Shrinking Arctic Sea Ice Means Scorching U.S. Summers

Thirty years of shrinking Arctic sea ice has boosted extreme summer weather, including heat waves and drought, in the United States and elsewhere, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change. 

The new study — based on satellite tracking of sea ice, snow cover and weather trends since 1979 — links the Arctic's warming climate to shifting weather patterns in the Northern Hemisphere's midlatitudes.

"The results of our new study provide further support and evidence for rapid Arctic warming contributing to the observed increased frequency and intensity of heat waves," said study co-author Jennifer Francis, an atmospheric scientist at Rutgers University in New Jersey. [Images of Melt: Earth's Vanishing Ice]

http://www.weather.com/news/science/environment/shrinking-arctic-sea-ice-means-scorching-us-summers-20131209

Climate change is increasing the intensity of extreme weather events

If the Philippines typhoon was an isolated incident, it would be a meteorological phenomenon, but the real worry is that far from being isolated, these events are both frequent and increasingly severe. This typhoon comes on top of other extraordinary meteorological events that have occurred recently; unprecedented floods caused by a cyclone in Sardinia last week; unprecedented typhoons in the United States a few weeks ago; unprecedented rains that caused the Pakistan floods in August and last year.

We can not turn a blind eye to the stark reality; the reality that is climate change. Leaving aside the appalling individual tragedies that have occurred we must see that these are flashes of the future. Climate change is contributing to these events becoming more intense.

more: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/nov/29/climate-change-extreme-weather-philippines-typhoon-haiyan

The US and China must show leadership on climate change

However, a recent analysis by the United Nations Environment Programme showed that the cuts in emissions that are currently planned by individual countries are collectively inconsistent with avoiding global warming of more than 2C degrees.

Countries are now seeking a new international agreement in Paris in 2015 to secure the greater action required to stay below the threshold for dangerous climate change, but little progress was made during the latest round of United Nations negotiations last month in Warsaw.

With the European Union currently dithering and unable to provide the leadership that it has previously shown on climate change, the stage has been set for the world’s two largest emitters, China and the United States, to set an example.

Despite the unwillingness of many in Congress to face up to climate change, the United States managed to reduce its overall greenhouse emissions by nearly 8% between 2007 and 2011, with carbon dioxide from energy use falling even further in the past two years.

But China is showing the greatest ambition. As its economy continues to expand, it is attempting to make a rapid transition to cleaner and more efficient growth.

China is investing very heavily in low-carbon energy, spending $10 billion on wind farms and almost $13 billion on nuclear power in 2012 alone. More than a fifth of its electricity was generated from sources other than fossil fuels last year.

more:http://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/dec/11/us-china-leadership-climate-change

Britain East coast floods: aerial view of tidal surge aftermath - video

Aerial footage shows the extent of damage caused to properties and coastal landscape after the worst tidal surge in more than 60 years battered the east coast of Britain on Thursday. Flood defences and weather warnings have led to mass evacuations and has been credited with saving thousands of lives. Authorities have warned more high tides are expected later on Friday and Saturday http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/dec/06/east-coast-floods-aerial-view-tidal-surge-aftermath-video

Peru snowstorms spark state of emergency in Andes

Peru has declared a state of emergency in 10 regions as temperatures in the Andes this week plunged to their lowest levels in decades.

Tens of thousands of animals, including valuable alpacas, have died and crops have been ruined as heavy snowstorms continue to sweep the area. About 100,000 people living in vulnerable mountain communities, some as high as 15,000ft, have been affected.

Oxfam said Peru authorities suspected the extreme weather had been triggered by climate change. "The people at these high altitudes say that year after year the climate impacts are becoming stronger," said the charity's country co-ordinator, Frank Boeren. "The climate is more extreme and unpredictable, and there is more snow and hail and more frequent frozen spells in January and February." Some government aid had been delivered, he added.

Community observations are backed by government research. According to scientists in Lima and elsewhere, the rainy season is starting later in the mountains, with rainfall decreasing by about 12mm a year.

Although there have been waves of bitterly cold weather, overall temperatures have risen nearly 2C in the summer since 1965, while the range of temperatures over 24 hours has increased to nearly 27C, compared with 18C in 1980.

The changing climate and growing water scarcity has made many communities more vulnerable to disaster, as people move their herds to remote pastures at ever higher altitudes as the land near their homes wilt.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/sep/04/peru-snowstorms-emergency-weather

Tornado Rips Through Eastern Japan

http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/sep/02/tornado-eastern-japan-dozens-injured-video

The Impact of Floods in Sudan

Forty-eight people have been killed and more than 500,000 affected by the worst floods in Sudan in quarter of a century.

The region around the capital, Khartoum, was particularly badly hit, with at least 15,000 homes destroyed and thousands of others damaged. Across Sudan, at least 25,000 homes are no longer habitable. A UN official described the situation as a disaster.

The flooding, caused by continuous rains, has damaged public buildings, including schools, clinics, offices, shops, markets and water and sanitation facilities. Roads have been inundated, disrupting transport.

One of the major health worries is the collapse of more than 53,000 latrines; the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of an increase in malaria cases in the past two weeks.

WHO and Unicef, the UN agency for children, are supporting Sudanese authorities and national NGOs to run 50 emergency health clinics. The centres will be open for two months in eight states – Khartoum, White Nile, El Gezira, River Nile, Northern, Blue Nile, North Darfur and South Darfur.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/aug/23/sudan-floods-worst-25-years 

Flash Floods in Yemen

Lightning and flash floods have killed 50 people in Yemen since Friday, including 27 who died when a torrent washed away a wedding convoy, local officials said Saturday.

Storms have battered the Arabian Peninsula country since Friday, triggering flash floods in several areas that killed 41 people, while nine others, including a soldier, were struck by lightning and died

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/17/lightning-flash-floods-kill-50-in-yemen/#ixzz2dV77iXlS