photo by U.S. Air Force Photo by: Master Sgt. Jeremy Lock

The recent heat waves and extreme storms in the eastern United States, the numerous wildfires in Colorado and other Western states, flooding elsewhere in the country…

Since 1988 climate scientists have associated these kinds of extreme weather events, though not specific weather events, to climate change or global warming. What we’ve been seeing in different parts of the US this summer is what scientists say will occur more frequently as the planet heats up.

According to Princeton University geosciences and international affairs professor Michael Oppenheimer, droughts, floods, wildfires, extreme storms and other environmental disasters are “what global warming really looks like.”

From the Associated Press:

So far this year, more than 2.1 million acres have burned in wildfires, more than 113 million people in the U.S. were in areas under extreme heat advisories last Friday, two-thirds of the country is experiencing drought, and earlier in June, deluges flooded Minnesota and Florida.

And it’s far from over, according to a new study lead by UC Berkley scientists, which predicts that global warming will result in more wildfires in California and other Western states. The study says that many of the world’s forests will experience more wildfires as the planet heats up, with the exception of some climates like tropical rain forests, which should have less fires due to increased rainfall.

Read more on that story in the Los Angeles Times.

Meanwhile in the UK, we’ve just experienced the wettest (and second dullest) June on record, with more than twice as much rainfall as normal.

More on that from the BBC.

For a selection of statements from top climate scientists concerning the relationship with extreme weather and global warming or climate change, see Leo Hickman’s Environment Blog in the Guardian and check out this video interview with Kevin Trenberth, climate scientist at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research, from PBS.org.

Watch What’s Causing Unusually Hot Temperatures in U.S.? on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

photo by woodleywonderworks (Flickr CC)

Hurricane force storms ripped through parts of the United States this past Friday, felling hundreds of trees, causing several deaths and resulting in large scale power outages in the Washington, DC capital region of the United States.

In the hours following the storms some 1.5 million were without electricity in the DC area, with as many as 3 million on the eastern seaboard. Temperatures soared as high as 105F (40.5C) in some places.

The storms began on Friday evening following a day of record-setting temperatures, shattering the previous record set nearly 80 years ago. A temperature of 104F (40C) was recorded at Washington Reagan Airport, better known to those of us who grew up in the DC area as “National Airport”.

Winds were clocked at 60-90mph (95-145kph).

From the Washington Post:

The vast crescent of storms that swept across the Appalachians into the region on Friday night killed at least five people in the Washington region, with a total of at least 17 deaths in a swath of mid-Atlantic states reaching from New Jersey to Kentucky and as far west as Ohio.

For details of the storm and footage of the aftermath see the below video report from Al Jazeera English.

photo by Matthieu Godbout (Wikimedia Commons)

Due to recent storms in Europe, over 100 baby harp seals have washed up on the northern shores of the Netherlands.

The amount of seals found on the country’s beaches has increased within the past two to three years.

An animal rescue center in England has also received stranded seals because of the storms and is now caring for 41.

The incident is an extreme example among a recent increase in pup strandings, experts say. Overfishing has reduced the seals’ available prey, and the polluted fish the animals do catch often make them sick.

–National Geographic

For more on the story plus pictures of the baby harp seals in rehab see this National Geographic piece.

Harp seals are taking a real hit this year.

In early December I posted about an estimate of ‘1 million’ seal pups drowning off the coast of Canada due to a lack of sea ice cover. Further reports suggest that climate change is a real threat to the continued survival of the seals.

From AFP:

The kind of mortality we’re seeing in eastern Canada is dramatic. Entire year-classes may be disappearing from the population in low ice years – essentially all of the pups die. It calls into question the resilience of the population.

–David Johnston, Duke University Marine Lab

Read more on CBC News.

photo by Ian Sanderson (iansand on Flickr Creative Commons)

A new study explores the relationship between tropical storms and the color of the ocean.

Areas of ocean with more chlorophyll-rich phytoplankton have a green tint. Chlorophyll prevents sunlight from penetrating deep into the ocean meaning surface temperatures remain higher. Warmer surface temperatures mean more tropical storms, such as cyclones or hurricanes.

From an AFP report:

Cold water in turn causes changes in air circulation patterns, forcing strong winds aloft, “which tend to prevent thunderstorms from developing the necessary superstructure that allows them to grow into hurricanes,” the researchers said.

Massive spiraling ocean currents called gyres are areas with less phytoplankton and therefore little marine life. According to biogeochemist Manfredi Manizza, of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California, climate change will probably make the oceans’ gyres even less productive.

The study, led by oceanographer Anand Gnanadesikan of the U.S. Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, models how hurricanes might respond to a change in ocean color. When the computer model ‘drained’ the North Pacific Gyre of green color and heat, 2/3 less storms left the tropics than usual on their path from equatorial Southeast Asia towards Japan and China.

Read more in the following article in National Geographic:

Ocean Color Can Deflect Hurricanes, Study Suggests

Image Source: Flickr.

Heavy rains continue to fall in southern China, raising the death toll to 377 and it’s not likely to stop there. At least 142 people are still missing and more rain is still expected.

Thus far, the flooding has caused nearly $11 billion in damages, forced the evacuation of 4.4 million people, and collapsed 368,000 homes.

Although floods happen yearly in China, this year’s have been particularly heavy, spanning across 10 provinces and regions in the southeast, and it all comes right after a terrible drought season.

Rescue workers and soldiers are currently transporting stones and sandbags to block and redirect water flow of the Fuhe river, which has at least 2 breaches

Image Source: Flickr.

China can’t seem to get a break from flooding this year.

Torrential rains tore through China’s southwestern Guangxi region between May 31st and June 2nd, causing flooding and landslides that killed at least 53 people. Rescue workers found about 20 bodies during the aftermath and unfortunately, findings included children.

Three children, aged between 8 and 11, met their fate when they were walking home from school. They were reported missing since June 1st and it would seem they were swept away by the flood as they were heading (unaccompanied) to their grandparents’ house.

On top of the death toll, at least 11,000 homes, 15 reservoirs, and thousands of irrigation networks were destroyed, plus 200,000 people had to be evacuated. To make matters worse, more heavy rain is expected in the region this week.

Updates will be posted as they happen.

By Heidi Marshall

photo by OHL Peep (source: Flickr Creative Commons)

Flooding from severe storms in the US states of Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi resulted in death and destruction last weekend. Tennessee was hardest hit, with the country music capital of Nashville receiving the most media attention.

From an Associated Press report:

Nashville, where the Grand Ole Opry flooded along with parts of the downtown, has been the focus since weekend storms killed at least 30 people in three states, 20 of them in Tennessee. But the record-shattering torrential rains that pushed the Cumberland River out of its banks to flood the tourist spots also pushed the rivers and creeks throughout Middle and West Tennessee to levels not seen in decades, if ever.

Country music star Taylor Swift has pledged to donate $500,000 to relief organizations in Nashville.

For more information watch this video report from AP:

Waters Recede to Show a Ruined Nashville

by Graham Land

Additional resources:

CNN – Storm death toll at 31 as floodwaters recede

Image Source: Flickr. By: Robin Hutton.

It may have seemed like the end of the world for residents of Perth, Australia, this week.

At least 160,000 people were left without power on Tuesday as golf ball-sized hailstones, floods and landslides attacked the town. Falling trees took out power lines and damaged homes, while flood waters ran into hospitals and schools. Some patients even had to be evacuated from one hospital’s emergency room after the roof collapsed.

Colin Barnett, premier of Western Australia, figured the damage bill to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He commented:

“I think from my memory this would be the most severe weather conditions we’ve had since the famous May storm in 1994, where we had very, very strong winds and a massive loss of power supply.” … “Hopefully the damage to the power supply won’t be as severe but I suspect this time we’ve got a lot more damage to buildings and housing.”

That’s not even the half of it. Winds gusted over 75 miles (120 km) per hour, cars were crushed by a landslip and at least one apartment was filled with mud. There were also smashed car windows (thanks to the hailstones), not to mention terrible traffic conditions when 150 traffic lights lost their power.

Australia’s east coast didn’t have any better weather this week. The Great Barrier Reef’s coastline was hit by a category 2 tornado. The twister destroyed boats and homes, and also ripped trees right out of the ground. More storms are expected to follow this crazy weather pattern; though how bad they’ll be remains to be seen.

By Heidi Marshall

photo by *Louise** (source: Flickr Creative Commons)

Storms in Europe caused at least 58 deaths over the weekend. Most of the deaths occurred in France, where floods drowned victims and severe winds felled trees and sent debris flying, causing deaths and injuries.

Transportation infrastructure has been severely affected and hundreds of thousands have been left without power according to a CNN report.

Besides France, the storms battered Spain, Portugal, Belgium, England and Germany, claiming lives in each of these countries.

A BBC News story has eyewitness reports from several of the affected sites:

Everywhere was flooded. The wind had backed up a high tide which met torrential rain water coming down the Charente – the predictable result widespread flooding. But, as the news stories show, only a few miles from here people were dying and losing their homes and all to floodwaters and high seas.

–Derek Tunnicliffe, Bords

AP – Fierce Storms in Europe Kill Dozens

by Graham Land

Mexico City - photo by Usfirstgov (source: Wikimedia Commons)

Unseasonal winter weather in Mexico has caused widespread flooding resulting in death and destruction in the states of Michoacan and Mexico State as well as in the massive capital of Mexico City. According to an AP article, there have been 29 deaths in central Mexico so far as a result of the storms.

Greater Mexico City is one of the three largest metropolitan areas in the world and lies in an enclosed mountain valley, making it vulnerable to flooding. The capital area is apparently inadequately prepared for floods of this magnitude. Heavy rains there have caused sewage canals to overflow and a state of emergency has been declared.

A mix of drain water and sewage flowed into thousands of homes and blocked major thoroughfares in the metropolis of 20 million people. About 7,500 homes were flooded, prompting emergency personnel to ferry people from their homes through chest-high water.

–AP

Unfortunately more heavy rain is expected in central Mexico in the following days. Watch this video report from Reuters showing dramatic footage of the record rains, flooded towns and human tragedy:

Mexico flood alert

by Graham Land