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aswan egypt satellite image on june 8 2024 sentinel-2

Aswan in Egypt recorded 50.9 °C (123.6 °F) on June 7, 2024, setting the highest reliable temperature ever recorded in Egypt and the hottest June day in African history. On the same day, Cyprus experienced its hottest June day ever with temperatures hitting 44 °C (111 °F), breaking its record for the second time this month.

On June 7, 2024, Aswan in Egypt reached a staggering 50.9 °C (123.6 °F), setting the highest reliable temperature ever recorded in Egypt and marking the hottest June day in African history. Previously, Egypt recorded a temperature of 51 °C (123.8 °F) on July 4, 1918, also in Aswan, but it was taken without a Standard Stevenson Screen, which raises questions about its accuracy.

Additionally, Alula in Saudi Arabia set a new monthly record at 47 °C (116.6 °F) on June 7.

The same day saw Cyprus set its new national record for the hottest June day ever, with temperatures soaring to 44 °C (111 °F) — 10 °C (18 °F) above the usual peak June temperatures. This marked the second time in the same month that Cyprus broke its highest June temperature record, following a previous high of 43.7 °C (110.7 °F) set on June 5.

On June 11, Rhourd Nouss in Algeria experienced historic temperatures as high as 48.8 °C (119.8 °F) with a minimum of 35.9 °C (96.6 °F). The same day, El Borma in Tunisia registered 48 °C (118.4 °F), and Tripoli in Libya recorded 46.8 °C (116.2 °F), according to climatologist and weather historian Maximiliano Herrera.

Other notable temperatures in the region included Rhourd Nouss, which on June 10 recorded a minimum of 34.2 °C (93.6 °F) and a maximum of 47.6 °C (117.7 °F), while El Borma reached 46.1 °C (115 °F) and Essbea near Tripoli hit 46.2 °C (115.2 °F). In Saudi Arabia, Gassim set new June records with a minimum of 34 °C (93.2 °F) and a maximum of 47 °C (116.6 °F), while Najran reached 43 °C (109.4 °F) on June 10.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Earth breaks heat and CO₂ records once again: ‘Our planet is trying to tell us something,’ officials say

June 11, 2024

Earth breaks heat and CO₂ records once again: ‘Our planet is trying to tell us something,’ officials say

Humanity is ignoring major planetary vital signs as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels soar to all-time highs and Earth records its 12th consecutive month of record-breaking heat, international climate officials warned this week.

At 60.63 degrees Fahrenheit, the global mean temperature in May was a record 2.73 degrees hotter than the preindustrial average against which warming is measured—marking an astonishing yearlong streak of heat that shows little signs of slowing down, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

“For the past year, every turn of the calendar has turned up the heat,” António Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, said during a speech in New York on June 5. “Our planet is trying to tell us something. But we don’t seem to be listening. We’re shattering global temperature records and reaping the whirlwind. It’s climate crunch time. Now is the time to mobilize, act and deliver.”

According to the Copernicus service, May was also the 11th consecutive month of warming beyond 2.7 degrees, the Fahrenheit equivalent of the internationally agreed-upon limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius intended to reduce the worst effects of climate change.

Not only was it a warm month, but the global average temperature for the last 12 months—June 2023 through May—was the highest on record, at 2.93 F above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial average.

Guterres said the world is warming so quickly and spewing such considerable CO₂ emissions that the 1.5 degree Celsius goal is “hanging by a thread.”

“The truth is, global emissions need to fall 9% every year until 2030 to keep the 1.5 degree limit alive, but they are heading in the wrong direction,” he told a crowd at the American Museum of Natural History. “We are playing Russian roulette with our planet, and we need an exit ramp off the highway to climate hell.”

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Power outage-causing storms are on the rise. That’s already impacting food insecurity

June 9, 2024

Power outage-causing storms are on the rise. That’s already impacting food insecurity

Major power outages have increased tenfold since 1980

Straw bales and storm (Getty Images/BalazsKovacs)

As rounds of severe weather — complete with thunderstorms, hail and flooding — continue to pummel Dallas and surrounding Texas counties, many of the over 650,000 people who were left without power are grappling with the question of how they will afford to replace the food they lost in the nearly week-long outage. According to the Food and Drug Administration, perishables like milk, eggs and meat can only keep cold for about four hours in an unopened refrigerator, meaning that for many Texans, the entirety of their fresh food supply had to go in the garbage.

They aren’t alone.

Just a few weeks ago, Community Food Share, a Colorado food bank that serves Boulder and Broomfield counties, lost 1,500 pounds of food during a windstorm with gusts up to 100 miles per hour, which prompted a preemptive power outage from Xcel Energy. It’s a tremendous loss, but one that chief executive officer Kim Da Silva has cautioned could have been worse.

“We were actually able to salvage almost all of the food that was in our freezers and our refrigerators,” she told local Colorado television station KUSA. “Which we’re so thankful for that because that was about $80,000 worth of food.”

All in all, it was a stroke of luck, but with power outage-causing storms on the rise, luck can only go so far in preventing similar — and larger — losses, which means that food pantries are increasingly having to adapt their operations to account for the effects of climate change.

As reported by The Conversation, many Americans think of power outages as infrequent inconveniences, however data shows that major power outages have “increased tenfold since 1980, largely because of an aging electrical grid and damage sustained from severe storms as the planet warms.” …

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

‘Unliveable’: Delhi’s residents struggle to cope in record-breaking heat

June 9, 2024

‘Unliveable’: Delhi’s residents struggle to cope in record-breaking heat

Temperatures of more than 45C have left population of 29 million exhausted – but the poorest suffer most

As the water tanker drove into a crowded Delhi neighbourhood, a ruckus erupted. Dozens of residents ran frantically behind it, brandishing buckets, bottles and hoses, and jumped on top of it to get even a drip of what was stored inside. Temperatures that day had soared to 49C (120F), the hottest day on record – and in many places across India’s vast capital, home to more than 29 million people, water had run out.

Every morning, Tripti, a social health worker who lives in the impoverished enclave of Vivekanand Camp, is among those who has to stand under the blazing sun with buckets and pots, waiting desperately for the water tanker to arrive.

“People have to wait for two to three hours in the queue for just for the couple of buckets of water,” she said. “The increasing temperature has made it worse. As the heat is increasing, we need more water but the supply is in fact decreasing. We are suffering badly and heat is making it impossible to live.”

Mohammad Adil Khan inspects ACs at his rental shop in Delhi.

Delhi is no stranger to heat. Its summers always bring stiflingly hot temperatures and the rich confine themselves to their air-conditioned homes, while poor households gather beneath fans and cover themselves with wet rags.

The consensus among experts and residents is that the summer temperatures are now regularly rising far above the norm as India bears the brunt of the climate crisis. A heatwave has enveloped much of north India in May – this week temperatures consecutively rose above 45C…

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Insane Footage Shows Tornado Destroying Wind Farm In Iowa

May 23, 2024

Insane Footage Shows Tornado Destroying Wind Farm In Iowa

Shocking footage from Iowa this evening shows multiple tornadoes wreaking havoc on massive wind turbines. This is yet another reminder that wind is not a reliable power source.

Here’s the aftermath.

Two months ago, a solar farm in Texas with hundreds of acres of ground-based panels was destroyed by a hail storm.

**Hail-shattered panels at the solar farm in Fort Bend County, Texas** (FOX26 and Houston KRIV via Fox News)

Despite the evident challenges and risks, radical leftists continue pouring billions of dollars of taxpayer funds into unreliable green energy.

… and perfect timing! “Twisters,” a standalone sequel to the 1996 film “Twister,” is set to debut this summer.

Tornadoes strike across 7 states with more severe weather on the way

May 21, 2024

Tornadoes strike across 7 states with more severe weather on the way

Severe weather is forecast for Thursday across the entire South.

The threat for tornadoes continues Thursday following an outbreak of deadly storms throughout the Midwest and South over the past few days.

As of Thursday afternoon, at least 17 tornadoes had been reported in the previous 24 hours across seven states. There have been nearly 100 reported or confirmed tornadoes across 18 states since Monday.

Over 30 million Americans, from Texas to South Carolina, are in the storm zone and can expect to see severe weather Thursday night into early Friday. The tornado threat is lower than it has been during the multiday outbreak — damaging winds and large hail will be the main threat with these storms Thursday — though a couple of tornadoes will still remain possible.

PHOTO: Severe storms remain a threat for the South. — Severe storms remain a threat for the South.

ABC News

Damaging winds up to 70 mph, scattered hail and a couple of tornadoes will all be possible as a cluster of thunderstorms with a history of producing tornadoes moves through southern Georgia, heading south and east through the evening.

A tornado watch has been issued for South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida until 9 p.m. ET Thursday. The cities located in that tornado watch include Jacksonville, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; and Charleston, South Carolina.

In Texas, a cluster of storms is expected to fire up Thursday afternoon and evening then progress west across the Gulf Coast states through the overnight hours. The main threats are significant wind gusts to 85 mph and very large hail up to 4 inches, though a couple of tornadoes cannot be ruled out.

A tornado watch has also been issued for parts of Texas, including Dallas, Waco and Abilene, through 9 p.m. CT Thursday.

PHOTO: John Bernhardt searches for his belongings outside his storm-damaged home Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Columbia, Tenn. — John Bernhardt searches for his belongings outside his storm-damaged home Thursday, May 9, 2…

George Walker IV/AP

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Tree rings reveal summer 2023 was the hottest in 2 millennia

May 19, 2024

A photo taken in May 2024 shows three women shielding themselves from the scorching sun with a cloth in Mumbai, India. (Image credit: SOPA Images / Contributor via Getty Images)

Last year’s summer was the hottest in 2,000 years, ancient tree rings reveal.

Researchers already knew that 2023 was one for the books, with average temperatures soaring past anything recorded since 1850. But there are no measurements stretching further back than that date, and even the available data is patchy, according to a study published Tuesday (May 14) in the journal Nature. So, to determine whether 2023 was an exceptionally hot year relative to the millennia that preceded it, the study authors turned to records kept by nature.

Trees provide a snapshot of past climates, because they are sensitive to changes in rainfall and temperature. This information is crystalized in their growth rings, which grow wider in warm, wet years than they do in cold, dry years. The scientists examined available tree-ring data dating back to the height of the Roman Empire and concluded that 2023 really was a standout, even when accounting for natural variations in climate over time.

“When you look at the long sweep of history, you can see just how dramatic recent global warming is,” co-author Ulf Büntgen, a professor of environmental systems analysis at the University of Cambridge in the U.K., said in a statement. The data indicated that “2023 was an exceptionally hot year, and this trend will continue unless we reduce greenhouse gas emissions dramatically,” he said.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Million Texans Without Power As Storm Topples Transmission Towers

May 17, 2024

Million Texans Without Power As Storm Topples Transmission Towers

Powerful storms tore through eastern Texas on Thursday evening, decimating transmission towers and plunging over a million residents into darkness.

“Severe thunderstorms moving across the Houston metro area have a history of producing damaging winds! This destructive storm will contain wind gusts to 80 MPH! A tornado is possible!” the National Weather Service of Houston wrote on X.

X users shared shocking footage of transmission towers that were toppled by the storm.

According to poweroutage.us, more than a million Texans are without power, mainly in the eastern part of the state.

The Texas power grid can’t catch a break.

India set to face hotter heatwaves amid preparation gaps, says study

May 16, 2024

India set to face hotter heatwaves amid preparation gaps, says study

The study advocates for the expansion of mandatory regulations alongside existing action plans to tackle the challenges posed by climate change

Photo: Bloomberg

As summer arrives, India braces for the onslaught of heatwaves, despite having substantial heat action plans in place. A recent study by the World Weather Attribution group reveals significant gaps in preparedness, including underfunded plans, inadequate consideration of local contexts, insufficient targeting of vulnerable groups, and a lack of periodic evaluations.

The incidents of extreme temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in April, which affected billions of people across Asia, were intensified and made more probable by human-induced climate change, according to the rapid attribution analysis by an international team of leading climate scientists from the World Weather Attribution group.

“From Gaza to Delhi to Manila, people suffered and died when April temperatures soared in Asia,” said Friederike Otto, senior lecturer in climate science at the Grantham Institute-Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London. “If humans continue to burn fossil fuels, the climate will continue to warm, and vulnerable people will continue to die,” Otto further said.

The study advocates for the expansion of mandatory regulations alongside existing action plans to tackle the challenges posed by climate change.

“Some countries, such as India, have comprehensive heat action plans in place. Yet, to protect some of the most vulnerable people, these must be expanded with mandatory regulations. Workplace interventions for all workers to address heat stress, such as scheduled rest breaks, fixed work hours, and rest-shade-rehydrate programs (RSH), are necessary but have yet to become part of worker protection guidelines in the affected regions,” it stated.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Satellite images reveal devastating flooding in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

May 12, 2024

Satellite images reveal devastating flooding in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

porto alegre rio grande do sul brazil may 8 2024

Heavy rainfall across southern Brazil has caused severe flooding and landslides over the past 9 days, significantly affecting the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Parana, and Santa Catarina.

The most severe impact has been in Rio Grande do Sul, where rising casualties and widespread destruction continue to mount. As of May 9, at least 95 people have died, 372 have been injured, and 131 remain missing. Additionally, more than 208 000 people have been displaced, and at least 1.5 million people have been affected.

The extensive flooding has left over 1.4 million people without electricity and isolated 48 cities from telecommunications.

Widespread severe flooding was reported in Porto Alegre, the state capital. Roads have been rendered impassable across the city, cutting off the capital, and flights at the main airport have been suspended.

Widespread agricultural damage was also reported while analysts anticipate that damage to silos, storage facilities, transportation networks, and ports will hinder grain exports. Rio Grande do Sul is a key hub for the production and export of soy, rice, wheat, and meat.

Satellite imagery acquired on May 8 showed devastating flooding across Porto Alegre, including Salgado Filho International Airport completely flooded.

May 8, 2024

porto alegre rio grande do sul brazil may 8 2024 overhead

April 3, 2024

porto alegre rio grande do sul brazil april 3 2024 overhead

Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers

May 8, 2024

porto alegre rio grande do sul brazil may 8 2024

April 3, 2024

porto alegre rio grande do sul brazil april 3 2024

Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers

May 8, 2024

salgado filho international airport porto alegre brazil may 8 2024

April 3, 2024

salgado filho international airport porto alegre brazil april 3 2024

Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers

May 8, 2024

eldorado do sul porto alegre brazil may 8 2024

April 3, 2024

eldorado do sul porto alegre brazil april 3 2024

Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers

May 8, 2024

sao leopoldo porto alegre brazil may 8 2024

April 3, 2024

sao leopoldo porto alegre brazil april 3 2024

Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers

Authorities are closely monitoring four dams: Blang, Dal Bo, Santa Lucia, and the 14 de Julho dam in Cotipora municipality, which has partially collapsed.

Hurricanes, heatwaves and rising seas: The impacts of record ocean heat

May 12, 2024

Hurricanes, heatwaves and rising seas: The impacts of record ocean heat

Getty Images A boat cuts a path through a layer of slime on the sea near the shore of Turkey's Marmara Sea (Credit: Getty Images) — Excessive phytoplankton growth can choke the sea surface with a jelly-like layer of slime known as “sea snot” as ocean temperatures increase (Credit: Getty Images)

Record ocean temperatures suggest the seas are warming faster than expected, and the impacts will be felt from polar ice shelves to coastal cities across the globe.

The world’s oceans are like a planet-sized battery: they absorb huge amounts of heat, which is then released slowly. So far, our oceans have soaked up over 90% of the heat trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere by rising greenhouse gas emissions. But recently, their rate of warming has been dramatic.

Every day since late March 2023, global ocean surface temperatures have set new records for the hottest temperature ever recorded on that date. On 47 of those days, temperatures have also surpassed previous highs by the largest margin seen in the satellite era, according to data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. (Read the analysis of the data in this article by the BBC News Climate and Science team.)

In February 2024, the world had breached 1.5C warming of surface air temperatures for a full year. But in some regions last year, ocean temperatures were similar to those expected if overall global warming of surface air temperatures reached 3C above pre-industrial levels – suggesting quicker ocean heating than expected.

This rapid heating raises a puzzle for scientists: why is recent ocean warming even greater than models suggest?

“The step-change in ocean temperatures over last year is huge,” says Hayley Fowler, professor of climate change impacts at Newcastle University in the UK. “The fact we can’t simulate these step-change increases and understand why it’s happening is terrifying.”

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

The World’s Largest Floating Solar Farm Wrecked by a Storm Just Before Launch

May 11, 2024

The World’s Largest Floating Solar Farm Wrecked by a Storm Just Before Launch

h/t Dr. Willie Soon; Who could have predicted acres of fragile floating structures would be vulnerable to bad weather?

Madhya Pradesh: Summer Storm Damages World’s Largest Floating Solar Plant at Omkareshwar Dam (Watch Video)

Indore: A summer storm on Tuesday damaged a floating solar plant at Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar dam. The floating solar plant, situated in the backwater of the dam, is the biggest of its kind in the world. A joint venture between Madhya Pradesh Govt and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), the project was nearly completed and ready for its launch. A part of the project became operational last week.

The project near the village of Kelwa Khurd, aimed at generating 100 MW of electricity, with additional capacities of 88MW at Indawadi and 90 MW at Ekhand village. However, on Tuesday, summer storms with the speed of 50kmph hit the project and threw the solar panels all around the place. No employee was fortunately injured.

…

Read more: https://www.lokmattimes.com/national/madhya-pradesh-summer-storm-damages-worlds-largest-floating-solar-plant-at-omkareshwar-dam-watch-video-a514/

A video of the disaster;

Anyone who has ever owned a boat, particular a large boat which gets left in the water, knows what a harsh environment the sea can be. Some kind of failure was inevitable. If it hadn’t been a storm, there are plenty of other things which could have gone wrong.

Greens keep telling us we can expect more frequent and extreme superstorms – so what is the point of building vulnerable floating structures?

Plastics tend to disintegrate under tropical sunlight, especially when in contact with water or water spray. Ultraviolet from the sun drives exotic chemical reactions, which leads to chemical breakdown.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

‘Desperate’ rescues under way as Brazil floods kill 90, displace thousands

May 10, 2024

‘Desperate’ rescues under way as Brazil floods kill 90, displace thousands

Thousands in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state lack water and electricity as floodwaters inundate entire towns.

Rescuers are rushing to evacuate people stranded by floodwaters across the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, where at least 90 people have been killed and more than 130 others are missing.

The state capital of Porto Alegre has been virtually cut off by the flooding, with the airport and bus station closed and main roads blocked.

Reporting from the city on Tuesday afternoon, Al Jazeera’s Latin America editor Lucia Newman said the situation had become “very desperate” as volunteers and rescue crews try to evacuate residents.

INTERACTIVE_BRAZIL_FLOODS_MAY28_2024-1715150016 — (Al Jazeera)

“Everywhere you look, people have no water, no electricity. Sewage has, in this part of town which is downtown, completely come up.”

The state’s Civil Defence agency said the death toll has risen to 90 with another four deaths being investigated. Another 131 people are still unaccounted for, and 155,000 are homeless.

Heavy rains that began last week have caused rivers to flood, inundating whole towns and destroying roads and bridges.

In Porto Alegre, a city of 1.3 million residents on the Guaiba River, residents faced empty supermarket shelves and closed gas stations, with shops rationing sales of mineral water.

Five of Porto Alegre’s six water treatment facilities are not working, and Mayor Sebastiao Melo on Monday decreed that water be used exclusively for “essential consumption”.

“We are living an unprecedented natural disaster, and everyone needs to help,” Melo told reporters.

“I am getting water trucks to football fields, and people will have to go there to get their water in bottles. I cannot get them to go home to home.”

Almost half a million people were without power in Porto Alegre and outlying towns, as electricity companies cut off supplies for security reasons in flooded neighbourhoods.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

I’m a British farmer. Here’s the scary truth about what’s happening to our crops

May 10, 2024

I’m a British farmer. Here’s the scary truth about what’s happening to our crops

The climate crisis is making the farming business unsustainable – and without support for us, food security will suffer too

Farming has always been a risky business. To the chaos of Brexit and the relentless squeezing of the supermarkets, we can add the rapidly escalating threats associated with climate change. In most industries, at the point where risk is judged to outweigh the potential commercial reward, both capital and people tend to make a swift exit, following economist Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” of self-interest.

The problem with farming is that most farmers are emotionally invested in their work. An exit is seldom considered – perhaps we should be more like the bankers, but they wouldn’t be much good at growing potatoes.

Around the world, farming practice evolves in response to past success. Over 30 years, I’ve recorded planting and harvest dates, temperatures and yields, using data to guide my decisions, just like generations of farmers before me. But over the past decade, as the pace of change in weather patterns has accelerated, the value of that accumulated experience has become increasingly irrelevant. For most farmers, this last year has been about grabbing rare, good weather windows and trying to make the most of wet conditions as we repeatedly fail to get crops sown.

As the risk of crop failure has grown, margins have shrunk, meaning there’s nothing in the bank to pay for the bad years. Farm-gate prices have been driven down to levels which, in a good year, just about cover costs, but leave nothing to cover crops lost to adverse weather.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

El Nino to last two more months; 2024 could be Malaysia’s hottest year — Nik Nazmi

May 5, 2024

El Nino to last two more months; 2024 could be Malaysia’s hottest year — Nik Nazmi

KOTA BHARU (May 2): The El Nino phenomenon hitting the country is expected to continue for the next two months, said Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

He said his ministry and the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) will monitor the weather transition.

According to him, forecasts indicate this year could be the country’s hottest year.

“The last time such hot weather struck the country was in 1998 in Perlis,” he told reporters after launching the Madani NRES adopted village in Kampung Aril, Melor, here on Thursday.

Nik Nazmi said Kelantan, Perlis and Kedah are experiencing higher temperatures than Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

He said based on the report he received, the transition should have started with rain expected to come, but Malaysians are to experience hotter days for another one to two months, with the Meteorological Department monitoring the situation.

“Besides that, we will also monitor and be vigilant about haze in the country and across borders as we observe signs of peat fires,” he said.

Nik Nazmi said his ministry will join forces with the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry to monitor water levels, adding that they may need to conduct a cloud seeding exercise.

The matter is under the attention of Nadma, he said.

“The cost of cloud seeding is high and depends on weather factors. Therefore, I will discuss this matter with the state government,” he added.

Nik Nazmi also advised students to drink enough water and wear appropriate attire due to the hot weather.

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