summer of 2018 saw record-breaking temperatures across the European Union — and while many lavished in the warm weather by heading to the beach, farmers in the fields were confronted with a crisis. Dairy farmers were worst-hit by the drought in the UK, sending herds of cows to slaughter because there wasn’t enough fodder, which is feed for livestock. Backlogs at the abattoir reached four weeks, one farmer in the UK’s Northwest told Euronews.”
“Sweden is heading for a general election on September 9, with two pressing political issues driving the agenda. But a third, simmering problem could yet define the next parliament. More than 50 wildfires raged across Sweden during the summer of 2018 – the warmest summer since 1756… The gravity of the situation brought environmental questions to the fore, as the effects of climate change became more tangible than ever.”
“Florence has been upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane and is likely to cause “life-threatening” surf and rip current conditions in Bermuda later this week. The National Hurricane Center said the storm’s maximum sustained winds Wednesday afternoon are estimated to be 130 mph (215 kph).”
“Tropical Depression Gordon was expected on Thursday to dump more rain on central U.S. states… Some areas in northwest Mississippi, much of Arkansas and into the Midwest could get up to 7 inches (18 cm) of rain, with isolated amounts reaching 10 inches through Saturday, and is likely to cause flash flooding, the center said.”
“Summer wants you to know it’s not over just yet, as Toronto is experiencing record-breaking temperatures Wednesday and could be hit by severe thunderstorms. The temperature rose to 34 C Wednesday afternoon, breaking the previous record for Sept. 5 of 31.7 C, which was set in 1945. But with the humidity that’s been blanketing the city in recent days, the temperature feels more like 43.”
“Nigeria’s hydrological body Wednesday issued an alert over possible flooding due to the high intensity of rainfall across the country… Earlier this year, heavy rains and thunderstorms caused havoc in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic nerve center and one of Africa’s most populous cities.”
“Jebi, Japan’s largest typhoon in a quarter century, has left behind it a trail of wreckage. Some of the most pronounced damage was seen near the country’s shoreline, where massive gusts toppled shipping containers, blew tankers into seawalls and took down other infrastructure… Aerial photos from the storms aftermath show its terrifying power, which is reported to have killed 11 people and brought some of the strongest winds portions of the country had ever seen.”
“A 36,000-tonne Chinese cargo ship built for polar expeditions has completed its maiden voyage through the Arctic Circle in the latest sign of Beijing’s ambitions to create a “polar Silk Road”. The route has opened up because of global warming; Beijing has sent freight ships through the Northeast Passage before but this is its first with built-in ice-breaking capabilities.”
“UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres cited the devastating floods in Kerala and the wildfires in California as he expressed concern that climate change is “running faster than we are and called for urgency and action to prevent ever greater climate-related crises.”
“The summer… was the hottest in the 174-year history of the weather station in Kaisaniemi, Helsinki, and the second hottest in the 118-year history of the weather station in Sodankylä, Lapland.
“With three weeks of astronomical summer still to go, you wouldn’t expect plants to be turning colour already. But that’s exactly what’s happening in parts of the country as glowing golden heather is showing the first tones of autumn and Virginia creepers are turning red unusually early in Scotland. Horticultural experts say many plants have become stressed by the hot and dry summer…”
Holy fuck – these are quite extraordinary. If you click on one of these links, make it this one. 
“A drought across Australia’s east coast has intensified after near record-low levels of rain across much of the region over the past five months, the country’s weather bureau said on Wednesday… The bureau last week said the east coast will continue to experience dry weather for at least the next three months, offering little relief for farmers struggling to stay in business.”
“The smell of smoke is once again noticeable in the Lower Mainland [BC], serving as a reminder of the more than 400 wildfires that continue to burn in the province. CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe says the ridge of high pressure bringing blue skies to the South Coast is also bringing air from the east, where many wildfires continue to burn.”
“After impacting South Florida with gusty winds and heavy rain, Gordon now has its sights set on the upper Gulf Coast after making landfall as a tropical storm on Tuesday night. Residents should expect dangerous surf and sea conditions to develop and spread westward from the Florida Gulf coast to Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas into Wednesday.”
“As sea ice continues to recede in the Arctic, it provides cruise, cargo and tanker companies with new opportunities, and emboldens small vessels to venture into uncharted areas. A recent analysis suggests that the average Arctic ship route has moved more than 180 miles closer to the North Pole in the past seven years… 
“Emerging markets are in a bad way. The MSCI EM Index of stocks fell Tuesday to bring its decline to 18.4 percent since peaking in January. MSCI’s index of EM currencies is down 8.51 percent since April. If that isn’t depressing enough, Morgan Stanley predicted in a research report Monday that it will only get worse for investors…
“Argentina’s economic outlook deteriorated significantly in August amid a renewed currency crisis, with economists surveyed by the central bank forecasting a deepening recession, weaker currency and higher inflation.”
“The rumbling tensions reflect anger over the destruction on Sunday of the much-loved yet dilapidated museum, which suffered from declining federal funding. It stirred emotions in Brazil, whose angry electorate is reeling from a frail economy, widespread graft and rising violence ahead of an unpredictable presidential election in October.”
“As the economy collapses, the Venezuelan exodus “is building to a crisis moment”, the UN has warned. Drawing comparisons with the desperate journeys of Syrians and Africans through the Mediterranean in recent years, it says 2.3m people — 7 per cent of the population — have left Venezuela since 2015.”
“South Africa’s economic growth slowed unexpectedly in the second quarter, pushing the country into a recession for the first time since 2009. Gross domestic product in Africa’s most developed economy fell by 0.7% from April to June, the national statistics agency said in a report Tuesday, compared with expectations for 0.6% growth. That followed a 2.6% contraction in the previous quarter.”
“Turkey, in the midst of a currency crisis which is quickly becoming a private sector debt crisis, appears headed toward stagflation — high inflation coupled with a contracting economy. The country’s inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.05 points in August to nearly 18% — the highest level seen since 2003 according to central bank figures released on Monday.”
“Indonesia rupiah hit an all-time low of 14,933 against the US dollar. The emerging market crisis has sent the currency of the country with the largest population in the region to a level that is even lower than the 1998 Asian currency crisis. The ringgit weakened against the US dollar 4.1440 at noon while the Thailand’s baht was quoted at 32.79 against the greenback.”
“Recent data prints out of China continue to point to a slowdown in growth for the world’s second-largest economy, despite efforts by policy makers to kick-start growth… “Signs of stagnation emerged as upward pressure on prices remained even though demand weakened at a faster rate.””
“I find the cognitive dissonance and normalcy bias regarding what has actually happened over the last ten years to be at astounding levels. As someone who views the world based upon a factual assessment of financial, economic and global data, I’m flabbergasted at the willful ignorance of the populace and the ease with which the ruling class has used their propaganda machine to convince people our current situation is normal, improving, and eternally sustainable…
“Japan advised more than a million people to evacuate their homes Tuesday and canceled hundreds of flights as the west coast was hit with high winds and heavy rain in what was described as the worst typhoon in 25 years.
“Farmers [in New South Wales] have been warned their livestock is being attacked by feral pigs, wild boars, foxes and dingoes as the wild animals are starved by the drought. Central Tablelands Local Land Services (CTLLS) in is offering services for farmers in and around the NSW towns of Oberon, Mudgee and Cowra to tackle the predators as spring begins.”
“After B.C.’s record-setting wildfire season, Langen is bracing to treat a number of animals, specifically bears, that have been displaced by the blazes. While many people across the province have been forced to flee their homes due to wildfires, so too have wildlife. Fires rip through forests, destroying habitats and burning food sources.”
“Nearly 9 inches of rain that pounded Manhattan, Kan., overnight and into the day Monday caused major flash flooding, forcing more than 300 people to evacuate their homes. Some 750 homes still lack power, the city of Manhattan reports. “We’re saying it is a 500-year event, perhaps a 700-, 800-year event,” said Manhattan’s Municipal Government Manager Mark Fehr at a 2 p.m. press conference Monday.”
“Parts of Galveston, Texas have gotten more than 10 inches of rain, flooding streets as a storm system moved across the island. National Weather Service meteorologist Josh Lichter says heavy rains fell on the island overnight Monday…”
“Tropical Storm Gordon on Tuesday barreled toward central U.S. Gulf Coast, where it was expected to become a hurricane and bring high winds and heavy rain to the region, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The storm was gaining strength and was expected to become a hurricane as it comes ashore late on Tuesday near the border between Louisiana and Mississippi…”
“As a result of global warming, temperatures in the Alps have increased by 1.8 degrees in the past 70 years. Many researchers believe that in twenty years, many small glaciers will most certainly have disappeared… The Rhone Glacier is protected by special white blankets, designed to deflect the sun light. The blankets do help, but many fear such protection measures are utterly inadequate.”
“Kerala, the southern Indian state reeling from its worst flooding in a century, is now battling a “fast, progressive” strain of leptospirosis, or “rat fever”, as it is known locally… The waterborne bacterial disease can prove fatal and is transmitted by the urine of infected animals, with symptoms including muscle pain and fever. The outbreak comes after flooding triggered by torrential rain devastated almost the entire state.”
“Torrential rain in Southern China is battering more than 1.2 million people. Emergency crews are working around the clock to rescue trapped residents. The Quangdong province near Hong Kong is the hardest hit. Almost 130,000 people were forced to flee their homes, with some cities submerged under as much as 2 meters of water.”
“Permafrost that’s thawing deep under some Arctic lakes is speeding up climate warming. That’s according to a recent study led by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, published earlier this month in Nature Communications. Researchers looked at the “abrupt thaw” of permafrost beneath more than 300 thermokarst lakes in Alaska and Siberia over the last decade, along with high resolution images of lake changes in interior Alaska.”
“Japan is bracing for a “very strong” typhoon, with authorities warning of high waves, floods and landslides, including in areas hit by deadly flooding earlier this year.
“Sydney’s driest start to a year since 1968 appears to be encouraging a trend that has nudged large flocks of corellas and other parrots to set up home in Sydney’s parklands in recent years, experts say… Richmond, on Sydney’s north-west, has not had such a dry beginning to a year since records began in 1928… For NSW… the year-to-date maximum temperatures continue to be “the largest on record by a pretty large margin”, Blair Trewin, senior bureau climatologist, said.”
“The Australian government-funded Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority drastically scaled back surveys of coral bleaching in the middle of an unprecedented two-year marine heatwave, as its monitoring program almost ran out of money.”
“California has a problem to the tune of 129 million dead trees, spread across 8.9 million acres. That’s 6,450 times the number of trees in Central Park, truly “astronomical,” in the words of Heather Williams, a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.”
“August 2018 was full of notable weather events and statistics [for New Jersey]. Among them: Four towns in four different counties were saturated with 12 inches or more of rain during the month, which is almost three times as much rain as normal… August 2018 was not only very wet, but it was very hot. In fact, it could turn out to be the hottest August ever recorded in New Jersey.”
“The summer of 2018 looks set to be confirmed as the hottest ever recorded in England. Weather forecasters have revealed the mean temperature over the past three months currently stands at 17.2C – pipping the previous record high of 17C set back in 1976… temperatures have remained above average for much of the past month, pushing the season to a historic average high.”
“The Director Relief, Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Garba Salisu, says 14 persons have so far died due to flooding in different part of the state.”
“At least 20 people killed in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh [India]
“On Saturday… many villages in hardest-hit Cam Thuy, a mountainous district to the northwest of Thanh Hoa [Vietnam], were still submerged in muddy waters. Tran Duc Luong, vice chairman of the district, said the floods have isolated many villages and towns, inflicting great misery on local residents. As of Saturday, flash floods in Thanh Hoa had left six people dead and seven others missing, collapsed 120 houses, washed away three suspension bridges and inundated the houses of nearly 4,600 families.”
“Torrential rain has caused major flooding and prompted scores of evacuations in the China province of Guangdong on Sept. 1, 2018… “We estimate an AccuWeather StormMax™ of 380 millimeters (15 inches) in the eastern part of the Guangdong province,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Douty said… The rain does not appear to be directly related to a particular typhoon or tropical storm.”
“This summer was officially the hottest on record [for Korea], beating the previous record from 1994… the country suffered sweltering heat for 31.5 days until the end of August, up from 31.1 days in 1994 and the most since statistics began in 1973… Several temperature records were… broken left, right and center, with 41 degrees Celsius in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province on Aug. 1, breaking the record of 40 degrees in Daegu on Aug. 1, 1942. Local heat records were set at 57 of 95 weather observation stations across the country.”
“NASA has released videos of bubbling lakes in the remote Arctic tundra, where warming continues to release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at unprecedented rates.
“As more than 500 forest fires burn across British Columbia., the drought conditions across the province are also worsening. On Monday, CBC reported, “Nearly one-quarter of B.C.’s regions are now at the highest drought rating, with no significant rain in the forecast.” B.C. is not alone in experiencing droughts and other extreme weather events, all of which are worsening with climate change.”
“Another day, another high-low weather record for Buffalo. For the second straight day, Buffalo recorded a record high for its low temperature, the National Weather Service announced.”
“After a record setting amount of rainfall this summer, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is asking residents to report their damage. Depending on the amount of damage reported from the rainfall, Pennsylvania can declare a state of disaster and receive federal financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to repair the damage.”
“There is talk of an Indian Summer across England… However, forecasters are now issuing warnings over a tropical cyclone brewing in America. Experts believe it could hit the UK next month – and it could be stronger than Storm Ophelia. Ophelia was the easternmost Atlantic major hurricane on record, and was widely regarded as the worst storm to affect Ireland in 50 years.”
“Amid a precarious security situation in Afghanistan, the worst drought in recent history, that hit two out of three provinces in Afghanistan in July, has destabilized the lives of tens of thousands of civilians, some of whom have already been displaced. The United Nations has predicted that over two million people are expected to become severely food insecure in the coming period.”
“Rescuers in boats negotiated muddy waters on Thursday to reach thousands stranded in central Myanmar after a dam overflowed, sending a torrent of water across farmland and villages.. more than 63,000 people in Bago region were affected after the Swar Chaung dam overflowed early Wednesday morning.”
“Torrential rain has been lashing Hong Kong over the past few days. The downpours have been so severe that the Hong Kong Observatory issued amber or red warnings on four consecutive days, something that hasn’t happened since 2002. Shek Kong in the north of the territory was the worst affected, being hit by over 300 millimetres of rain. Streets were submerged as the flood water rose.”
“…with [New Zealand’s] Franz Josef Glacier, the long-term trend has been retreat… the glacier retreated 1.4 kilometers over the last decade. That has scientists worried. “That’s a big retreat and it’s happened really fast,” Brian Anderson, a glaciologist at Victoria University in Wellington, told DW.”
“Fiji’s Meteorological Office announced on Thursday a meteorological drought for Fiji after some parts of western and northern Fiji have been without rain for 10 weeks.”
“Hurricane Lane left its mark in Hawaii without ever making landfall. The hurricane now holds the notorious distinction of producing the second-highest rainfall total ever measured in a tropical cyclone in the United States. A rain gauge on Hawaii’s Big Island measured 52.02” of rain during Hurricane Lane, cementing the hurricane’s status in the record books.”
“Hurricane Norman strengthened into a “major” hurricane on Thursday and as it swirls fiercely in the Pacific Ocean, it puts the Hawaiian Islands on alert once again.”