Ocean heat record broken, with grim implications for the planet
The oceans have hit their hottest ever recorded temperature as they soak up warmth from climate change, with dire implications for our planet’s health.
The average daily global sea surface temperature beat a 2016 record this week, according to the EU’s climate change service Copernicus.
It reached 20.96C (69.73F) – far above the average for this time of year.
Brazil Could Break All-Time High Temp Record in Waning Days of Winter
The potentially record-breaking temperatures could create life-threatening conditions and decimate the country’s coffee yield
A heat dome, created when high pressure funnels and traps heat under a particular area, is set to hover over some parts of the country for several days, creating potentially life-threatening conditions, according to the Brazilian Report.
Wednesday will be San Antonio’s 105th day in a row with temperatures above 90 degrees
A lot has been written about how hot this summer has been in San Antonio, most notably how the city has reached the 100-degree mark 74 times in 2023, including a record 23 days in a row from July 30 to Aug. 21.
Quite possibly the worst part, though, is that it’s been plenty hot with no real breaks from the heat. Wednesday will be the 105th-straight day with high temperatures above 90 degrees. The last time temperatures failed to reach 90 was June 7, when the mercury only rose to 88 degrees.
Thousands of Central Valley water wells risk failure
Even though California enacted sweeping legislation nearly a decade ago to curb excessive agricultural pumping of groundwater, new research predicts that thousands of drinking water wells could run dry in the Central Valley by the time the law’s restrictions take full effect in 2040.
Ravaged by floods and fires, Greece struggles on the front lines of our climate reality
And as the weather becomes more extreme, so does the public anger. NBC News traveled the length of the country to speak to scientists, political leaders and people rebuilding their lives after the catastrophic events, and witnessed what looks to be a new era of climate politics taking hold in Greece and perhaps other democracies in the world.
Videos capture deadly tornado whirling through eastern China
At least 10 people have died and over 500 people have been relocated after tornadoes hit Suqian and Yancheng, two cities in China’s eastern Jiangsu province.
Libya floods, mapped: How heavy rainfall wiped out a city
Record rainfall was recorded in the hours leading up to the floods on Sept. 10, with winds reaching 80 mph in some parts of the country. For many, this was just another downpour, but for the 90,000 residents of the Mediterranean port city of Derna, it became a catastrophe they had to fend off by themselves. Two poorly maintained dams in the outskirts of the city failed, sending millions of cubic meters of floodwater all through downtown and washing entire neighborhoods into the sea.
While the disaster has been widely blamed on climate change-induced violent weather, survivors and experts point at the complicity of local authorities in what they say was a fatal failure of public infrastructure during decades of corruption and neglect.
“It was apocalyptic. Apocalyptic. It’s the first time we’ve seen a catastrophe like this, even on TV. Half a city, gone,” said al-Shaari, who found himself “walking on bodies, stepping on dead people” the next morning, as he joined the desperate efforts to pull out survivors.
Spain hailstorm destroys nearly $43 million worth of crops as it hits nearly 100% of some farmers’ harvests
“[The storm] caused devastating damage to crops,” the association said, according to a translation, “some of which were on the verge of being harvested.”
Spain’s meteorological agency for the Valencia region warned on Sunday that the storm would move “quickly,” but that it would bring “very heavy rainfall and large hail,” according to a translation. “Strong gusts of wind” and more than 1,300 lightning strikes were also recorded. The hail was bigger than 1 Euro coin.
The ‘Forever’ Glaciers of America’s West Aren’t Forever Anymore
Climate change is melting the ice on Mount Rainier. The environmental effects will be widespread, a Park Srvice study warned.
Once, there were 29. Now at least one is gone, maybe three. Those that remain are almost half the size they used to be.
Mount Rainier is losing its glaciers. That is all the more striking as it is the most glacier-covered mountain in the contiguous United States.
The changes reflect a stark global reality: Mountain glaciers are vanishing as the burning of fossil fuels heats up Earth’s atmosphere. According to the World Glacier Monitoring Service, total glacier area has shrunk steadily in the last half-century; some of the steepest declines have been in the Western United States and Canada.
Floods, Winds and Temperature Extremes Challenge Rail Lines
The environmental risks to railroads are rising, but the measures to reduce the danger will be costly.
While abnormal temperatures and high winds cause their own problems, unusually large amounts of rain are considered the most dangerous.
“Extreme rainfall events can be fantastically destructive,” said Scott Cummings, the assistant vice president for research and innovation of MxV Rail, the research subsidiary of the American Association of Railroads.
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Record-breaking wildfires have occurred all over the Northern Hemisphere during 2023, new report finds. The total wildfire emissions for 2023 is estimated to be almost 410 megatonnes.
Boreal forests in regions all over the world have been experiencing the worst wildfires in recorded history in 2023, according to new research.
Eight countries witness devastating floods in Sept: Is climate change causing deluge across the world?
The latest series of extreme weather events took place against the backdrop of soaring global temperatures. Therefore, it can be tempting to see the deluge in different regions as a direct consequence of climate change — studies have shown that global warming is most likely affecting flooding. Attributing any flood event to climate change, however, is a tricky endeavour.
Near-surface permafrost could be nearly gone by 2100, scientists conclude
Most of Earth’s near-surface permafrost could be gone by 2100, an international team of scientists has concluded after comparing current climate trends to the planet’s climate 3 million years ago.
The team found that the amount of near-surface permafrost could drop by 93% compared to the preindustrial period of 1850 to 1900.
Hong Kong had its hottest summer ever in 2023. The city recorded an average temperature of 29.7 degrees Celsius (about 85 Fahrenheit) in August, the highest since records began almost 140 years ago. It coincided with higher temperatures in mainland China and elsewhere in Asia as global climate change also sent the mercury rising in North America and Europe.
The Bureau of Meteorology has declared an El Nino climate pattern, sparking worries about heatwaves as summer approaches.
It comes as an unusual spring heat causes sizzling high temperatures and extreme fire danger across Australia’s southeast, with a severe heatwave warning issued from Monday to Wednesday in NSW.
Temperatures have soared 14 degrees higher than usual in large parts of the country, reaching the mid 30s for the first half of the week.
A sweltering heat wave in Australia took its toll on runners in the Sydney Marathon on Sunday, with 26 people taken to the hospital and about 40 treated for heat exhaustion by emergency services.
Large parts of Australia’s southeast, including Sydney, are experiencing a spring heat wave, the national weather bureau said, with temperatures Monday expected to peak at up to 16 degrees Celsius (60 Fahrenheit) above the September average.
Parts of Devon and Southern Wales have been left submerged following warnings that half a month’s rain may fall in the space of a single day, flooding airport terminals and shutting roads.
Many college dorms lack air-conditioning—and not just at smaller institutions like Wayne State.
Public flagships including the University of Wisconsin at Madison and the University of Maryland both have a substantial number of rooms on campus without AC, as do elite private institutions such as Boston, Yale and Cornell Universities.
Libyan flood survivors weigh water shortages against landmine risk
People whose homes were swept away by flooding in Libya’s eastern city of Derna a week ago faced the dilemma on Sunday of whether to stay and risk infection or flee through areas where landmines have been displaced by the torrents.
Thousands of people were killed after two dams above Derna broke on Sept. 10 during a powerful storm, bringing down residential blocks lining a usually dry riverbed as people slept. Many bodies have been washed out to sea.
Antarctic sea-ice at ‘mind-blowing’ low alarms experts
The sea-ice surrounding Antarctica is well below any previous recorded winter level, satellite data shows, a worrying new benchmark for a region that once seemed resistant to global warming.
“It’s so far outside anything we’ve seen, it’s almost mind-blowing,” says Walter Meier, who monitors sea-ice with the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Landslide strikes northwestern Congo amid torrential rainfall, at least 17 dead
Authorities cautioned death toll may increase pending rescue, recovery efforts
“A torrential downpour caused a lot of damage, including a landslide that swallowed up several houses,” he said. “The toll is still provisional as bodies are still under the rubble.”
Desert dust storms carry human-made toxic pollutants, and the health risk extends indoors
Around the world, deserts now increasingly border built structures, including urban dwellings, manufacturing, transportation hubs, sewage treatment and landfills. As a result, desert dust lifts a growing load of airborne pollutants and transports these substances over long distances.
This is happening throughout the Global Dust Belt, an arid to semiarid region that stretches from western China through Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Similar storms occur in the U.S. Southwest and central Australia.
None of us has previously witnessed a barrage of extreme weather events of the kind that has been devastating lives across the globe this summer… Almost as astonishing has been the indifference of our leaders.
The silence has been deafening. Where are they? Why is no-one joining the dots and demanding some kind of serious response?
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. We’ll be back on Wednesday with an “Economic” thread.
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Dear readers, a heads-up that this will be my last climate thread until Saturday 30th Sept (last Economic one is on Monday), as I’m taking a break. Thank you all for bearing with me, especially my donors and subscribers – you are appreciated!
A small group of volunteers will very kindly be filling in for me when I’m away, so you can continue to follow climate and economic news here in our usual fashion.
“Odds that 2023 will be Earth’s hottest year have doubled in just a month, NOAA reports…
“Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calculate that there’s a 93.42 percent chance that 2023 will become the hottest year according to a monthly climate report released Thursday. That percentage is nearly double what was estimated a month earlier (46.82 percent) and a whopping 86 percentage points higher than the beginning of the year projection (6.9 percent)…
“The calculation — with four months remaining in the year — underscores how dramatically observations of global air and ocean temperatures and ice extent have diverged from anything scientists have previously witnessed, or that they would have predicted at the start of the year.”
“August 2023 Globally, according to JMA, had a temperature anomaly of +0.66C above the 1991-2020 baseline and was by far the hottest August on records 0.34C hotter of the second August 2016 !
“The world is in clearly uncharted territories, well above any early 2023 forecast.”
“Earth’s warmest August saw 65 countries set record high temperatures: Report.
“Thirteen per cent of the Earth’s surface, spanning 65 countries, experienced record high temperatures in August, while the rest of the world braved significantly higher temperatures compared to the 1951-1980 average, according to a new analysis conducted by an independent US-based non-profit organisation.”
“What this month’s deadly floods tell us about our global climate future. Scientists have long predicted that intense floods would come with rising temperatures…
“Yet “I’m a little shocked at how many are coming this year,” said Michael Bosilovich, a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center who focuses on Earth’s water cycle.”
“The Air Was Hot This Year, But It’s Nothing Compared to the Ocean.
“…here’s the scary part. The “hottest year on record” in 1998 wasn’t as hot as our cool years are now. 2023 is making 2016 look cool. And by 2040 this year’s record highs will feel like an anomalously cool year. That’s because the amount of energy trapped in the oceans and the air combined, is only going up, and up, and up.”
“The temperature reached 30.4C [86.7F] at Birstonas, which is the latest 30C ever recorded in Lithuania, two days later than the 31.2C at Druskininkai of 11 September 2016. Kudos LHMT for the input.”
“Luxembourg sets new September temperature records.
“The beginning of September in 2023 has officially been declared the warmest on record, according to data compiled by Météolux. The weather station at Findel Airport corroborates this, revealing that the initial ten days of September saw an average temperature of 20.3°C, surpassing the previous record set in September 2005, which stood at 20.2°C.”
“Thawing permafrost in the Alps… When the mountain breaks…
“The Spitze Stein, a secondary peak of the Doldenhorn, has become unstable. Because thousands of years of ice are thawing in the mountain, to which the Swiss say “Spitze Stei”, huge amounts of rock are in motion. At any time, millions of cubic meters could give way to gravity…”
“France investigates deaths of four Champagne workers in heatwave…
“Prosecutors in the cities of Rheims and Châlons-en-Champagne said two men died in recent days while picking grapes, a woman died at home a few days after feeling faint during her vineyard work, while a fourth died in hospital after falling from a straddle tractor without showing any physical injuries from the fall.”
“Climate change shakes up the recipe at Champagne’s oldest maker…
“…climate change poses an existential dilemma for vignerons. If their wines are defined by specific blends of limited grape varieties — as in much of Europe’s appellation systems — then rising average temperatures and shortened growing seasons will result in riper, more alcoholic wines.”
“40,000 people in France still without drinking water amid drought…
“In an interview with French daily Libération, Béchu explained that despite increased rainfall in some parts of the country over the summer, nearly two-thirds of the country’s water tables remained below seasonal averages. The minister specified that 62 percent of groundwater sources were below seasonal averages, and 18 percent were “very low”…”
“On Friday, September 15, a torrential downpour in Madrid wreaked havoc on the M-40 motorway, leading to widespread flooding and several cars being swept away… The DGT has announced that traffic on the M-40 near Coslada has been rerouted in both directions due to flood water.”
“France is sending military forces to distribute water on the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, which is facing an unprecedented water crisis prompted by the island cluster’s most severe drought in decades.
“Troops with the French Foreign Legion and French navy based in the region will work with local authorities to ensure water supplies to local populations…”
“Liberia to concede territory to UAE firm in carbon offset deal.
“A carbon offset deal could see Liberia concede 10 percent of its territory to a private Emirati company, extinguishing customary land rights and giving the United Arab Emirates (UAE) pollution rights equivalent to the forest’s carbon sequestration.”
“Algeria: Emergency crews working to extinguish wildfires…
“As of late Sept. 15, emergency crews are working to extinguish several wildfires that have broken out in Algeria’s northeastern Bejaia and Tizi-Ouzou provinces… responders warn that the blazes are spreading quickly due to strong winds. High temperatures are expected to persist in the affected area over the weekend.”
“‘Second humanitarian crisis’ feared in wake of Libya floods as hopes of finding survivors fade.
“Aid groups have warned of the growing risk posed by the spread of disease that could compound the humanitarian crisis in Libya, as hopes of finding more survivors fade days after deadly flooding. Sunday’s flood submerged the port city of Derna, washing thousands of people and homes out to sea…”
“Türkiye sees driest August in over three decades amid drought crisis…
“Surprisingly, when compared to August of the previous year, an increase in rainfall was observed only in the normally driest regions of the country, the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions… the Marmara Region and nearly the entire Black Sea region were classified as “severe drought sites.”
“Water shortage in Central Asia worsening, Uzbekistan warns.
“Serious water shortages plaguing Central Asian countries have become “irreversible” and will only get worse, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev warned on Friday, as global warming and increased competition weigh on resources.”
“Pakistan is living an unprecedented heat wave for September with brutally hot days and nights.
“The town of Multan has recorded 9 consecutive Tmins >29C (from 29.2C to 30.8C / 87.4F). Highest Sept Tmin on records at Faisalbad with 29.8C. This September persistent heat is unprecedented.”
“Kashmir stares at water crisis as dry spell expected to continue…
“The dry spell as per the weather office is expected to continue and the water problem is set to assume an alarming proportion in Kashmir Valley, particularly in the Jammu region. The fact that almost all water bodies have dried up and the PHE department finds it tough to arrange from any viable source has worsened the situation.”
“10 all-time rain records broken in Himachal Pradesh this monsoon…
“The oldest record being broken dates back to 1927. On July 9, Una recorded 228.5 mm [9 inches] rainfall, breaking the previous record of 224 mm precipitation on July 22, 1927. “It’s unprecedented to have so many records broken in a single season. It also shows the unusual rainfall the state had this monsoon,” said Surender Paul, Director, Meteorological Centre, Shimla.”
“Western Guangdong, China, has received 1,047mm [41.2 inches] of rainfall in seven days, and another 200-300mm [8 – 12 inches] are expected to fall in the next three days.”
“Prolonged flash floods and landslides, in Vietnam’s northern mountainous region have killed five people, while four others remained missing.
“Vietnam’s National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said on Thursday… A state of natural disaster emergency had been announced in the tourism spot of Sa Pa Town.”
“Climate change drives hotter, more frequent fire seasons in the Northern Territory [Australia]…
“Senior fire management researcher Andrew Edwards said periods of more intense-than-usual rainfalls over the Top End’s wet season, quickly followed by longer dry seasons, are becoming more frequent.”
“Exceptional spring triple heat waves coming in the Southern Hemisphere.
Temperatures will reach 42C/43C [109.4F] in Paraguay with a potential record of September hottest night for the whole Hemisphere. 40/42C in NE South Africa, 30C/35C in New South Wales, Australia and >25C in New Zealand.”
“August 2023 in Brazil was another exceptionally hot month.
“Temperature anomalies were generally +1C/+2C in the East and West and widespread >+3C above average in Central areas with many records broken during the whole month.”
“Wildfires, Deforestation Spark Emergency in Brazilian Amazon.
“Wildfires and a historic drought in the Brazilian state of Amazonas have sparked an environmental emergency as authorities struggle to contain blazes in the heart of the world’s largest rainforest… Smoke from the burning has darkened the sky in Manaus, the largest city in the Amazon basin, and other parts of the region this month.”
“Another record day in the Caribbean and South America
“MARTINIQUE: 36.6C [97.9F] Ducos, HIGHEST RELIABLE TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED IN MARTINIQUE; FRENCH GUIANA: 37.0C Maripasoula monthly record; BRAZIL (yesterday): 41.3C Balsas all time high tied… Outrageous but the worst has yet to come.”
“Dominican Republic suspends visas to Haiti citizens amidst water conflict.
“The Dominican Republic announced on Monday it suspended the issuance of visas to citizens of Haiti and is also considering the closure of borders between the two nations following a conflict over water access. This issue stems from a contentious situation involving Haiti’s construction of a canal.”
“With an average temperature of 27.2C [81F] and an anomaly of +2.5C above the 1991-2020 it was the HOTTEST August on records. This follows the hottest June, hottest July (hottest month overall),hottest August and hottest summer. Exceptional.”
“‘Sitting in a sweat box’: How record heat shut down schools in the East and Midwest…
“In recent years, this extreme heat, as well as more frequent heat waves, have put pressure on school districts to adapt to the climate crisis to protect students. In the East and Midwest, temperatures reached well over 80 degrees in September, making it difficult for much learning to occur in old buildings without adequate cooling.”
“‘It’s an emergency’: Midwest towns scramble as drought threatens drinking water…
“This part of Kansas is suffering what the U.S. Drought Monitor characterizes as exceptional drought, its most severe category… residents are facing unprecedented challenges with drinking water supplies. This corner of the state, which lacks the vast underground aquifers that sit below much of Kansas, is overly reliant on surface water such as lakes and rivers.”
“The floods this week in Massachusetts that put a few dams at risk have raised concern the structures may increasingly be at risk as the region is hit by stronger and wetter storms.
“There are thousands of dams across New England and many were built decades if not centuries ago, often to help power textile mills, store water or supply irrigation to farms.”
“Rain reaches New England, Atlantic Canada as Hurricane Lee pushes north…
“In addition to ferocious winds, Lee could also unleash up to 6 inches of rain in far northern Maine on Saturday, with neighboring New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island also at risk of seeing heavy precipitation. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency Friday due to the storm.”
“While this may make business sense, it raises the question of whether individuals and businesses will be able to protect themselves against the effects of climate change if their insurance companies cannot even get coverage themselves.”
“Climate change takes habitat from big fish, the ocean’s key predators.
“This year’s marine heat waves and spiking ocean temperatures foretell big changes in the future for some of the largest fish in the sea, such as sharks, tunas and swordfish… Large fish are important to healthy oceans because many of them, such as white sharks, are apex predators and serve as vital pieces of the top of the food chain.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back on Monday with an “Economic” thread.
If you found value in this content, please help me continue this work by becoming a patron of my work via Patreon. And if you are already a subscriber or have donated – thank you! It is an enormous help as the cost-of-living crisis ratchets up here in the UK.
Dear readers, a heads-up that this will be my penultimate climate thread for a while (final one on Saturday), as I am taking a holiday and will be away from Tuesday 19th to Thursday 28th Sept inclusive. I’ll be back with an economic thread on Friday 29th Sept. Thank you all for bearing with me, especially my donors and subscribers – you are appreciated!
A small group of volunteers will very kindly be filling in for me when I’m away, so you can continue to follow climate and economic news here in our usual fashion.
“August 2023 Temperature Update:
“By far the warmest August since direct measurements began. Warmest for both land & ocean. Strengthening El Niño. Nearly certain 2023 becomes the warmest year directly measured. May see a +1.5 °C annual excess in 2023.”
“Probability of ΔT +1.5°C in 2023 now greater than not ? >50%). I can’t say I’m very surprised.
“Can we please just say that staying below 1.5°C is an illusion and start working on solutions that take into account all aspects of our influence on the Earth system?”
“The world has experienced its hottest ever three-month period – what comes next?
“Wildfires, disease, mass migration and food scarcity are among the challenges facing mankind… the lives of millions – if not billions – of people will be drastically transformed in the years and decades to come.”
“That’s right, global surface temperatures just set a new record anomaly yesterday, a full 0.84°C above the 1991-2020 mean, beating the previous high of 0.82°C set earlier this year and the previous record anomaly of 0.83°C set in 2016.”
“Earth’s life support systems have been so damaged that the planet is “well outside the safe operating space for humanity”, scientists have warned.
“Their assessment found that six out of nine “planetary boundaries” had been broken because of human-caused pollution and destruction of the natural world.”
“Unprecedented double glacial dam release brings flooding to the Kenai [Alaska]…
“Two glaciers — the Snow and Skilak — are releasing large amounts of water at once, which is flowing downstream into the Kenai. The phenomenon is a glacial dam release, which can happen after part of a glacier melts, leaving behind a seasonal lake where ice used to be.”
“B.C.’s wildfire crisis was forecast, but it arrived decades sooner than expected…
“The province has experienced its four most severe wildfire seasons on record during the past seven years, in 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2023. This season has smashed records for area burned in B.C. and Canada, with wildfires scorching more than 165,000 square kilometres across the country.”
“Okanagan records driest-ever soil moisture as drought worsens…
“The federal agency declared “exceptional drought” conditions — the highest on the federal scale — in Kelowna and Vernon. “Exceptional drought” conditions are typically seen just once every 50 years, but were last observed in the Okanagan in fall 2021.”
“Flooding in Leominster: Dams being shored up, Healey declares Mass. state of emergency.
“Two dams needed to be shored up in Leominster on Tuesday, one of several Massachusetts communities still reeling from flash flooding that dropped historic amounts of rain Monday night. Gov. Maura Healey issued a state of emergency across the commonwealth Tuesday night.”
“Massive Hurricane Lee prompts tropical storm and hurricane watches for coastal New England as threat grows.
“Hurricane and tropical storm watches are now in effect for much of coastal New England as Hurricane Lee threatens to deliver a blow to parts of the region as well as Atlantic Canada later this week and into the weekend.”
“A monsoon swept through parts of Arizona on Tuesday night, drenching Phoenix and unleashing winds that downed power lines and flipped airplanes on their side.
“The intense rainfall came three days after Phoenix hit a new heat record, with the temperature reaching 110F on Saturday – reaching that mark for 54 days this year.”
“Louisiana’s bayous are now threatened by wildfires.
“In an average year, wildfires burn roughly 8,000 acres in Louisiana; fires in August alone have set alight more than 60,000. The worst of them, the Tiger Island Fire, currently burning near the southwest border with Texas, has taken out 30,000 acres so far…”
“Last records to add to the list: CUBA – 36.6C [97.9F] Cienfuegos Monthly record; SANTA LUCIA; 33.8C Vigie Airport all time high tied… Mexico and Nicaragua are still close to records today too. It has been a never ending record heat since May.”
“Panama Canal to further reduce daily transits if drought continues.
“The Panama Canal could further reduce the maximum number of authorized daily vessel transits if this year’s drought continues, the waterway’s administrator said on Tuesday. A backlog of ships is waiting to pass through the trans-oceanic canal, which handles an estimated 5% of world trade.”
“Disasters getting worse, say Brazil cyclone victims.
“Muçum (Brazil) (AFP) – In his 74 years, Humberto Simonaio had never experienced anything like it: the cyclone that hit southern Brazil swelled the Taquari river so badly it inundated even high ground he had never seen flood before.”
“At least 2 dead in two car chain reaction accidents due to dust storm [Argentina].
“Two chain reaction accidents due to a dust storm and winds of up to 75 km/h in central Argentina left at least two people dead and dozens injured. The incidents happened Monday due to poor visibility caused by the weather…”
“Yesterday fierce heat with: 44.0C [111.2F] at Rivadavia, Argentina and 43.4C at Villamontes, Bolivia… 41.8C at San Jose de Chiquitos new September record… Today 42C in Mozambique and 32.9C at Agalega Island, Mauritius – new national September record.”
“The airport of the French territory of Mayotte rose to 32.3C [90.1F] which beat its September record of 32.1C previously set in 2019 & 1952 [currently plagued by water shortages and resulting civil unrest]. IOD (Indian Ocean Dipole) is set to increase: Let’ s expect many more heat records from those islands.”
“Climate threat to Africa’s wild dogs a warning of urgent need to cool things down for wildlife.
“African wild dogs can’t take the heat. That’s according to a new study, released by ZSL – the organisation I lead. Our scientists have modelled how the species will go extinct as climate change causes Earth’s temperature to rise. The extinction tipping point for African wild dogs is a rise of 3 degrees Celsius…”
“Ethiopia’s Controversial Megadam Threatens A Water War With Egypt.
“Ethiopia has completed the final phase of filling a reservoir for its highly controversial hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile River, much to the annoyance of Egypt who fear it could sever them from the Nile’s precious waters. Fueled by climate change and ongoing geopolitical tension, it’s often been said that the problem of water scarcity in this fraught patch of Africa has the potential to spill out into a major conflict.”
“‘Sea is constantly dumping bodies’: fears Libya flood death toll may hit 20,000…
“Corpses still litter the street, and drinkable water is in short supply. The storm has killed whole families and, with the remoteness of some villages and the rudimentary nature of municipal government, it will take time for the death toll to be confirmed.”
“Italy loses world’s biggest wine producer title as extreme weather and disease hit output…
“”The harvest we are facing is very complex, characterized above all by the effects of climate change which at the end of spring and beginning of summer caused pathogenic diseases such as downy mildew, floods, hailstorms, and drought,” said Riccardo Cotarella, head of Assoenologi, in a statement.”
“Intense Hailstorm, Flooding Catch Murcia [Spain] Residents By Surprise.
“A sudden, intense and brief hail storm battered large parts of the Region of Murcia, southeastern Spain on Tuesday evening, September 12. The meteorological phenomenon lasted for only about 10 minutes, but flooding was reported in various municipalities.”
“Winemaker from Worms [Germany]: “Storm was hell”.
“After the thunderstorms with heavy hail, winegrowers in the region around Worms have high crop failures. The damage in the vineyards is high… The vineyards have been destroyed, and some of the harvest is actually no longer available, says Schneickert. “The worst that can happen has happened.””
“Heavy downpours around Maastricht [Netherlands]: many reports of flooding, highways closed.
“The region was hit for some time on Tuesday evening by severe thunderstorms that led to a lot of nuisance. For example, streets and basements in Valkenburg and Maastricht, among others, got stuck in the rapidly rising water and toilets overflowed due to the pressure on the sewers.”
“‘Particularly hot’ August seen in Cyprus says Met office.
“The heat in Cyprus this summer was underlined by the Met Office on Wednesday which said the particularly hot month saw record high temperatures and record high minimum temperatures in the mountains.”
“Kobayat (Lebanon) (AFP) – Heatwaves, low rainfall and the threat of wildfires are compounding the woes of people in the forested north of Lebanon, a country where economic pain has long taken prominence over environmental concerns.”
“Srinagar [Jammu & Kashmir, India] experienced its hottest September day in over half a century, with temperatures reaching 34.2 degrees Celsius [93.6F] on September 12.
“The previous record, dating back to September 1, 1970, stood at 33.8 degrees Celsius. The all-time highest September temperature in Srinagar was registered on September 28, 1934, at 35 degrees Celsius.”
“19 killed due to torrential rains in Uttar Pradesh.
“Schools were shut in several districts of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday as rain battered various parts of the state. On Monday evening, 19 people were reported dead in the state in rain-related incidents. Torrential rain and heavy lightning have hit districts of the state since Sunday. At least four people died due to lightning.”
“Hong Kong shuts schools as it issues heavy rain warning.
“Hong Kong closed schools on Thursday after authorities issued the second-highest rain signal and warned of extensive flooding, just days after the Asian financial hub was drenched by the heaviest rain since records began 140 years ago.”
“More than 70 crocodiles have escaped from a farm in southern China after rainstorms hit the region.
“Residents in Maoming, a city near the coast in western Guangdong province, have been told to stay inside until the animals are caught. An emergency official said that 69 adult crocodiles and six juveniles had escaped.”
“Feeling the heat: 44% of Japan firms see earnings hit from extreme weather.
“Some 44% of Japanese companies see extreme weather events around the globe hitting earnings, a Reuters survey showed, highlighting the impact of scorching heat waves and torrential rains on firms in the world’s third-largest economy.”
“Abnormal warmth in Hokkaido with hot nights and min. temperatures above 24C [75.2F], which would be rare in mid summer. Many records of monthly highest Tmin fell yesterday (see list by JMA).
“After the hottest July, hottest August, hottest summer, Japan is heading towards the hottest September.”
“Forest fires blanket several Indonesian provinces, causing surge in people falling ill.
“Several provinces in Sumatra and Kalimantan have been blanketed with haze from raging forest fires that worsened in August, causing a surge in people with respiratory ailments such as sore throat and shortness of breath.”
“Tornadoes Of Fire Appear On Mount Bromo, Fire Due To Widespread Pre-Wedding Flares.
“The fire expanded and even created a tornado of fire around the fire. From amateur video footage of volunteers, there was a fire tornado at the location of the fire. This situation made the fire on Mount Bromo even more widespread and made volunteers afraid.”
“Near-record September temperatures could be on the horizon for parts of the country’s south east as an unusually long run of hot spring weather sets in over southern Australia.
“The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting temperatures across southern Australia to reach between eight and 12 degrees Celsius above average by the weekend.”
“NZ’s vital kelp forests are in peril from ocean warming—threatening the important species that rely on them.
“Years of almost non-stop marine heat waves are stressing New Zealand’s kelp forests. But as we show in our new research, ongoing ocean warming is only one of several threats to these unique and important coastal seaweed ecosystems.”
“Brunt glacier rapidly accelerates into the Weddell Sea after pinning point lost to iceberg A81.
“Once considered stable, The Brunt Ice Shelf is accelerating rapidly into the Weddell Sea, according to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), which monitors Brunt at its Halley Research station. Halley Station recorded the retreat after two massive icebergs calved.”
“Antarctica may have entered ‘new regime’ of low sea ice as global warming ramps up…
“The study, conducted by Australian scientists, describes a “breakdown” in the link between sea ice and the atmosphere over Antarctica. It suggests that the area may have “entered a new regime in which previously important relationships no longer dominate sea ice variability”.”
“Climate Change Hurting Water Quality in Rivers Worldwide, Study Finds…
“For the study, scientists looked at 965 case studies, tracking how extreme weather impacted rivers on every habitable continent. They found that water quality dropped during 51 percent of rainstorms and floods, as fertilizer runoff poured into rivers and streams.”
“How rising water vapour in the atmosphere is amplifying warming and making extreme weather worse.
“This year’s string of record-breaking disasters – from deadly wildfires and catastrophic floods to record-high ocean temperatures and record-low sea ice in Antarctica – seems like an acceleration of human-induced climate change. And it is. But not only because greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise…”
“El Niño and a hotter, wetter climate aid spread of disease…
““As our climate continues to change, adverse weather events are becoming more common and more intense, thereby creating conditions that are favourable for the spread of disease,” explains Richard Gleave, director of scientific strategy and development at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
If you found value in this content, please help me continue this work by becoming a patron of my work via Patreon. And if you are already a subscriber or have donated – thank you! It is an enormous help as the cost-of-living crisis ratchets up here in the UK.
“Once again, the y-axis on the Global Sea Surface Temperature anomaly chart needed to be extended as yesterday’s anomaly (compared to the 1991-2020 mean) set a new record, just slightly above 0.70°C. Current SST is 21.08°C, just 0.02°C below the record set Aug. 23rd.”
“This year is now almost certain to become Earth’s warmest on record after a hot July and August saw global temperatures reach the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
“This is the first time the 1.5C threshold has been passed for more than one month, and only the second time it has ever been exceeded, behind February 2016.”
“From Carbon Sink to Source: The Stark Changes in Arctic Lakes…
“…as the climate has warmed, high-latitude lakes — from the northern United States and Canada to Scandinavia and Siberia — have started to thaw, on average, a week earlier and freeze 11 days later than they did a century ago, according to Sapna Sharma, a biologist at York University in Toronto. The rate of ice loss has sextupled over the past 25 years.”
“UK Heatwave breaks after record-breaking seven-day of 30C temperatures[previous Sept record was three days].
“Saturday was provisionally the hottest day of the year, the Met Office [I don’t think this has happened in September before], said with highs of 32.7C [90.9F] recorded at Heathrow Airport. Temperatures above 30C were also recorded in London on Sunday, with forecasters naming the heatwave spell as “unprecedented.””
“Historic heat wave in Europe , monthly records are >1000 now between France, UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Slovakia.
“3 National Records of Highest September Min. temperatures were set today:
“NETHERLANDS: 21.1C [70F] Vlissingen; BELGIUM: 21.9C Zeebrugge; Also records at Semmerzake and Beauvechain with 20.2C… In Africa – NIGER: 33.8C Bilma (max 45.1C 0.1C from national record high).”
“Warmest September night ever recorded in the Netherlands.
“Another two warm weather records have been broken in the Netherlands. Last night was the warmest recorded September night. And at 11:00 a.m., temperatures climbed above 25 degrees [77F] in De Bilt, making today a summer’s day and breaking the record for most consecutive summer days in September.”
“An intense hailstorm hits three municipalities of Navarra [Spain].
“Several towns in the Ribera Navarra suffered during the early hours of Sunday an episode of heavy rains and hail that stained the streets white and caused numerous incidents. The emergency services and civil protection are making an initial estimate of the damage…”
“Italian mountain forests face irreversible climate change transformation…
“The trees that make up European woods may no longer be seen or have significantly shifted uphill by several hundred meters. Scientists mapped five vulnerable mountain areas in Italy, published in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, and have modelled the potential future changes to these fragile ecosystems.”
“After wildfires, floods deal Greek farmers the final blow.
“Unprecedented wildfires during the summer, followed by massive floods, have dealt Greek agriculture a severe blow, with analysts estimating that food prices will soon skyrocket. This week, the Greek government will ask the European Commission to step in and provide “significant” financial assistance…”
“Extreme heat, fires and floods threaten Europe’s economy.
“mounting climate risks, illustrated by the extreme heat, wildfires and floods that ravaged parts of Europe this summer, could hurt the region’s economy as soon as this year, the European Commission warned Monday. In its latest economic forecast, the European Union’s executive arm downgraded its predictions for growth…”
“Libya asks for international help as 2,000 people feared dead in flood after Storm Daniel sweeps across country [Al Bayda received 414.1mm of rain (over 16 inches), most of it in the space of six hours – totally unheard of for Libya, where rainfall totals in excess of 100mm are very rare].
“Mediterranean Storm Daniel has caused catastrophic flooding, resulting in the complete engulfing of entire neighbourhoods after it hit the country’s eastern region.”
“Rescuers have recovered the body of the 32nd victim of the Shovi resort landslide in Georgia’s west, with one person still missing, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said on Sunday.
“The Ministry said the search operations continued with rescuers, heavy equipment, drones, boats and a group of cynologists working in locations adjacent to the epicentre of the disaster zone.”
“Climate change is causing human rights emergencies around the world, the United Nations human rights chief says, specifically highlighting Iraq’s “spiralling damage” from global warming.
“Volker Turk pointed to recent examples of the “environmental horror that is our global planetary crisis”, including in Basra where “drought, searing heat, extreme pollution and fast-depleting supplies of freshwater are creating barren landscapes of rubble and dust”.”
“Today Omidieh in Iran rose to 50.1C [122.2F]. THIS IS THE LATEST 50C EVER RECORDED WORLDWIDE (and monthly record for Omidieh). Insane records also at high elevations…”
“Tropical Storm Rains Batter China for Seventh Day…
“Haikui has weakened from a typhoon to a tropical storm since making landfall in Fujian province on Sept. 5, but its residual vortex has continued to wreak havoc in southern China, with the populous city of Shenzhen deluged by the heaviest rain since records began in 1952. Neighboring Hong Kong was pelted by the worst storm in 140 years [of record-keeping].”
“Hong Kong’s multimillion dollar cliffside mansions on brink of collapse after record rains.
“Luxury cliffside homes in Hong Kong are on the brink of collapse after record breaking rains which killed at least two people, injured more than 100, and caused landslides across the city.”
“Northern Territory bushfire: Tennant Creek under threat as emergency situation declared for Barkly region.
“An emergency situation has been declared as a bushfire four times the size of the ACT continues to threaten a remote Northern Territory town. The 3,000 residents of Tennant Creek have been urged to “stay calm” as authorities seek special powers to manage the 10,000 sq km blaze.”
“August 2023 in Peru was exceptionally hot with again anomalies around +4C above average along the coast and also record high temperatures in the Amazon region.
“Andean region also had record high temperatures but cold nights.”
“El Niño pushes hard on the doors of hunger in Peru…
“Since 2022, the NGO Action Against Hunger has warned of multiple crises with El Niño Costero. This is now going to worsen with El Niño Global, and there are still the consequences of the COVID pandemic and the rise in prices that the country has been experiencing for months.”
“Heavy rains in Chile cause flooding at shopping mall and hospital.
“During Sunday, intense rainfall was recorded in the south central zone of Chile, which caused flooding in several points of the Ñuble region, particularly in the city of Chillan, where the water wreaked havoc on a shopping center and a hospital.”
“Cyclone upturns Venezuelans’ dreams of better life in Brazil…
“Aponte, 34, and her husband, Yeiferson, both worked at a tannery in the small city of Mucum, one of the places hit hardest by the cyclone, which unleashed torrential rain and flooding on the region, leaving nearly 50 people dead and dozens missing.”
“”Twin” unseasonal heat waves in Southern Africa and South America with widespread temperatures >40C [104F] in early spring.
“>40C in South Africa and Botswana,42C in Bolivia and Paraguay,>41C in Argentina and Brazil. But both areas share another similarity: A temperature crash is coming.”
“‘We cannot remain silent’: Small island states are using the law of the sea to demand climate action in a world-first case.
“A group of small island nations threatened by rising sea levels are taking on high-emitting countries in a landmark hearing in Hamburg, Germany today.”
“Climate-induced rising sea levels are forcing residents of this tiny Panama island to leave.
“On a tiny island in the Caribbean sea, hundreds of people are preparing to move to escape rising sea levels that threaten homes. Carti Sugtupu is only the size of five football fields but the island, off Panama’s northern coast, crams houses together with barely an inch to spare.”
“Phoenix breaks heat record as city hits 110F on 54th day this year.
“On Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service announced that the temperature at Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport reached 110F, making it the 54th day this year with temperatures of at least 110F. Saturday’s temperature breaks the previous record of 53 days that was set in 2020.”
“If record heat doesn’t kill Florida’s baby sea turtles, they still may face birth defects…
““It’s sort of a double whammy,” said Sarah Milton, a primary researcher for the study and a professor at FAU’s department of biological sciences. “We have fewer making it out, and the ones that do make it out are less healthy.””
“Flash flooding in Massachusetts town leaves residents trapped, submerged vehicles as more rain expected across swaths of southeast New England…
“Heavy rains that began Monday and are expected to continue across western portions of Massachusetts overnight have prompted flood or flash flood warnings in the area through Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. The region had seen between 6 to 9 inches of rain as of Monday night.”
“Midwest grain harvests loom. Will a low Mississippi River stall farmers’ deliveries again?
“…Last fall, drought led to about 40 days of critically low water in parts of the Mississippi that hadn’t seen it in years – grounding barges, stalling traffic, blocking river ports at the height of harvest season and causing an estimated $20 billion in losses… As this year’s harvest approaches, the river is again on the decline.”
“With nearly 55% of the state now in severe drought, many Minnesota lakes and rivers are at historic low points.
“Near Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park, Becky Little is seeing a part of the Mississippi River she never thought she’d see. She’s been coming here for years. But just like her lawn at home, the river is as dry as she’s ever seen it.”
“US dairies that dumped milk due to extreme weather to be compensated…
“The Milk Loss Program (MLP) will provide payments to eligible dairies for milk that was discarded without compensation from the commercial milk market due to extreme weather, e. g. droughts, wildfires, floods, hurricanes, winter storms, and more.”
“US sees record number of ‘billion-dollar’ disasters so far this year.
“The United States has experienced a record number of natural disasters with damage estimated at more than $1bn, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) reported, as extreme weather events increase due to climate change.”
“Doctors fear deadly fungal infection outbreak after Tropical Storm Hilary, monsoon flooding in West…
“Valley fever, or Coccidioidosis, is a fungal infection. Humans and pets can get it just by inhaling dusty air. Fungus spores grow in dirt and soil and become airborne when wind, construction, digging and earthquakes disturb the soil. Wind carries the spores to noses and mouths.”
“Climate change can alter the risk of succumbing to infectious diseases.
“A new Europe-wide study investigated the prevalence of protozoans, bacteria and viruses potentially pathogenic to humans and domestic animals in birds and bats in varying climatic conditions. The prevalence of many of these pathogens was associated with temperature or rainfall.”
“‘Major disruptor’: El Niño threatens the world’s rice supplies…
“It is still unclear how severe this El Niño is, says Prof Benjamin Horton, director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore. “The concern is that the rate of warming of ocean temperatures in the Pacific has never been seen before. That indicates that we may get a major El Niño on top of climate change, which would take us really into uncharted territory.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
If you found value in this content, please help me continue this work by becoming a patron of my work via Patreon. And if you are already a subscriber or have donated – thank you! It is an enormous help as the cost-of-living crisis ratchets up here in the UK.
“Climate Change Is Threatening Food Staples. Just Look at Tomatoes…
“The world’s most popular vegetable (though botanically a fruit) is a perfect example of how global warming and increasingly erratic weather affect farming. From frosts and floods to hailstorms and scorching heat waves, growers in Italy — Europe’s top processed tomato supplier — have seen it all this year. And it’s not good.”
“The world’s oceans are simmering. Some 48% of the ocean experienced marine heat waves in August…
““The most staggering thing over my career of 30 years as a researcher, is that the things I thought were coming in 50 or 100 years, they’re here now,” says Alistair Hobday, a biological oceanographer and a research scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia’s national science agency.”
“For the first time on record, storms have reached top-tier Category 5 strength in every tropical ocean basin in the same year.
“A combination of human-caused climate change and El Niño have heated ocean waters to record levels in 2023, setting the stage for this meteorological feat. The Copernicus Climate Service of the European Union confirmed that the global ocean reached its warmest level on record in August.”
“Hurricane Lee’s ‘hyper-intensification’ in Atlantic is rewriting rules for powerful storms.
“Hurricane Lee is rewriting old rules of meteorology, leaving experts astonished at how rapidly it grew into a goliath Category 5 hurricane. Lee could also be a dreadful harbinger of what is to come as ocean temperatures climb, spawning fast-growing major hurricanes that could threaten communities farther north and farther inland, experts say.”
“North Atlantic sea surface temperatures are spiking again[after some brief cooling caused by hurricane Franklin], up 0.06°C yesterday, reaching a new high for 2023 of 25.37°C [77.7F].
“The climate casino is getting very fake-concerned about their 25.40°C over/under fake bet.”
“Shetland has today [Friday] broken its highest maximum temperature record for September.
“The mercury has risen to show a scorching 22.1°C [71.8F] in Baltasound… A 1953 record of 19.4°C at the Lerwick Observatory was also broken, when the the temperature reached a new high of 20.2°C.”
“It’s been the hottest September day on record in Northern Ireland, with 28C [82.4F] recorded at Castlederg in County Tyrone[picture is mine, taken at 8pm yesterday with my youngest swimming nearby; you can see NI from Islay on a clear day].
“This breaks the previous record of 27.6 Celsius on 1 September 1906 in Armagh… On Thursday, we missed out on breaking the September maximum temperature record by less than half a degree.”
“Britain’s Meteorological Office said on social media that “today’s provisional highest temperature was 30.9C [87.6F] at Cavendish, in Suffolk”. “This marks the 5th consecutive day when temperatures have exceeded 30C and is the first time this has ever happened in September in our records,” the Met Office added. The previous record was three consecutive September days.”
“Belgium officially registered its first-ever September heatwave on Friday (8 September), as temperatures in Brussels topped 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) for a fifth straight day, the country’s meteorological agency said.”
“Extraordinary heat in France today with again 39C [102.2F]. 78 records were broken or tied. (see list by Meteociel-total now near 500 plus 600 in august >1000 records in few week in France !). 35.1C Paris didn’t beat the record though today.
“Spain sees staggering 552 temperature records broken this summer…
“August in particular was a scorcher, beating the average highs of August 2003, the record until this year, according to figures from Spain’s state meteorological agency AEMET. August of this year tied with August 2003 in terms of average temperature but 2023 had higher maximum temperatures.”
“Inside the horror of Europe’s biggest wildfire [Greece].
“The carcasses of an untold number of animals are strewn about, the survivors with nowhere to go. I spent four days in and around this burning forest, learning the stories of a world turning to ash.”
“Floods in Greece: Death toll rises to 10[picture is of the plain of Thessaly; now temporarily a giant lake].
“Hundreds of villagers are stranded in central Greece after floods hit the region, killing at least ten people. Helicopters plucked people from rooftops and military personnel rescued families in rubber boats from floods.”
“Greece’s record rainfall and flash floods are part of a trend – across the Mediterranean, the weather is becoming more dangerous…
“These unprecedented flash floods were triggered by rainfall from the arrival of Storm Daniel on Monday September 4 which also affected Turkey and Bulgaria. The following day, in the village of Zagora, a record-breaking 754mm [29.7 inches] of rain fell in just 18 hours, leaving parts of the region of Thessaly in crisis and unable to respond.”
“Türkiye braces for hotter-than-usual Sept. amid climate change concerns…
“As of Wednesday night, flash floods in Istanbul, Türkiye’s largest city, and the neighboring province of Kirklareli had claimed at least seven lives, with more than 30 others injured… The southern province of Hatay reported a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius [122F] on Aug. 15, marking the country’s highest-ever temperature on record.”
“A warning shot: One city in the Himalayas shows why climate change is a top priority at the G20…
“Shimla proudly sits 2,200m (7,200ft) in the mountains. But the Queen is crumbling – and she’s a warning shot to the rest of the planet… Heavy rainfall and cloudbursts have swept rivers into towns, with roads and bridges washed away. The torrent of extreme weather in Shimla wiped out an entire congregation.”
“Record heat wave in China is leaving dozens of records beaten yesterday:
“35.2 [95F] Xin Barag; 32.8 Pikou; 32.4 Sujiatun; 31.7 Changhai; 27.3 Bairi; 27.3 Hekazhen… Today dozens of records (see list below) including Hangchun, Liaoyuan and Anshan. Remarkable 35C In Inner Mongolia.”
“Xi Visits Flood-Hit North China as Deluge Pummels South.
“Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited areas of northern China that were hit by deadly floods earlier this summer for the first time — a journey that comes as the southern tech hub of Shenzhen recorded the most rain in more than 70 years [of record-keeping].”
“Hong Kong’s heaviest rain since records began 140 years ago has left two people dead and more than 100 injured…
““I’ve never seen scenes like this before. Even during previous typhoons, it was never this severe. It’s quite terrifying,” said Connie Cheung, 65, an assistant nurse in Hong Kong.”
“Record rain in parts of Japan after tropical storm.
“Parts of Japan have been deluged by their heaviest daily rains since records began, officials said Saturday, with reports of more than 100 landslides after a tropical storm. The city of Mobara, Chiba Prefecture, recorded 392 millimeters [15.4 inches] of rain overnight into Saturday…”
“The forest fire currently engulfing Central Kalimantan [Indonesia] worsens the air quality in the area.
“The Education Office of Palangka Raya City reminded the students in the city to wear masks at school. To monitor the air quality in Palangka Raya, Vico reminds the public to download the ISPUnet application launched by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.”
“‘Occupied by the US’: wildfires renew Native Hawaiian call for sovereignty.
“At a time of climate crisis, dwindling resources and unfettered capitalism, the decades-long Native Hawaiian struggle for sovereignty has gained a renewed sense of urgency following the August wildfires that incinerated west Maui.”
“Ecuador’s capital, Quito, recorded 22 forest fires in 24 hours…
“The Municipality of Quito has deployed 150 members of the Quito Fire Department. In addition, together with the municipal institutions, with the support of the Armed Forces and the National Police, 220 troops, five helicopters, 41 tankers, 14 vans, and an ambulance, among others, have been deployed.”
“Brazil is bracing for new storms just days after a devastating cyclone killed at least 41 people in the country’s south…
“Flooding from the earlier storm submerged whole neighborhoods in Rio Grande do Sol, forcing many people to climb onto roofs while awaiting rescue. More than 10,500 people were forced to leave their homes in 83 municipalities hit by the cyclone.”
“It’s not your imagination: Denver really is setting more high-temperature records…
“Nearly 50% of Denver’s daily record-high temps — 178 of 366 — have been set since 2000. One-third have been set since 2010, and more than 12% — 46 daily record highs — have been set since 2020. For comparison, about 19% of Denver’s daily record-low temps have been set since 2000…”
“Heat wave in D.C. area is most intense on record this late in year.
“Thursday was the final day of widespread record highs in the Washington-Baltimore region, and the late-season heat wave solidified its place in the record books. No heat wave this late into September has been this hot.”
“Canadian wildfires could keep burning through winter, minister says.
“Warm, dry conditions in Canada could ignite new wildfires in September and it is possible that some of the blazes could remain active through the winter season, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said on Thursday.”
“‘Sleeping giant’ drought [British Columbia] threatens more disasters after record Canada wildfires.
“…officials in the Canadian province have warned that a persistent drought in the Canadian province is a “sleeping giant” which could usher in a fresh set of natural disasters, including devastating floods in the coming months.”
“This Alberta glacier is in a melting ‘death spiral,’ scientist says.
“The Peyto Glacier in Banff National Park is one of the longest-studied glaciers in the world and has been deteriorating since about the year 2000. Researchers say the extent of the loss has recently accelerated, with hot weather and fires accelerating the glacier’s death.”
“Antarctica warming much faster than models predicted in ‘deeply concerning’ sign for sea levels…
“Scientists analysed 78 Antarctic ice cores to recreate temperatures going back 1,000 years and found the warming across the continent was outside what could be expected from natural swings.”
“August 2023 had the highest global dew point for any August since 1940 [unsurprising that there’s so much water vapour around with the hot atmosphere and oceans]…
“The monthly average dew point was just behind the July 2023 value for the highest of any month in the year.”
“Warming trends will likely result in major disturbances of networks of forest fungi…
“”Climate change is reducing the amount of carbon the trees fix and likely has cascading effects on how much carbon they can provide to their ectomycorrhizal fungi,” continues Fernandez. “This is likely causing a shift towards low biomass species, resulting in the breakdown of networks between trees.””
“How mapping Mars could help us live there [picture is Arnie Schwarzenegger in ‘Total Recall’]…
“NASA researchers are currently spending a year in a simulated Mars habitat in Texas, in preparation for the space agency’s ambitious plan to land the first astronauts on Mars as early as the 2030s, while the European Space Agency is preparing for the first round-trip from Earth to Mars at the end of the decade.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back on Monday with an “Economic” thread.
If you found value in this content, please help me continue this work by becoming a patron of my work via Patreon. And if you are already a subscriber or have donated – thank you! It is an enormous help as the cost-of-living crisis ratchets up here in the UK.
“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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About This Site
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.
Ocean heat record broken, with grim implications for the planet
Brazil Could Break All-Time High Temp Record in Waning Days of Winter
Wednesday will be San Antonio’s 105th day in a row with temperatures above 90 degrees
Thousands of Central Valley water wells risk failure
Ravaged by floods and fires, Greece struggles on the front lines of our climate reality
Ozark County community without internet and telephone service weeks after storm hits the area
Videos capture deadly tornado whirling through eastern China
Libya floods, mapped: How heavy rainfall wiped out a city
Spain hailstorm destroys nearly $43 million worth of crops as it hits nearly 100% of some farmers’ harvests
The ‘Forever’ Glaciers of America’s West Aren’t Forever Anymore
Floods, Winds and Temperature Extremes Challenge Rail Lines
Over a billion sea creatures died from heatwave. Study reveals chaos on seafloor.
Record-breaking wildfires have occurred all over the Northern Hemisphere during 2023, new report finds. The total wildfire emissions for 2023 is estimated to be almost 410 megatonnes.
Eight countries witness devastating floods in Sept: Is climate change causing deluge across the world?
Near-surface permafrost could be nearly gone by 2100, scientists conclude
Hong Kong had its hottest summer ever in 2023. The city recorded an average temperature of 29.7 degrees Celsius (about 85 Fahrenheit) in August, the highest since records began almost 140 years ago. It coincided with higher temperatures in mainland China and elsewhere in Asia as global climate change also sent the mercury rising in North America and Europe.
The Bureau of Meteorology has declared an El Nino climate pattern, sparking worries about heatwaves as summer approaches.
A sweltering heat wave in Australia took its toll on runners in the Sydney Marathon on Sunday, with 26 people taken to the hospital and about 40 treated for heat exhaustion by emergency services.
Parts of Devon and Southern Wales have been left submerged following warnings that half a month’s rain may fall in the space of a single day, flooding airport terminals and shutting roads.
The Heatwave Threat: Can Tropical Forests Survive Climate Change?
Many college dorms lack air-conditioning—and not just at smaller institutions like Wayne State. 
Libyan flood survivors weigh water shortages against landmine risk
Water shortage drives elephant migration from Zimbabwe
Antarctic sea-ice at ‘mind-blowing’ low alarms experts
Lightning strikes 9,000 times during ‘insane’ thunderstorm as UK hit by flash flooding
Landslide strikes northwestern Congo amid torrential rainfall, at least 17 dead
Desert dust storms carry human-made toxic pollutants, and the health risk extends indoors
None of us has previously witnessed a barrage of 
“Odds that 2023 will be Earth’s hottest year have doubled in just a month, NOAA reports…
“August 2023 Globally, according to JMA, had a temperature anomaly of +0.66C above the 1991-2020 baseline and was by far the hottest August on records 0.34C hotter of the second August 2016 !
“Earth’s warmest August saw 65 countries set record high temperatures: Report.
“What this month’s deadly floods tell us about our global climate future. Scientists have long predicted that intense floods would come with rising temperatures…
“The Air Was Hot This Year, But It’s Nothing Compared to the Ocean.
“What’s the most important graphic to show the true f&%kery of our predicament?
“Historic late warmth yesterday in Lithuania:
“Luxembourg sets new September temperature records.
“Thawing permafrost in the Alps… When the mountain breaks…
“France investigates deaths of four Champagne workers in heatwave…
“Climate change shakes up the recipe at Champagne’s oldest maker…
“40,000 people in France still without drinking water amid drought…
“Flash Floods Paralyse Madrid Motorway…
“France is sending military forces to distribute water on the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, which is facing an unprecedented water crisis prompted by the island cluster’s most severe drought in decades.
“Liberia to concede territory to UAE firm in carbon offset deal.
“Algeria: Emergency crews working to extinguish wildfires…
“‘Second humanitarian crisis’ feared in wake of Libya floods as hopes of finding survivors fade.
“Türkiye sees driest August in over three decades amid drought crisis…
“Water shortage in Central Asia worsening, Uzbekistan warns.
“The average temperature in Xinjiang in the summer of 2023 was 24.1°C [75.4F], 1.6°C higher than normal, setting the hottest record in history.
“Pakistan is living an unprecedented heat wave for September with brutally hot days and nights.
“Kashmir stares at water crisis as dry spell expected to continue…
“10 all-time rain records broken in Himachal Pradesh this monsoon…
“Prolonged flash floods and landslides, in Vietnam’s northern mountainous region have killed five people, while four others remained missing.
“Climate change drives hotter, more frequent fire seasons in the Northern Territory [Australia]…
“Exceptional spring triple heat waves coming in the Southern Hemisphere.
“August 2023 in Brazil was another exceptionally hot month.
“Wildfires, Deforestation Spark Emergency in Brazilian Amazon.
“Another record day in the Caribbean and South America
“Dominican Republic suspends visas to Haiti citizens amidst water conflict.
“August 2023 in Mexico was exceptionally hot.
“‘Sitting in a sweat box’: How record heat shut down schools in the East and Midwest…
“‘It’s an emergency’: Midwest towns scramble as drought threatens drinking water…
“The floods this week in Massachusetts that put a few dams at risk have raised concern the structures may increasingly be at risk as the region is hit by stronger and wetter storms.
“Rain reaches New England, Atlantic Canada as Hurricane Lee pushes north…
“As climate catastrophes rise, reinsurers reduce risks…
“Climate change takes habitat from big fish, the ocean’s key predators.
“August 2023 Temperature Update:
“Probability of ΔT +1.5°C in 2023 now greater than not ? >50%). I can’t say I’m very surprised.
“The world has experienced its hottest ever three-month period – what comes next?
“Our f&%kery knows no upper limits.
“Earth’s life support systems have been so damaged that the planet is “well outside the safe operating space for humanity”, scientists have warned.
“Unprecedented double glacial dam release brings flooding to the Kenai [Alaska]…
“B.C.’s wildfire crisis was forecast, but it arrived decades sooner than expected…
“Okanagan records driest-ever soil moisture as drought worsens…
“Flooding in Leominster: Dams being shored up, Healey declares Mass. state of emergency.
“Massive Hurricane Lee prompts tropical storm and hurricane watches for coastal New England as threat grows.
“A monsoon swept through parts of Arizona on Tuesday night, drenching Phoenix and unleashing winds that downed power lines and flipped airplanes on their side.
“Louisiana’s bayous are now threatened by wildfires.
“Never ending record heat in the Caribbean:
“Panama Canal to further reduce daily transits if drought continues.
“Disasters getting worse, say Brazil cyclone victims.
“At least 2 dead in two car chain reaction accidents due to dust storm [Argentina].
“Southern Hemisphere “twin” Heat waves
“Another record yesterday in Southern Africa:
“Climate threat to Africa’s wild dogs a warning of urgent need to cool things down for wildlife.
“Ethiopia’s Controversial Megadam Threatens A Water War With Egypt.
“‘Sea is constantly dumping bodies’: fears Libya flood death toll may hit 20,000…
“Italy loses world’s biggest wine producer title as extreme weather and disease hit output…
“Intense Hailstorm, Flooding Catch Murcia [Spain] Residents By Surprise.
“Winemaker from Worms [Germany]: “Storm was hell”.
“Heavy downpours around Maastricht [Netherlands]: many reports of flooding, highways closed.
“‘Particularly hot’ August seen in Cyprus says Met office.
“Heat, drought, fires threaten Lebanon’s northern forests.
“Srinagar [Jammu & Kashmir, India] experienced its hottest September day in over half a century, with temperatures reaching 34.2 degrees Celsius [93.6F] on September 12.
“19 killed due to torrential rains in Uttar Pradesh.
“Hong Kong shuts schools as it issues heavy rain warning.
“More than 70 crocodiles have escaped from a farm in southern China after rainstorms hit the region.
“Feeling the heat: 44% of Japan firms see earnings hit from extreme weather.
“Abnormal warmth in Hokkaido with hot nights and min. temperatures above 24C [75.2F], which would be rare in mid summer. Many records of monthly highest Tmin fell yesterday (see list by JMA).
“Forest fires blanket several Indonesian provinces, causing surge in people falling ill.
“Tornadoes Of Fire Appear On Mount Bromo, Fire Due To Widespread Pre-Wedding Flares.
“Near-record September temperatures could be on the horizon for parts of the country’s south east as an unusually long run of hot spring weather sets in over southern Australia.
“NZ’s vital kelp forests are in peril from ocean warming—threatening the important species that rely on them.
“Brunt glacier rapidly accelerates into the Weddell Sea after pinning point lost to iceberg A81.
“Antarctica may have entered ‘new regime’ of low sea ice as global warming ramps up…
“Climate Change Hurting Water Quality in Rivers Worldwide, Study Finds…
“How rising water vapour in the atmosphere is amplifying warming and making extreme weather worse.
“El Niño and a hotter, wetter climate aid spread of disease…
“73 consecutive days of record surface air temperatures for the whole Northern Hemisphere! 
“Code UFB!!!
“In case you’re wondering if September, 2023 will be the hottest September ever recorded globally, here’s the month so far…”
“This year is now almost certain to become Earth’s warmest on record after a hot July and August saw global temperatures reach the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
“From Carbon Sink to Source: The Stark Changes in Arctic Lakes…
“UK Heatwave breaks after record-breaking seven-day of 30C temperatures 
“Historic heat wave in Europe , monthly records are >1000 now between France, UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Slovakia.
“3 National Records of Highest September Min. temperatures were set today:
“Warmest September night ever recorded in the Netherlands.
“An intense hailstorm hits three municipalities of Navarra [Spain].
“Italian mountain forests face irreversible climate change transformation…
“After wildfires, floods deal Greek farmers the final blow.
“Extreme heat, fires and floods threaten Europe’s economy.
“Libya asks for international help as 2,000 people feared dead in flood after Storm Daniel sweeps across country 
“Rescuers have recovered the body of the 32nd victim of the Shovi resort landslide in Georgia’s west, with one person still missing, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said on Sunday.
“Climate change is causing human rights emergencies around the world, the United Nations human rights chief says, specifically highlighting Iraq’s “spiralling damage” from global warming.
“HISTORIC RECORD HEAT IN IRAN 
“Tropical Storm Rains Batter China for Seventh Day…
“Hong Kong’s multimillion dollar cliffside mansions on brink of collapse after record rains.
“Northern Territory bushfire: Tennant Creek under threat as emergency situation declared for Barkly region.
“August 2023 in Peru was exceptionally hot with again anomalies around +4C above average along the coast and also record high temperatures in the Amazon region.
“El Niño pushes hard on the doors of hunger in Peru…
“Heavy rains in Chile cause flooding at shopping mall and hospital.
“Cyclone upturns Venezuelans’ dreams of better life in Brazil…
“”Twin” unseasonal heat waves in Southern Africa and South America with widespread temperatures >40C [104F] in early spring.
“‘We cannot remain silent’: Small island states are using the law of the sea to demand climate action in a world-first case.
“Climate-induced rising sea levels are forcing residents of this tiny Panama island to leave.
“Record heat in the Caribbeans again – Yesterday the US Virgin Islands had its highest RELIABLE temperature on records with 97F [36.1C] at St Croix.
“More record heat yesterday in Mexico: 41.8C [107.2F] Ciudad Victoria broke its September record again.
“Phoenix breaks heat record as city hits 110F on 54th day this year.
“If record heat doesn’t kill Florida’s baby sea turtles, they still may face birth defects…
“Flash flooding in Massachusetts town leaves residents trapped, submerged vehicles as more rain expected across swaths of southeast New England…
“Midwest grain harvests loom. Will a low Mississippi River stall farmers’ deliveries again?
“With nearly 55% of the state now in severe drought, many Minnesota lakes and rivers are at historic low points.
“US dairies that dumped milk due to extreme weather to be compensated…
“US sees record number of ‘billion-dollar’ disasters so far this year.
“Doctors fear deadly fungal infection outbreak after Tropical Storm Hilary, monsoon flooding in West…
“Climate change can alter the risk of succumbing to infectious diseases.
“‘Major disruptor’: El Niño threatens the world’s rice supplies…
“Climate Change Is Threatening Food Staples. Just Look at Tomatoes…
“The world’s oceans are simmering. Some 48% of the ocean experienced marine heat waves in August…
“For the first time on record, storms have reached top-tier Category 5 strength in every tropical ocean basin in the same year.
“Hurricane Lee’s ‘hyper-intensification’ in Atlantic is rewriting rules for powerful storms.
“North Atlantic sea surface temperatures are spiking again 
“Shetland has today [Friday] broken its highest maximum temperature record for September.
“It’s been the hottest September day on record in Northern Ireland, with 28C [82.4F] recorded at Castlederg in County Tyrone 
“UK experiencing longest September heatwave.
“Belgium records first-ever September heatwave.
“Extraordinary heat in France today with again 39C [102.2F]. 78 records were broken or tied. (see list by Meteociel-total now near 500 plus 600 in august >1000 records in few week in France !). 35.1C Paris didn’t beat the record though today.
“Spain sees staggering 552 temperature records broken this summer…
“Inside the horror of Europe’s biggest wildfire [Greece].
“Floods in Greece: Death toll rises to 10 
“Greece’s record rainfall and flash floods are part of a trend – across the Mediterranean, the weather is becoming more dangerous…
“Extreme heat wave in the Sahel, Red Sea and Middle East area with 49C in Saudi Arabia,47C in Egypt and 46C in Israel. Monthly Records:
“Türkiye braces for hotter-than-usual Sept. amid climate change concerns…
“August 2023 in Russia was the warmest on record with widespread positive anomalies almost in the whole country. 
“Huge storm causes chaos in Grozny, Russia.
“A warning shot: One city in the Himalayas shows why climate change is a top priority at the G20…
“Record heat wave in China is leaving dozens of records beaten yesterday:
“Xi Visits Flood-Hit North China as Deluge Pummels South.
“Hong Kong’s heaviest rain since records began 140 years ago has left two people dead and more than 100 injured…
“Record rain in parts of Japan after tropical storm.
“The forest fire currently engulfing Central Kalimantan [Indonesia] worsens the air quality in the area.
“‘Occupied by the US’: wildfires renew Native Hawaiian call for sovereignty.
“Ecuador’s capital, Quito, recorded 22 forest fires in 24 hours…
“Brazil is bracing for new storms just days after a devastating cyclone killed at least 41 people in the country’s south…
“Historic heat wave in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico up to 111F. Dozens of monthly records fell, some with 3F/4F margins. Main ones:
“It’s not your imagination: Denver really is setting more high-temperature records…
“Heat wave in D.C. area is most intense on record this late in year.
“Canadian wildfires could keep burning through winter, minister says.
“‘Sleeping giant’ drought [British Columbia] threatens more disasters after record Canada wildfires.
“This Alberta glacier is in a melting ‘death spiral,’ scientist says.
“Antarctica warming much faster than models predicted in ‘deeply concerning’ sign for sea levels…
“August 2023 had the highest global dew point for any August since 1940
“Warming trends will likely result in major disturbances of networks of forest fungi…
“How mapping Mars could help us live there 