Thursday 9 July 2015

The Dying Earth - 07/08/2015


El Nino to Weaken Monsoon, Exacerbate Drought in Pakistan, Northwestern India

While parts of India received torrential rainfall during June due to the monsoon, El Niño will reassert itself, causing the monsoon to weaken, over the upper part of the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia.

During a typical monsoon season, heat builds ahead of the phenomenon, then rounds of showers, thunderstorms and tropical systems bring torrential rainfall and cool India and many surrounding areas of Southeastern Asia

El Niño is a warm phase of the fluctuation of sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean that tends to bring an above-average number of typhoons in the Pacific Ocean. A natural balance tends to reduce tropical activity and hence reduce rainfall over the upper part of the Indian Ocean.

A challenging to predict and less-known phenomenon, known as the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) caused the monsoon to strengthen temporarily. This oscillation is a pulse of showers and thunderstorms that tends to migrate from west to east around the equatorial regions of the globe.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls, "During June, the MJO pulse shifted to the eastern part of the Indian Ocean area and lingered."
"Rainfall was 16 percent above normal for India as a whole during June thanks to the interaction with El Niño and the MJO pulse," AccuWeather Meteorologist Eric Leister said.
The size of the drought area will be smaller, compared to earlier analysis. Heavy rain in some areas during June will lessen the impact of lower rainfall amounts moving forward.
Assuming the pulse does not revisit the region until the autumn, El Niño and below-average water temperatures from Somalia to the Arabian Sea will slow the arrival of the monsoon or reduce its impact from western India through much of Pakistan during July and August.
Part of this area is responsible for a significant amount of grain crops and agriculture in general. Many days of dangerous heat are likely in this swath.
"While most of the Asia summer forecast remains unchanged including the onslaught of typhoons, we do expect a little more rainfall than previously thought from central India, including the Madhya Pradesh, to Odisha, India," Nicholls said.
In this area, a few more storms are likely to occur.
The weakening monsoon from the effects of El Niño will cause rounds of heavy rainfall to diminish from Bhutan and southern Tibet to the northern parts of Laos and Vietnam, as well as south-central China.
Farther south in Indochina, current dry conditions will trend toward typical rains as the summer progresses. However in southern Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia will trend drier with drought building or worsening.
"Even if another pulse was to develop in the region late in the summer or during the fall, it may be too late to turn the drought around in Pakistan and northwestern India," Nicholls said.
A weaker monsoon can have significant impact on temperatures in the region.
The stronger the monsoon, the more the air is rising and cooling in its vicinity. Immediately outside of the strong monsoon, air is sinking and substantially heating up.
"With a weaker monsoon, the areas within will tend to be warm, while areas nearby outside of it will still be hotter than average due to the building drought, just perhaps not as extreme," Nichols said.
There will be a flow of humid air over much of the region, leading to very spotty storms, but also resulting in very high AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures, reaching 100 F or higher most days.
The strong monsoon that occurred during June, helped to create the extreme heat in June over Pakistan and in parts of India.




State of emergency issued for 

14 regions in Peru as El Niño 

conditions strengthen



As the 2015 El Niño climate phenomenon continues to strengthen, a 60-day state of emergency was issued for 14 regions in Peru, to beware of possible damage that could result from the event, confirmed Juan Benites, the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation.

The El Niño conditions cause a rise in sea surface temperature, which consequently causes heavy rains, flooding in coastal and river areas and droughts in other regions.

The emergency declaration warned the authorities to prepare for the "imminent danger" of El Nino and unusual climate conditions, according to the state news agency Andina.

An episode of El Niño is related to extremely warm and wet weather conditions and major flooding events, during the period between the months of April and October, along the coasts of northern Peru and Ecuador.
In former years, the period of El Niño was known for major flooding and landslides in Peru.
#Peru declares emergency in 14 regions in preparation for #ElNino#climate impacts http://t.co/esEwnzV6SS pic.twitter.com/tVUMjedKIp
Megan Rowling (@meganrowling) July 6, 2015
El Niño reduces the upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water, responsible for sustaining large population of fish which affects the local fishing industry.
Several key fishing and mining areas are, consequently, placed under the state of emergency, as Peru is the world's top producer of fishmeal, and exporter of copper, gold and silver.





This Is What Global Warming Looks Like




From Seattle to Salt Lake City, the West is baking under record heat. Temperatures reaching the triple digits have made fire conditions extreme and sent folks looking for relief heading into the Fourth of July weekend. Unfortunately, the forecast in many areas calls for more sun and sweat.WASHINGTON

Seattle, not accustomed to prolonged hot weather, 
saw its hottest June ever.

The average high temperature each day in June was a record 78.9 degrees, breaking the 1992 record by more than 3 degrees, said Johnny Burg, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Seattle.

"Our high is supposed to be in the low to mid 70s at this time and lows in the mid-50s," he said.

Instead, the Seattle area is seeing highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s.

Because the Seattle area suffers few heat waves, many people do not have air conditioning.

The weather was also dry in the Seattle area in June, when only 0.23 inch of precipitation was recorded. That's the 
fourth driest June on record.

Meanwhile, June temperatures were scorching in in Eastern Washington, with many record highs set.

The two highest readings in June were 113 degrees at Chief Joseph Dam and in the town of LaCrosse. The towns of Chelan, Ephrata, Odessa and Omak all recorded record highs of 110 degrees in June. Spokane reached a record 105 one day.

Citing extreme wildfire risk with high temperatures and widespread drought conditions, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is asking people to limit use of fireworks. Inslee said he lacks the legal authority to enact a statewide ban, but notes some cities are restricting or banning fireworks.

Inslee has issued an emergency proclamation that allows the state Department of Natural Resources to quickly call on the National Guard and the State Guard to help respond to wildfires. A fast-moving blaze this week destroyed two dozen homes in the central Washington city of Wenatchee.

As the heat intensifies, Washington's streams continue to dry up, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. On Thursday the agency's Washington office reported that 
80 percent of the state's rivers were reporting below-normal flows and record-setting lows.NEVADA
June in Las Vegas is officially the hottest ever.

The National Weather Service said the average June temperature recorded at McCarran International Airport was 91.9 degrees, breaking the previous record of 91.5 in 2013.

More than half of last month was at or above 105 degrees. A meteorologist said June 13 through June 30 brought 18 consecutive days of temperatures in that range.

There's 
never been that many in a row or in total in a June month. In 1961, there was a streak of 12 days straight and in 1985, there were 17 total.

And halfway through this decade, there are now three June months in the top seven hottest ever recorded. The others were in June of 2012 and 2013.
UTAH
Salt Lake City also saw the hottest June on record following the warmest winter ever.

The National Weather Service said the average temperature last month was 77.5 degrees, breaking the previous record of 75.7 set in June 1988.

The average monthly low of 64.5 degrees also beat the 63.3 degrees in 1918.

There were four triple-digit June days recorded at Salt Lake City International Airport this year. The normal average high for the month is 83 degrees. Half of the month tallied 90 degrees or above for daytime highs, holding steady from June 15 through June 30.

This comes after the warmest winter ever, which was also noticeably drier than usual.

The temperature during the period of December 2014 to February 2015 broke the previous record set during the 1977-78 season.
ARIZONA

Phoenix is known for its stifling summer heat, but June 2015 stood out.

It was the 
third hottest month the city has endured since the National Weather Service began keeping records back in 1895. The warmest June in Phoenix was in 2013 where temperatures averaged 94.8. The average temperature for this June was 94.0.

Phoenix experienced a six-day heat stretch with temperatures of 110 and above. The National Weather Service said the longest stretch of temperatures reaching 110 and above in Phoenix's history was in June 1974 that lasted 18 days.

The temperatures sent volunteers into the streets to keep people safe amid the scorching heat. The Phoenix Rescue Mission gave out a total of 178,000 water bottles to Phoenix's homeless population throughout the month of June.
 


The chance of a strong El Nino, one nearly guaranteed to bring significant, torrential, even damaging rainfall for weeks on end is now much higher, with an 85-90 percent chance of some sort of El Nino continuing through the winter, and the National Weather Service now confirming indicators lean toward this being a strong El Nino.

I think this is the most promising sign of a wet winter in California in nearly 20 years,” said KPIX 5 Meteorologist Paul Deanno.

The strength of the condition is what matters.



Gales and torrential rain are expected to engulf the lower part of China and Japan for the next four days as Nangka and Chan-Hom – as the typhoons have been named – make their journeys, currently around 1,500km apart, above the Pacific Ocean.
A parade of Pacific typhoons is spinning toward Japan, Taiwan and China http://t.co/cZaJqfmeI5 pic.twitter.com/Dio0LqvhfE
Mashable (@mashable) July 7, 2015

Chan-Hom, which has been marked as a category 1 typhoon, is bringing with it wind speeds of up to 135mph that span over 77,000 sq miles and is set to go across the coast of south east China, engulfing cities like Shanghai, which has a population of around 24 million people.

Nangka, category 3, on the other hand has gusts of 140mph. The two are expected to form to create a 'super typhoon'.

CORR: Awesome satellite loops of Typhoon *Nangka* with new Japan "Himawari-8" satellite http://t.co/uOPQlrBt2lpic.twitter.com/3msGAHMgUV
Jesse Ferrell (@Accu_Jesse) July 8, 2015

To make matters worse, a tropical storm by the name of Linfa has already landed in the Philippines and is expected to move north and hit Hong Kong later this week.
class="code" style="padding: 0px; margin: auto; width: 500px; max-width: 500px;"
#Typhoon Chan-hom in the W Pacific. System's large size hindering rapid strengthening. Late week threat to #China.pic.twitter.com/Oc5lpzdkWb
CNN Weather Center (@CNNweather) July 7, 2015

China has called a level-tree emergency response and some 10,000 people have been evacuated in Fujian, according to the country's CCTV.com

Drought leads to mass cutting of trees in Los Angeles.









A 150-acre portion of the Florida Gulf Coast is being described as a “dead zone” by scientists after thousands of birds mysteriously abandoned their typical nesting grounds on the federally protected landscape.

The most surprising is that there isn’t just one species of bird that has disappeared – it is virtually all of them, including blue herons, roseate spoonbills, snowy egrets, pelicans and more, according to a report by the Associated Press. And while some bird families have taken up residence on another island close by, the vast majority is nowhere to be found.

"It's a dead zone now," said biologist Vic Doig of the US Fish and Wildlife Service to the news outlet. "This is where the largest bird colony on the Gulf Coast of Florida used to be."






Interior Alaska wildfires blow up in near-record temperatures




Metro Vancouver reservoirs are quickly running dry and if current weather patterns continue, will follow a dangerous trajectory toward record low water levels.

As of the beginning of July, local reservoirs that provide Metro Vancouver with its drinking water sat at only 75 per cent of capacity, just under the normal range for this period of year. However, storage has decreased significantly in the past month, where June began with levels higher than 2014 and 2013 numbers.

To match normal precipitation levels between April and September, Vancouver would need an additional 263.6mm of rain between now and the end of September. We typically only receive 123.2mm during this period.


Near-record temperatures earlier this week brought Alaska's fire season back into full swing. Officials expected the uptick in fire activity, which followed a cool stretch with some rain that allowed crews to hold or make progress on some fires.

More than 3.1 million acres have burned in Alaska as of Tuesday, and thick smoke pushed the air quality index to "hazardous" in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. If the trend continues, Alaska will likely set a new record for total acres burned in a summer, passing the 6.6 million mark in 2004.

6.58 inches - Record rainfall in Texas


6.58" of rain has fallen in Abilene, Texas JUST TODAY. This sets a new record for rainfall in any single day. Our affiliate KTXS Television has the pics - we will share the video tonight on ABC World News Tonight with David Muir

Photos: @jeffcramer_ , @nbradshaw82 and Scott Martin.



Neighborhoods Evacuated Near Indianapolis; Meteorologists Warn More Flooding Likely

Residents from the Southern Plains to the Ohio Valley could see more dangerous flash flooding again Wednesday, forecasters say.

On Tuesday, heavy storms dumped hours-worth of rain in pockets across these regions. First responders pulled people from vehicles and homes in three separate states: Texas, Kentucky and Missouri.

Downpours slammed Indianapolis on Tuesday evening, prompting evacuations west of the city.

This is the same system that brought heavy flooding to Kansas City, Wichita, Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada, on Monday night.


It appears that Greenland’s melt season is making up for lost time.
After a cool spring kept Greenland’s massive ice sheet mostly solid, a (comparatively) warm late June and early July have turned half the ice sheet’s surface into liquid, well outside the range of normal for this time of year.

Twin typhoons head for SE China




Two typhoons are making their way to China's southeastern coast, and bringing with them gales and torrential rains for the next four days. Weather authorities have issued the third highest typhoon alert for the incoming "Linfa" and "Chan-Hom".




Sitting off the coast of China and Japan are two typhoons, spinning just 1500km apart and quickly intensifying. Experts predict they will develop into ‘super typhoons’, with at least one – Typhoon Chan-hom – likely to make landfall in Japan. The map shows it is currently tracking towards the Japanese island of Okinawa, packing wind gusts of up to 185 km/h.

The second typhoon, Typhoon Nangka, is continuing to strengthen as it heads towards the island of Guma, with winds of up to 260km/h. A third storm – Tropical Storm Linfa – is lurking to the west and slowly drifting northwards. Residents are on high alert as the huge storm band bears down on China and Japan.


Crazy weather in Europe: from boiling hot to giant hailstones


People in some parts of Germany are scratching their heads, wondering what is going on with the weather.



After days of very high temperatures, which have hit records in some parts of Europe, there were hailstorms, flash floods and tornadoes.

A lot of the damage was in the states of Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.


Rome Deals with Stifling Heat




Temperatures soared to over104 degrees in Rome Monday. Residents and tourists took to city fountains and water stations to cope with the weather. (July 8)


Spanish wildfires break out amid heat wave


The heatwave hitting Europe is behind an outbreak of wildfires in Spain.



Authorities have issued forest fire warnings for almost the entire country



The heat wave that continues to break temperature records in Europe, from the United Kingdom to Germany to Ukraine, is just the sort of extreme summer sizzle climate-change models have forecast.

But while scientists have long been able to pick out the human signal in multiyear temperature, rainfall, and other weather trends, it’s been much more difficult to connect global warming’s impacts to a specific weather event.


Now that’s changing. An international group of scientists assembled by the World Weather Attribution program stated late last week that it is “virtually certain that climate change increased the likelihood of the ongoing heat wave that is stretching across much of Europe.”




A 12-foot-high mound of ice-encased trash is the last vestige of the city’s record snowfall.CreditKatherine Taylor for The New York Times

On Monday the New York Times published an in-depth piece on Boston’s never-melting snow pile in the Seaport district. The pile that, at one point this past winter, grew to an enormous 75-feet tall after Boston was forced to use bulldozers to remove snow from the city streets just so people could leave their homes.

It looks like a landfill,” the Times says, with gunk and muck and other disgusting things that got picked up along the snow-plowed path during Boston’s epic, record-breaking winter. Over 110 inches of snow fell this winter in Beantown, most of which came within a span of two months.

But what the mound has lost in stature, it has made up for in sheer endurance,” writes the Times. “Few predicted it would last this long.”

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