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By Seth Borenstein | Associated Press
Climate hazards such as flooding, heat waves and drought have worsened more than half of the hundreds of known infectious diseases in people, including malaria, hantavirus, cholera and anthrax, a study says.
Researchers looked through the medical literature of established cases of illnesses and found that 218 out of the known 375 human infectious diseases, or 58%, seemed to be made worse by one of 10 types of extreme weather connected to climate change, according to a study in Monday’s journal Nature Climate Change.
Doctors, going back to Hippocrates, have long connected disease to weather, but this study shows how widespread the influence of climate is on human health. “If climate is changing, the risk of these diseases are changing,” said study co-author Dr. Jonathan Patz, director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Doctors, such as Patz, said they need to think of the diseases as symptoms of a sick Earth.
“The findings of this study are terrifying and illustrate well the enormous consequences of climate change on human pathogens,” said Dr. Carlos del Rio, an Emory University infectious disease specialist, who was not part of the study. “Those of us in infectious diseases and microbiology need to make climate change one of our priorities, and we need to all work together to prevent what will be without doubt a catastrophe as a result of climate change.”
In addition to looking at infectious diseases, the researchers expanded their search to look at all type of human illnesses, including non-infectious sicknesses such as asthma, allergies and even animal bites to see how many maladies they could connect to climate hazards in some way, including infectious diseases. They found a total of 286 unique sicknesses and of those 223 of them seemed to be worsened by climate hazards, nine were diminished by climate hazards and 54 had cases of both aggravated and minimized, the study found.
The new study doesn’t do the calculations to attribute specific disease changes, odds or magnitude to climate change, but finds cases where extreme weather was a likely factor among many. The study did map out the 1,006 connections from climate hazard to illness.
Study lead author Camilo Mora, a climate data analyst at the University of Hawaii, said what is important to note is that the study isn’t about predicting future cases. “There is no speculation here whatsoever,” Mora said. “These are things that have already happened.”
One example Mora knows first-hand. About five years ago, Mora’s home in rural Colombia was flooded — for the first time in his memory water was in his living room, creating an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes — and Mora contracted Chikungunya, a nasty virus spread by mosquito bites. And even though he survived, he still feels joint pain years later.
Sometimes climate change acts in odd ways. Mora includes the 2016 case in Siberia when a decades-old reindeer carcass, dead from anthrax, was unearthed when the permafrost thawed from warming. A child touched it, got anthrax and started an outbreak.
Mora originally wanted to search medical cases to see how COVID-19 intersected with climate hazards, if at all. He found cases where extreme weather both exacerbated and diminished chances of COVID-19. In some cases, extreme heat in poor areas had people congregate together to cool off and get exposed to the disease, but in other situations, heavy downpours reduced COVID spread because people stayed home and indoors, away from others.
Longtime climate and public health expert Kristie Ebi at the University of Washington cautioned that she had concerns with how the conclusions were drawn and some of the methods in the study. It is an established fact that the burning of coal, oil and natural gas has led to more frequent and intense extreme weather, and research has shown that weather patterns are associated with many health issues, she said.
“However, correlation is not causation,” Ebi said in an email. “The authors did not discuss the extent to which the climate hazards reviewed changed over the time period of the study and the extent to which any changes have been attributed to climate change.”
But Dr. Aaron Bernstein, interim director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard School of Public Health, Emory’s del Rio and three other outside experts said the study is a good warning about climate and health for now and the future. Especially as global warming and habitat loss push animals and their diseases closer to humans, Bernstein said.
“This study underscores how climate change may load the dice to favor unwelcome infectious surprises,” Bernstein said in an email. “But of course it only reports on what we already know and what’s yet unknown about pathogens may be yet more compelling about how preventing further climate change may prevent future disasters like COVID-19.”
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Published June 24, 2022 5:21PM FORT WORTH, Texas - Extreme heat has a cumulative effect on the body. So people who feel okay one day might be sick the next. MedStar, the emergency service provider in Fort Worth, is seeing a sharp increase in heat related calls. MedStar ambulances are now operating under extreme weather protocol. "Any call that comes in and the patient is reported to be outside, we make that a high priority call," explained George Church, with MedStar. Around noon Friday in Fort Worth, the temperature hovered around 100 degrees. "If you have a heart condition, if you’re diabetic, if you have respiratory illness this, heat will certainly make that worse," Church said. "The things to know right now are that heat-related illnesses are completely preventable. If you can avoid being out in this heat, that would be best. If you’re going to be out in the heat, try to prepare. Drink as much water as you can, sports drinks and minimize the time that you are out in the heat." There was a call Friday about a mobile home park where a man was unconscious. An EMT paramedic and other crew members worked on the man inside the ambulance for several touch-and-go minutes. Before they left for the hospital, the man once again had a pulse and was stable. Like the heat index, the MedStar call volume continues to soar. They have reminders for everyone spending any amount of time outdoors. "Take frequent breaks," Church said "And if you start to feel bad, then get out of the heat." | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Wales recorded its hottest day on record today with England set to follow later as fires broke out after trains were cancelled, hospital appointments axed and schools closed amid warnings that healthy people could die.The Met Office confirmed Gogerddan near Aberystwyth had reached 35.3C (95.5F) this afternoon, exceeding the previous record high in Wales of 35.2C (95.4F) at Hawarden Bridge in Flintshire on August 2, 1990.In England, the hotspot by 2pm today was London Heathrow Airport at 36.3C (97.3F) - closing in on the all-time UK record of 38.7C (101.7F) which was set in Cambridge in July 2019. This also made today the UK’s hottest day of 2022 so far, for the second day in a row - beating the 33C (91F) set in Hawarden yesterday.Wildfires continued to burn today after weeks of very dry conditions - including across fields near Chesterfield in Derbyshire - while a vehicle dramatically set on fire in a car park near the beauty spot of Durdle Door in Dorset.With the UK set to be hotter than the Sahara Desert, transport links in London were already grinding to a halt due to train cancellations - while roads could melt and bosses have urged employees to work from home.Health chiefs told patients to stay away unless it is an emergency amid fears hospitals will be overwhelmed, while emergency services urged swimmers to stay away from lakes and rivers in case they face difficulties.Some schools in Nottinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire have shut while others will close early - and water providers have also warned of shortages, while a burst water main caused chaos in Kingston upon Thames.Some 53 schools in Buckinghamshire have closed and reverted to remote learning. Elsewhere, Northwood Community Primary School in Kirkby, Merseyside, said that sports day had been axed today; while King Charles I School, a secondary school in Worcestershire, has cancelled all on-site detentions both today and tomorrow.Professor Endersby told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning: 'We think today we may well see the hottest day in the UK in history, with the hottest temperatures in the South East, but actually the highest temperatures we expect tomorrow, and those temperatures will be further north as that warm air pushes north. 'It's tomorrow that we're really seeing the higher chance of 40C and temperatures above that. Even possibly above that... 41C isn't off the cards. We've even got some 43Cs in the model but we're hoping it won't be as high as that.'One GP surgery in Hertfordshire had to close a site today because it has no air conditioning; others in London have texted patients to warn them of reduced services with limited clinic rooms in operation; and Milton Keynes University Hospital said it was 'standing down routine outpatient appointments and surgery' today and tomorrow. In Cardiff, a children's hospital's cancer ward at Noah's Ark Children's Hospital was left without air conditioning after the unit failed in hot weather. Engineers were working to fix the fault affecting the chemotherapy area - and health chiefs said that if the problem cannot be solved, patients will be moved to a different ward to keep cool. At Buckingham Palace, the Changing of the Guard was scaled down to protect the soldiers. The marching and ceremonial parade was made shorter to prevent the Queen's Guard from being too long in the midday sun.But Guardsman were still required to stand to attention and march outside the Palace in their Canadian bearskins and full uniform. And one standing guard was seen being given water to drink as he stood in the direct sunshine.As health officials declared a 'national emergency', rail chaos was already affecting parts of London this morning - with the Overground suspended between Willesden Junction and Richmond, and Romford and Upminster.On the Underground, the District, Central, Bakerloo and Jubilee lines all had severe delays while the Hammersmith & City Line was completely axed due to 'heat related restrictions' and there was no Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate. Transport for London told all passengers in the capital to avoid non-essential travel.The scorching heat means the UK will be warmer than Nassau in the Bahamas (32C), Kingston in Jamaica (33C), Malaga in Spain (28C), Athens in Greece (35C), Albufeira in Portugal (28C) and Dakhla in the Western Sahara (24C).Temperatures had already hit 34C (93F) in London by midday today. As Britons camped overnight at Bournemouth beach for the best spot today amid what forecasters called an 'exceptional hot spell':The Met Office urged people to do 'as little as possible' to avoid dire health risks as the 'red warning' began;Rail passengers were urged to travel only if 'necessary' and gritters were sent out to stop roads melting;Wildfires swept through parched grassland after days of dry and roasting conditions in 'tinderbox' Britain;There is now a 90 per cent chance of the all-time UK temperature record being broken today or tomorrow;Water providers including Affinity, Anglian and South East reported supply issues due to the hot weather.The hot weather also caused a significant drop in footfall in London, with a drop of 10 per cent across high streets, retail parks and shopping centres today compared to last week. The figure across all UK shopping destinations was down 3 per cent overall - but footfall on high streets in coastal towns was up 9 per cent.The Met Office's Professor Endersby said today that such extreme temperatures are not expected beyond tomorrow, but that meteorologists will then be monitoring the possibility of drought in the coming months. 'Well, we certainly don't see these very hot temperatures persisting past Tuesday, so we're expecting a big drop in temperature, mercifully, overnight into Wednesday - down 10 or 12 degrees on what it has been the days before. This map from Netweather shows how 41C highs are expected in parts of central England tomorrow - and 40C in the South A very busy Brighton beach in East Sussex at lunchtime today as visitors flock to the seaside Two women play in the sea off Bournemouth beach today on the hottest day of the year so far People jump into the tidal pool and swim during hot weather at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today A member of the Queen's Guard receives water to drink during the hot weather outside Buckingham Palace in London today A man uses a newspaper as a fan whilst travelling on the Bakerloo line in central London during the heatwave today Sunbathers on the sand at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today as the very hot weather continues People out enjoying the hot weather at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside today as temperatures rise all over the UK Lara Cahill, Olivia Murtagh and Caoimhe Clynch sunbathe on Portobello beach in Edinburgh todayPeople flock to Bournemouth beach in Dorset today as they make the most of the extreme temperaturesTanisha Randell, 19, takes a stroll along Bournemouth beach today during a day trip from Southampton People swim at Hampstead Heath in North West London today as they enjoy the very hot weather Commuters cross London Bridge today as the Shard reflects the sun in the early morning heat People relax on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as the heatwave continues People flock to Bournemouth beach in Dorset today as they make the most of the extreme temperatures People preparing to enter the water in Penzance, Cornwall, todayCommuters on London Bridge feel the heat at 8.30am this morning amid the extreme weather conditions A young girl rides her inflatable pelican in the sea at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, this afternoon A woman uses a fan to cool herself down as commuters cross London Bridge today in extreme temperaturesA woman keeping cool in the River Thames near Chertsey in Surrey today (left) and another on Bournemouth beach (right)'We are still seeing hotter than average in our three-month outlook and also very dry, and our attention is turning, once we're past these two days, to drought and when we might see any rain, and we're not seeing any significant rain coming up.'She also said that the public should take Met Office heat warnings as seriously as those about other significant weather events such as snow or wind, as the extreme heat could cause thousands of excess deaths. Rail journey times could double as firms urge people not to travelJourney times could more than double for train passengers as speed restrictions are imposed during the heatwave, Network Rail has warned.The chances of services returning to normal by midweek will also depend on any 'damage that the weather does to the infrastructure' over the course of Monday and Tuesday, travellers have been told.Speed restrictions have been imposed on trains amid fears of rails buckling in the heat.Kevin Groves, chief spokesman for Network Rail, said trips which typically take two hours could take 'more than four hours' as emergency measures have been brought in to prevent trains derailing.He told Sky News: 'Certainly later on today that (buckling) is a strong possibility, which is why, from about midday today through till 8pm tonight, there will be large swathes of England and Wales that will have emergency heat-related speed restrictions placed on the rail network.'Mr Groves promised refunds to any passengers who booked journeys on Monday and Tuesday but are rearranging travel for later in the week.'Our advice to passengers if they can, today and tomorrow, is only travel if it's really necessary; otherwise try and shift your arrangements to later in the week and you'll get a full refund,' he said.Jake Kelly, spokesman for Network Rail, warned of travel disruption across the country.He said services returning to normal on Wednesday 'will depend on the damage that the weather does to the infrastructure' over the course of Monday and Tuesday.Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, Mr Kelly said: 'Our advice very strongly to customers in England and Wales today and tomorrow is to only travel if absolutely essential, and to expect a very reduced train service and delays.'And of course, as your listeners were hearing, on the East Coast mainline, that's the route from London to destinations like Peterborough, Leeds and York, tomorrow, unfortunately, there won't be a train service and passengers should not travel.'We haven't taken any of those decisions lightly, but we've not been faced with these exceptional temperatures before.'He added: 'We're spending hundreds of millions of pounds a year on making the railway more resilient but ultimately faced with weather like we've never faced before, the infrastructure will suffer so we've had to put in place arrangements.'Looking ahead to the rest of the week, Mr Kelly said: 'We hope and expect to run a full service on Wednesday and beyond, but that will depend on the damage that the weather does to the infrastructure over the next couple of days. We have lots of plans in place to make sure that we can run.'Transport for London has advised people to 'only travel if essential' amid the extreme heat.Professor Endersby added: 'Our warnings are always impact-based, so, when we put out warnings, if they're red, that means there's a danger to life and we're expecting major infrastructure impacts, and that's true, whether it's snow, wind, rain, and it's true of this heat warning. 'We're certainly seeing people reacting a little bit differently to the heat warnings as though they think that maybe we shouldn't be telling them to worry about heat the way we tell them to worry about storm or wind.'These temperatures are unprecedented in the UK and we're not used to dealing with them. And heat undoubtedly causes many hundreds, thousands of excess deaths in heatwaves, so people do need to take care and follow the advice we've been putting out about keeping in the shade, keeping cool, keeping hydrated, and so on.'She also said that, while extreme temperatures remain 'rare', by 2100 temperatures like those expected this week could be seen in the UK as frequently as once in every three years as a result of climate change.'These temperatures are unattainable in the UK without climate change, they just don't appear in the ensembles at all. They're still rare in today's 1.1 - 1.2-degree warmed climate, but by 2100, we're expecting them to be anywhere between one in 15 and one in three years, depending on the emissions pathways we take between now and then.'She added: 'We will certainly need to make changes to our infrastructure, transport, hospitals, care, homes, all those sorts of things, as well as to our domestic building designs. So yes, we need to make short-term changes for things like cooling centres and then longer-term changes, as well as assuming the very good progress we've already made as a nation towards net zero.'It comes after the Met Office revealed the deep red colour showing the high temperatures on weather maps was part of a redesign in autumn 2021 that was actually intended for parts of the Middle East and North Africa. Chief meteorologist at the Met Office Paul Davies warned that tonight will be very hot and it will be hard to sleep in the heat. He told Sky News: 'Tonight will be very oppressive, I mean it's actually difficult sleeping conditions.'And tomorrow is the day where we are really concerned about a good chance now of hitting 40C or 41C, and with that all the health conditions that come with those higher temperatures.'He also claimed that the rise in temperature is 'entirely consistent' with climate change and said the 'brutality' of the heat could become commonplace by the end of the century.Mr Davies told Sky News the weather charts he had seen today were 'astounding' and unlike any he had observed throughout his 30-year career.'This is entirely consistent with climate change. To get 40 degrees in the UK we need that additional boost from human-induced climate,' he said. 'Well, I've been a meteorologist for about 30 years and I've never seen the charts I've seen today. 'And the speed at which we are seeing these exceptionally high temperatures is broadly in line with what we were saying but to be honest, as a meteorologist, to see the brutality of the heat we're expecting tomorrow, is quite astounding. And it does worry me a lot and my colleagues here at the Met Office that this sort of unprecedented heat could become a regular occurrence by the end of the century.'And Mr Davies said that even colleagues in hot countries like Spain and Portugal had described the scenes in the UK as 'exceptional'.The top forecaster said a 'plume' of heat pushing across Europe was affecting Britain differently. A combination of that plume and human activity generating its own heat is contributing to the high temperatures, he said. A family paddle at the fountains of Trafalgar Square in London this afternoon A packed Brighton beach today after the UK's first ever red extreme heat warning was issued A group of friends jump into the pool as people enjoy the hot weather at Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge today Sunbathers take to the sea at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today amid the extreme heat A busy Bournemouth Beach this morning as the country endures very hot weather Jerome Yates and Orla Tagg make use of the shade in London's Regents Park during the heatwave today A man enjoys the heat as he contemplates going into Dovestone reservoir in Greater Manchester today People out in the sun at Trafalgar Square in London today as the UK endures the hottest day of the year so far Sunbathers on Bournemouth beach this morning as the UK heatwave continues A young woman stands under a water sprinkler outside Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London this afternoon People out enjoying the hot weather at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside this morning A busy Bournemouth Beach this morning as the country endures very hot weather People out enjoying the hot weather at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside this morning Richard and Laura Frostman from the US under an umbrella in London's Regents Park during the heatwave today Two women in the sea off Bournemouth Beach this morning as the country endures very hot weather A busy Bournemouth Beach this morning as the country is hit by extreme temperaturesTwo women sunbathe at Clapham Common in South West London today amid the extreme conditions A woman stays hydrated while commuting on the Jubilee line in London this morning as people travel to work People shelter from the sun underneath a map during the hot weather outside Buckingham Palace in London today A person sunbathing outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster this afternoon A woman enjoys a dip in the sea off Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as people flock to the seaside Eddie, a four year old golden retriever, travels on a District Line train in central London during the heatwave today Charles relaxes as he enjoys the hot weather at Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge today A near empty Dowry Reservoir near Oldham today as the heatwave in the UK continues A man sunbathes at Clapham Common in South West London today amid the extreme conditions A group of people on Bournemouth Beach this morning as the country endures very hot weather A woman sunbathing in London's Regents Park during the heatwave this afternoon A man uses a stand-up paddleboard on the River Thames during the hot weather at Shepperton near Windsor today Commuters use umbrellas on London Bridge today as they feel the heat this morning amid the extreme weather conditions People sunbathe at Clapham Common in South West London today amid the extreme conditions A group of men walk along Bournemouth beach today as people flock to the seaside to enjoy the very hot weather Commuters wait for a Jubilee line train at London Bridge station this morning as they travel to work Sunseekers enjoy the sea off Bournemouth beach today as people flock to the seaside to enjoy the very hot weather A person sits on the bank of near empty Dowry Reservoir close to Oldham this afternoon Commuters cross London Bridge this morning amid the extreme temperatures affecting the capital today People swim and relax in a dinghy on the River Thames during the hot weather at Shepperton near Windsor today'I was talking to my colleagues in Spain, Portugal and France over the weekend and they described this heat as exceptional too, and they've seen and observed amazing temperatures and, as I say, the brutality of that impact. Burst water main floods London streets A burst water main has flooded streets in south-west London as temperatures soared across the UK.Around 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines responded to the scene on Galsworthy Road in Kingston upon Thames this morning, alongside the police.Footage shared on social media shows flooding on several roads which have been closed nearby. Around 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines responded to the scene of a burst water main in Kingston upon Thames todayThames Water has said the broken 30-inch pipe does not supply homes so water should not be affected, adding that the conduit is a trunk main and not a sewage pipe as some witnesses claimed.'Our engineers are tackling a large burst pipe on Kingston Hill. They're working to shut down the flow of water from the damaged section,' it said in a statement.'We'll be doing all we can to repair it and get things back to normal as soon as we can, particularly in the current heatwave. The burst pipe doesn't directly supply local properties, but we'll be working hard to limit any impact. We'll need to carry out a major repair, so there's likely to be a need for a road closure. We're sorry for any inconvenience this causes.'The flooding also limited access to Kingston Hospital.'Due to the water works incident on Kingston Hill, access to Kingston Hospital is currently limited,' Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust tweeted. 'Patients who need to come in can still enter the hospital site through the main car park entrance, via Coombe (road).'London Fire Brigade said: 'Firefighters are dealing with a large burst water main and is causing a number of road closures. Please avoid the area if possible.''In terms of the UK, the heat which has been affecting Spain, Portugal and France is different towards us. So it's the activity of that plume, and also us generating our own heat that's causing the particular problems for tomorrow.'Mr Davies also said temperatures will ease from next Wednesday onwards but warned another heatwave later in summer could not be ruled out.Mr Davies told Sky News: 'When we look to the future in terms of the next week, there is an easier time because in fact the temperatures start to ease back to what we describe as slightly above normal from about Wednesday onwards. 'But as we move into all this, you just can't rule out another plume.'He added that holiday-goers should also check the weather overseas because the heat is likely to be 'sustainable and pretty intense' over the course of the month.And London Mayor Sadiq Khan told Sky News today: 'We aren't ready for these temperatures, we aren't prepared. We're not used to them and that's why people should be careful. 'You're not on holiday now, you're in this country. These temperatures are excessive, please be careful.'He also said Boris Johnson is treating the British public with 'contempt' following his absence from Cobra meetings over the summer heatwave, and called for him to immediately step down as Prime Minister.Mr Johnson has been criticised for choosing not to chair the security meetings with Cabinet ministers as parts of the country face temperatures of up to 40C (104F) on Monday and Tuesday, while still finding time to ride in a Typhoon fighter jet during a demonstration at RAF Coningsby last week.Mr Khan said Mr Johnson should be making better use of his time, and declared he should hand over power to Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab while the Conservative Party chooses its next leader.He said: 'The Met Office for the first time ever have issued a level 4 red alert warning, the chief medical officer is advising everybody to be careful as a consequence of this extreme weather, the Prime Minister is hosting a lavish party at Chequers and obviously going on a joyride on a Typhoon plane.'That's not what a Prime Minister should be doing. And if the Prime Minister wants to go on a jolly, he should leave Number 10 Downing Street, he should resign and allow the Deputy Prime Minister to be a caretaker prime minister until the Conservatives have chosen their leader.'He added: 'This idea of a Prime Minister, who has been voted out by his party, having a jolly for six months is treating the British public with contempt, he should go now.'Sir Keir Starmer said the Government's lack of planning for the heatwave would leave people distressed and disappointed. The Labour was asked whether businesses and schools should be open, after he spoke to young entrepreneurs at a central London bank.He told reporters: 'Yes, schools should be open and most schools are managing perfectly well. Obviously there's been changes to uniforms and what people are wearing, children are wearing to school and some of the schools have flexible times when they can go home. People gather during hot weather on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Visitors to Cambridge take to the River Cam to enjoy punt rides as temperatures in the city soar People enjoy the conditions at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today as the very hot weather continues Lara Cahill, Olivia Murtagh and Caoimhe Clynch sunbathe on Portobello beach in Edinburgh today Commuters travel on the London Underground's Central line during a heatwave in the capital today People gather during hot weather on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today A man sunbathes close to the water in Mousehole, Cornwall, today during the UK's first red extreme heat warning People enjoy the conditions at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today as the very hot weather continues Rush-hour commuters on London Bridge this morning as the extreme red weather warning beginsRush-hour commuters on London Bridge this morning amid the very hot weather conditions Swimmers enjoy an early morning swim in the cool water of Jesus Green lido in Cambridge today People enjoy the conditions at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today as the very hot weather continues A homeowner prepares for the record high temperatures by covering the front facing windows and his vehicles with large sheets to block out the sun at Henley on Thames in Oxfordshire today People swim in the tidal pool during hot weather at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today People surf a wave during hot weather at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Members of the Household Cavalry in the midday heat during the Changing Of the Guard ceremony in Westminster todayA member of the Household Cavalry in the midday heat during the Changing Of the Guard ceremony in Westminster today People enjoy the conditions at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today as the very hot weather continues People gather during hot weather on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today A person surfs a wave during hot weather at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Visitors to Cambridge take to the River Cam to enjoy punt rides as temperatures in the city soar Two dogs wait for a ball to be thrown at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today as the very hot weather continues A woman drinks water as she travels on the London Underground during a heatwave in the capital today Swimmers enjoy an early morning swim in the cool water of Jesus Green lido in Cambridge today Visitors to Cambridge take to the River Cam to enjoy punt rides as temperatures in the city soar People out enjoying the hot weather at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside today as temperatures rise all over the UK Visitors to Cambridge take to the River Cam to enjoy punt rides as temperatures in the city soar Commuters travel on the London Underground during a heatwave in the capital today People gather during hot weather on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Visitors to Cambridge take to the River Cam to enjoy punt rides as temperatures in the city soar People gather during hot weather on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Visitors to Cambridge take to the River Cam to enjoy punt rides as temperatures in the city soar People sit on a bench on the cliff top during hot weather at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Swimmers enjoy an early morning swim in the cool water of Jesus Green lido in Cambridge today A person lies down on the cliff top during hot weather at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Low water levels at Dovestone Reservoir in Greater Manchester today as the hot and dry weather continues'We need to work through this but I think most people say we need a Government that's on our side, that's got a strategy, that's planned for events like this. Disruption on Transport for London services this afternoon'But we're left again with a Government that's not done that basic planning and I think that's going to be very distressing, very disappointing to millions of people across the country'.Asked whether there should be a maximum workplace temperature, Sir Keir said people are entitled to a safe place of work.'That can be achieved in a number of ways - I think more flexibility will be needed, breaks, etc. But what we really need is that (Government) resilience strategy'.And the chief executive of the NHS Confederation said the 'crumbling' NHS estate is full of buildings that cannot adapt to the challenges of the heatwave.While the majority of GP surgeries remained open, one known to have closed today was the Knebworth Surgery in Hertfordshire which shut a site in Stevenage because it has no air conditioning. Matthew Taylor told Sky News the health service will 'pull out all the stops' to keep running over the coming days but warned that ongoing 'capacity issues' will make it harder to bounce back.'We've been given advice in the NHS, we'll do all that we can, but the problem is this is about resilience, isn't it?'And the NHS has more than 2,000 vacancies, it's got an estate that is crumbling, so many are not the kind of buildings that have got the adaptability to these kinds of challenges.'We'll do our best but, as we learned during Covid, what's really important is that we have resilient public services that have the capacity to respond to problems like this, and the NHS will absolutely pull out all the stops and will do all it can, but to be truly resilient we have to address those capacity issues.' A woman sits on Bournemouth beach in the hot weather today as she enjoys the warm conditions A man sits next to a woman keeping cool next to the River Thames near Chertsey in Surrey today People swim at Hampstead Heath in North West London today as they enjoy the very hot weatherA woman sunbathes at Clapham Common in South West London today amid the extreme conditions A woman takes an early morning dip at the Serpentine in London's Hyde Park this morning as temperatures are set to hit 40C A person sunbathes next to the River Thames during the hot weather near Windsor in Berkshire today People sunbathe at Clapham Common in South West London today amid the extreme conditions Commuters on board a Jubilee line train on the London Underground wait for the doors to close this morning A woman prepares to enter the water at Penzance in Cornwall this morning amid the extreme temperatures A packed platform at Victoria station in London this morning as people wait for District and Circle line trains People jump into the water at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside this morning as temperatures soar People swim at Hampstead Heath in North West London today as they enjoy the very hot weather People out enjoying the hot weather at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside this morning People sunbathe at Clapham Common in South West London today amid the extreme conditions People walk along Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as the heatwave continuesA woman sunbathes at Clapham Common in South West London today amid the extreme conditions Commuters wait for a Jubilee line train at London Bridge station this morning as they travel to work People sunbathe at Clapham Common in South West London today amid the extreme conditions A jogger makes her way through a park in London this morning as temperatures are set to rise to 40C today People enjoy the warm weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as the heatwave continues Commuters arrive at London Victoria this morning as people endure a sweltering journey to workMiriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The heat is really putting pressure on the NHS estate, much of which is quite dilapidated.' Freezers lose power at Tesco as workers have to quickly take out stockStaff at a Tesco supermarket had to quickly move the fridge and freezer food amid the extreme hot weather after there was a power cut at the supermarket.They had to clear all the items in the fridge and freezer aisles after the store in Bar Hill, Cambridge, lost power late yesterday afternoon.Shoppers were unable to buy any ice cream or ice lollies or stock up on frozen burgers and sausages for their barbecues after the aisles were emptied. Freezer and chiller cabinets are quickly emptied by staff at Tesco near Cambridge after a power cut yesterday afternoonShe said some operating theatres are having to suspend work because they cannot be kept at required temperatures, while there are also problems with IT servers.'NHS leaders are absolutely expecting the days ahead to be quite pressured but, as ever, the NHS will pull out all the stops,' she said.Traffic congestion levels have dropped across most UK cities compared to the same time a week ago, according to location technology firm TomTom - for example, the figure at 8am in London was 43 per cent today compared to 54 per cent at the same time last week - suggesting more people are staying at home.Also today, a Cabinet minister suggested people should 'just take it easy' during the heatwave, and could go to the beach to avoid the worst of the 'ferocious' heat.'But we need to recognise that there are some people who will not cope well in the heat and what we want is for everybody to look out for them.'Lots of people will go about their lives perfectly normally, for example we have said that schools should stay open and kids should go to school, very often they are safer in schools and kids need to learn and schools can look after them and hydrate them and keep them nice and cool.'But we just need to be sensible, we have not seen this kind of heat before in this country.'Mr Malthouse def | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Cracks run through the partially dried-up river bed of the Gan River, a tributary to Poyang Lake during a regional drought in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, China, August 28, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSHANGHAI, Sept 1 (Reuters) - After a record heatwave parched large areas of the Yangtze basin, Chinese provinces are planning to spend billions of dollars on new water infrastructure as they try to fend off the growing impact of extreme weather on agriculture and hydropower.The prolonged drought in southwest China has exposed the vulnerability of hydropower-dependent regions such as Sichuan to falling water levels and disrupted electricity transmission to other parts of the country. read more With per capita water supplies already only a quarter of the global average, authorities are also concerned about the impact of low rainfall on the upcoming autumn harvest, with some suggesting 20% of China's crop could be affected.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comDrought-hit regions have been digging emergency wells and deploying firefighters and cloud-seeding rockets to irrigate crops, but governments are also turning to larger, long-term water infrastructure."Because of the strong extremes, and the worsening of both floods and droughts, the ability to store and transfer water becomes very important," Mao Liuxi, an expert with the China Meteorological Administration, told a recent teleconference.The Ministry of Water Resources has already approved 25 big projects this year, with total investment of 1.7 trillion yuan ($246 billion).Central China's Hubei province, hit hard by the Yangtze drought, began construction of 18 giant water projects on Wednesday, and plans to spend 176 billion yuan over 2021-2025.Last month, southwest China's Yunnan also began work on four big water storage projects with a combined investment of 211.8 billion yuan.China has long relied on large-scale infrastructure projects to control its rivers. The giant Three Gorges Dam was designed not only to generate electricity but also to regulate the flow of the Yangtze, on which around a third of the population depends.China has also been building the ambitious South-North Water Diversion Project, with channels now in place in eastern and central China to use Yangtze waters to replenish the arid north."There's a mentality that there's always an engineering, infrastructure solution," said David Shankman, a geographer with the University of Alabama who studies China's water system."They are trying to plan for the exceptional, but you can't predict the future."DAMMING THE YANGTZEWith around 80% of Sichuan's energy supplies coming from hydropower, the drought forced authorities to shut down industries and ration power for households.In response, China's energy bureau said it would build more grid infrastructure and develop alternative energy sources. It also vowed to speed up the construction of more dams on the Yangtze's upper reaches.In theory, the construction of more upstream hydropower plants, particularly in parts of Tibet where melting ice in spring and summer could be diverted into reservoirs, could help even out seasonal water flow changes.China already stores huge amounts of water in its giant reservoirs, and says they serve an important function in limiting flood damage during rainy seasons.But critics say the projects are costly, environmentally damaging and remain at the mercy of unpredictable weather."If you're anticipating droughts, you want to have the highest water capacity, but in anticipation of severe floods, you want to have the lowest water level you can have," said Shankman, adding the situation is further complicated by the need to retain enough water to generate electricity.Zhou Jinfeng, Secretary General of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGF), an environmental group, says the construction of giant water projects has already severely disrupted the Yangtze's natural habitats and hydrological functions."Water engineering projects are neither the best solution, nor the only solution," he said.($1 = 6.9071 yuan)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by David Stanway; Editing by Lincoln Feast.Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Lidl and Waitrose will start selling “wonky” fruit and vegetables that have been “stunted” by UK drought conditions as part of efforts to support farmers struggling with the driest summer for 50 years.Lidl said it had written to its British suppliers who may need extra support, and would try to accommodate produce hit by extreme weather, even if they were different from what shoppers were used to.The supermarket chain said it wanted to ensure that perfectly good fruit and vegetables did not go to waste.“Farmers across the country are facing a big challenge this year due to the extreme weather conditions experienced over the summer months,” said Lidl GB’s chief executive, Ryan McDonnell.“Whilst the crop coming out may look and feel a bit different to what we’re all used to, it’s still the same great British quality,” he added. “We therefore want to show support for our suppliers by working with them to find solutions to help.”Meanwhile, Waitrose said it would relax size and shape guidelines for new season potatoes, carrots, strawberries, apples, pears and peppers – as part of its new “A Little Less Than Perfect” range.The supermarket added that it would divert wonky and misshapen vegetables into its own brand soup, ready meals and smoothies.Paul Bidwell, a fresh produce buying manager at Waitrose, said: “Our Little Less Than Perfect range is nothing new – we’ve done it for years, but we constantly look at ways we can support our farmers through challenging conditions and often that means altering our specifications.“Many of our UK suppliers have managed through the drought thanks to back up water supplies from reservoirs or rain water capture systems so we’ve focused our efforts on those that need the most help. What’s in store may look a bit different at times but it will always represent the same great quality, taste and high standards our customers are used to.”Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDeskSeveral areas of the UK are still in drought despite heavy rain and thunderstorms over the past week. Drought was officially declared across eight regions of England on 12 August, with a ninth, Yorkshire, added a few days later.Experts from the National Drought Group have since warned of widespread crop failures across England. According to leaked documents seen by the Guardian, the group has raised concerns that half of the potato crop could fail as it cannot be irrigated owing to hosepipe bans, and crops that are usually drought-tolerant, such as maize, have been failing.They are also expecting losses of 10-50% for crops including carrots, onions, sugar beet, apples and hops. Milk production has dropped nationally because of a lack of food for cows, and wildfires are putting large areas of farmland at risk. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Weeks of catastrophic flooding in Pakistan, triggered by climate change-driven erratic monsoon rains, have raised fears of acute food shortages and further spread of waterborne deadly diseases in the country of about 220 million people. Pakistani officials estimate a third of the South Asian nation, an area the size of the United Kingdom, has been left underwater by the flooding, destroying almost half of its croplands. The United Nations said Friday that the torrential rains "have broken a century-long record," dumping more than five times the 30-year average for rainfall in some provinces. This has caused widespread flooding and landslides, with severe repercussions for human lives, property and infrastructure, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "Initial estimates on the ground suggest that at least 3.6 million acres of crops/orchards across the country have already been affected. The livestock sector has also experienced severe losses, with over 733,000 livestock reportedly killed," it said. Since mid-June, when seasonal rains began, more than 1,200 people have been killed, including 416 children, and at least 6,000 others have been injured. More than 1.1 million houses have been washed away or damaged, and 33 million residents in 80 hardest-hit districts will require some form of assistance, according to Pakistani officials. Nearly 500,000 people are in relief camps, while many more are displaced and being hosted by other households. The Pakistan military said Friday that its rescue teams had evacuated an additional 2,000 people from calamity-hit districts, bringing to 50,000 the total number of individuals moved to safer locations since rescue operations began. Southwestern Baluchistan, southern Sindh and parts of central Punjab provinces have been badly hit by the floods. The U.N. Population Fund says at least 650,000 pregnant women and girls, 73,000 of whom are expected to deliver in the next month, are among the victims. It says many of the women lack access to health care facilities and support they need to deliver their children safely. "Most births in Pakistan happen at home, and with almost 1 million homes destroyed, many women don't know where they will deliver their babies," Human Rights Watch said Friday.
"Pakistan's disastrous floods highlight not only how the effects of the climate crisis are unevenly shared geographically, but also the disproportionate impact on women and girls," the group said. Fears of more child deaths Abdullah Fadil, the Pakistan representative of the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF), said Friday that at least 18,000 schools had been damaged or destroyed in the floods, which have affected an estimated 16 million children, including 3.4 million who need humanitarian support. "Many children are now at heightened risk, without a home, school or even safe drinking water," Fadil said. "There is therefore a risk of many more child deaths. And the situation will only continue to deteriorate as winter is just eight weeks away in some parts of the country." A family carries belongings from a flooded home after heavy rain in Qambar Shahdadkot district of Sindh province, Pakistan, Sep. 2, 2022. He said that communities were increasingly having to resort to open defecation without adequate sanitation, putting them at high risk of contracting diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, dengue and malaria. Pakistani and U.N. officials said relief and rescue operations were still hard to conduct, noting that more than 5,000 kilometers of roads and 243 bridges had been damaged or destroyed by floodwaters. "Yet lifesaving rescue and relief efforts are indispensable, and UNICEF is distributing humanitarian supplies in all affected provinces," Fadil said. The supplies include drinking water; hygiene kits; medicines; water purification tablets; vaccines; therapeutic food for children, pregnant and lactating women; and mosquito nets.
"The sad reality is, as we have seen all around the world, climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and more destructive, and it is children who are too often paying the price."
Fadil noted that Pakistan ranks 14th out of 163 countries on UNICEF's Children's Climate Risk Index, placing the country in the "extremely high risk" category in the index. 'Monsoon on steroids' The U.N. has appealed for $160 million in aid to help tackle what it said was an "unprecedented climate catastrophe." U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will arrive in Pakistan on September 9 to visit flood-hit areas.
"The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids," Guterres said while speaking at the launch of the U.N. flash funding appeal on Tuesday. "Let's stop sleepwalking towards the destruction of our planet by climate change. Today, it's Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country," he warned. Weather officials forecast more rains and flash flooding during September, raising fears that wheat-growing famers would be unable to have their croplands free of floodwaters by early October when they undertake planting. "If floodwaters recede by that time, sowing might be possible, but if floods continued to inundate areas in Sindh and Punjab, then it's highly likely that critical wheat shortage may occur in Pakistan," said Mohsin Hafeez, the country representative for the International Water Management Institute. "Such a situation may force the [Pakistan] government to import more wheat from the global market, which will add pressure on the existing import bill." Hafeez told VOA that global wheat prices have risen since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, and a low crop output in Pakistan would add to the financial troubles facing the cash-starved Pakistani government.
Meanwhile, more humanitarian relief flights arrived on Friday from countries such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. China, the United States, France, Iran, Britain, Azerbaijan, Norway and Kazakhstan are among the countries that have provided or pledged flood relief aid to Pakistan.
The U.S. military said Friday that it was sending an assessment team to Pakistan to determine what support it could offer through the U.S. Agency for International Development as part of Washington’s response to the flooding crisis.
General Michael Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, said in a statement that he discussed the matter by phone with Pakistan’s army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, and expressed "his condolences for the people of Pakistan." | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
These are the devastating effects that Pakistan’s deadly floods are wreaking on the country.Dubbed “the monster monsoon of the decade” by Pakistan’s climate change minister Sherry Rehman, torrential rain in the region has killed at least 982 people since June, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.Every 24 hours, the agency lists hundreds of men, women, and children who have been injured or killed because of collapsed roofs, flash floods, or drowning.“Pakistan is living through a serious climate catastrophe, one of the hardest in the decade,” Rehman said in a Twitter video. “We are, at the moment, at the ground zero of the frontline of extreme weather events in an unrelenting cascade of heat waves, forest fires, flash floods, multiple glacial lake outbursts, flood events, and now the monster monsoon of the decade is wreaking nonstop havoc throughout the country.”The unprecedented deluge — worse than Pakistan’s 2010 "Superflood," which affected 20 million people — has overwhelmed the country’s resources, prompting leaders to urge the international community to help with relief efforts.One of the hardest-hit provinces, Sindh, has requested 1 million tents for its displaced residents, Rehman told Reuters. But there aren’t enough tents, and people are seeking refuge in makeshift shelters in school buildings and mosques, she said.The streets are filled with stagnant sewage water, and the risk of waterborne diseases is high.“This is clearly the climate crisis of the decade,” Rehman said. “Through no fault of our own,” she added, noting that Pakistan emits less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions.Global warming is causing Pakistan’s 7,000 glaciers — the largest number outside the poles — to melt, causing glacial lake outbursts triggered by heat waves in the country.This year, extreme weather events like droughts, heat waves, and floods are affecting every part of the world.In Africa, floods have taken a devastating toll on tens of thousands of people in Chad and Gambia, while nearly 4.6 million children in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia are threatened by severe malnutrition following a severe drought in the region, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.Meanwhile, in Europe, receding water levels caused by drought are revealing underwater artifacts, while three ancient Buddha statues resurfaced after water levels plunged in China’s Yangtze River. And in Dallas, a summer’s worth of rainfall in one day wreaked havoc in the city amid a drought in Texas.Weather disasters like droughts are inextricably linked to human-induced climate change. The planet has already warmed 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, according to NASA, and that’s making disasters worse. Stopping this vicious cycle will require drastically reducing our reliance on climate-polluting fossil fuels. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A car drives through a flooded street in Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. in this screen grab obtained from a social media video on August 22, 2022. Fernando Garcia/via REUTERS Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comAug 22 (Reuters) - Flooding and heavy rains hit the Dallas, Texas area on Monday, leaving at least one person dead after their vehicle was swept away by rising water, authorities said.The body of a 60-year-old woman, who has not been identified, was recovered from her car after floodwaters receded Monday afternoon in an area of east Dallas, according to Clay Jenkins, the top elected official in Dallas County.Rainfall over a 24-hour period ending Monday night exceeded forecasts, with one area in east Dallas experiencing more than 15 inches (38cm) of rain, according to Dallas water utility's floodway operations.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThe National Weather Service (NWS) said flood warnings in some parts of Dallas were in effect until at least Wednesday morning, with risks of thunderstorms and brief periods of heavy rainfall possible for Tuesday and Wednesday.The heavy rains in the Dallas area and across the Southern Plains were the latest example of extreme weather to hit the United States as a result of climate change, which has recently caused dangerous flooding, tornadoes, wildfires and heat waves.Video footage from local media showed motorists getting out of their submerged vehicles and swimming for safety in the dark overnight Monday. After daybreak, a video from a local ABC affiliate showed firefighters slowly walking a resident away from a flooded home in a strong downpour."There is literally no meeting or place to be that is worth risking your life or anyone else on the road. Please STAY HOME if at all possible," Dallas Councilmen Adam Bazaldua wrote on Twitter.Numerous roads remained closed on Monday afternoon due to flooding, the Dallas Police Department said on Twitter, warning motorists to avoid driving in high waters.The NWS also issued flood advisories for parts of Southern Oklahoma, Northern Louisiana and Central Mississippi until Tuesday night."A multi-day heavy rainfall event is in progress over parts of the southern Plains that may produce instances of flash flooding in urban areas and places with poor drainage," the weather service said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago and Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Bernadette Baum and Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Image source, PA MediaImage caption, Heatwave advice includes drinking plenty of fluids, keeping out of the sun and avoiding exerciseAn amber warning for extreme heat is in force across parts of Scotland. Most of the country is expected to experience high temperatures, with the Met Office warning in place for the south and large parts of eastern Scotland. The amber heat warning will last until midnight on Tuesday.Meteorologists have warned that Scotland's highest recorded temperature of 32.9C (91.2F) could be topped this week.A national emergency has been declared in the UK, with an unprecedented red extreme heat warning issued in England.The public is being urged to take precautions because of the health risks associated with the high temperatures. Advice includes drinking plenty of fluids, keeping out of the sun and avoiding exercise in the hottest part of the day. Justice Secretary Keith Brown, Scottish government minister for resilience, urged people to "monitor forecasts and follow public health advice".He added: "Our resilience arrangements have been activated and stand ready at all times to coordinate a response to severe weather issues where required. "When temperatures increase, it's important to monitor forecasts and follow public health advice, including staying hydrated and drinking plenty of fluids and avoiding excess alcohol."Water safety incidents and drownings increase in hot weather and people should be aware of the dangers and use supervised beaches and pools when possible."Jim Dale, founder of British Weather Services, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme the extreme weather was "straight out of the Sahara desert" and evidence of climate change in action.Mr Dale said: "There's enough records that have been broken in this year alone, in places like Japan, and then come back to Europe - Portugal, Spain, France, Italy - to know that this is the narrative going forward."Image source, Jonny McGuiganImage caption, Train services will be affected on Monday and TuesdayWhere is the amber heat warning in Scotland?The weather alert north of the border affects;Scottish BordersDumfries and GallowayEast LothianWest LothianMidlothianEdinburghFifeDundee And parts of Perthshire, Falkirk, Ayrshire, Stirling, Clackmannanshire and Lanarkshire.The highest temperature recorded in Scotland was 32.9C (91.2F) at Greycrook in the Borders in August 2003.The Met Office warned that this figure could be passed on Tuesday, with the youngest and oldest age groups at the highest risk from the heat.Adam Stachura, head of policy for Age Scotland, told the BBC that people can be "easily caught out" by a rapid rise in temperature.He said: "Folks will want to enjoy the good weather, but can easily overdo it. The concern we have for older people is they might find themselves overheating or getting sun stroke."The really helpful thing to do is to check in on your older friends and relatives, when it is stifling heat like this then they might not be coping so it is important to check on them."The heat wave is also causing travel disruption with cross-border rail services curtailed. LNER has cancelled all trains south of York on Tuesday. Avanti West Coast has said it would be running a much reduced service on Monday and Tuesday. ScotRail has also warned that its services could be affected with some trains running at reduced speed for safety reasons. Scottish Water has requested that people help maintain normal supplies by being as efficient as possible with water use.It urged the public to use watering cans rather than hoses in gardens, not to fill up paddling pools and to take shorter showers.The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has also advised businesses to reduced their water usage.It said there had been a water scarcity warning every year since 2018 - but this year was "particularly bad".Around the BBC | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Extreme heat and the threat of looming blackouts are putting the nation's power grid under special scrutiny, with many blaming the major transformation from traditional to renewable resources for the reliability problems. Peaking electricity demand and slim reserve margins are behind the power crunch straining grids across Texas and swaths of the country. Many, especially Republicans in Congress and fossil fuel interests, are assigning blame to the aggressive campaign to displace legacy coal-fired plants or other sources, such as natural gas, with "intermittent" or variable sources, especially wind and solar. Meanwhile, renewables' defenders argue the shift isn't happening quickly enough and that utilities and grid operators are still overrelying on traditional resources that have their own vulnerabilities to outages — as Texas saw firsthand with the failure of its natural gas system during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021. WITH CLIMATE BILL ENDANGERED, BIDEN UNDER MORE PRESSURE TO GO AFTER FOSSIL FUELS How is the grid changing? Renewable sources are responsible for an increasing share of electricity generation within the nation's grids as the power sector works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially by shutting down coal
-fired power plants, and retires carbon-free but otherwise aging resources such as nuclear plants. The U.S. bulk power system has reduced its on-peak capacity of coal by 98.7 gigawatts over the past 10 years, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, which sets reliability standards and regulates the nation's power grid. Over the same period, it added 77 GW of natural gas, 11.7 GW of wind, and 25.2 GW of solar photovoltaic generation on-peak capacity. Wind power generation in particular has skyrocketed since 2005, from accounting for less than 1% of total electricity generation to 9.2% in 2021. What are renewables' limits? As variable resources, wind and solar are reliant on the weather to generate electricity. Generators cannot be turned on and off in the way that a coal- or gas-fired plant can. NERC laid out renewables' limitations in its 2022 State of Reliability report, a look back at grid performance in 2021, which was released on Wednesday. It noted that wind and solar boost overall capacity but often do not contribute as much to capacity during peak demand as conventional sources. NERC also concluded that "natural-gas-fired generation will remain a necessary balancing resource to provide increasing flexibility needs" until storage technology for renewable sources can be deployed at scale. In Texas, where wind power makes up nearly 28% of installed generation capacity, reliability problems have been front and center of this debate over grid makeup ever since last year's winter storm, which led to the largest outage event in U.S. history and resulted in the deaths of 246 people. In the face of record heat this summer, Texas's grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, has faced strain of a different nature. Electricity demand has risen to new records on high temperatures, and although blackouts have been avoided, ERCOT has been forced to ask customers to reduce their use of appliances and air conditioners during peak demand hours. Texas's first "conservation appeal" of the summer was informed by forecasts that, while solar power and dispatchable resources were forecast to perform above 80% at peak demand time, wind would perform at just 8% of installed capacity. Political critics blamed wind for failing to carry its load, while John Moura, director of reliability assessment and performance analysis at the nonpartisan NERC, said that where Texas's grid reliability is concerned, "fortunate wind" is increasingly the deciding factor. "The determination of whether or not Texas is short on resources is largely dependent on the amount of wind available for that area," Moura said Wednesday. Still, renewables' defenders have said that it's not that wind is coming up short — in fact, it's performing as expected in triple-digit conditions, and the energy shortfalls should have been foreseen and prevented by other means. "The observation that I'm seeing most often is that wind doesn't blow hard on a hot afternoon," Mark Dyson, manager of carbon-free electricity with green energy research group RMI, told the Washington Examiner. "My response is: Of course it doesn't, and we know that." Dyson analogized grid reliability to a team sport, comparing wind generation's role to that of a soccer goalie. "Criticizing the wind for being slow on an afternoon is like criticizing a soccer goalie for not scoring goals," he said, "but of course, that's not the goalie's job. ... You're kind of ascribing the failure of the team to one player on the team, but that player's job is not to score the goals." What's responsible for reliability problems? In multiple reports over the past few years, NERC emphasized that extreme weather and climate change have been at the heart of the vulnerabilities within power systems for both driving demand upward and disrupting infrastructure. "We've seen, year after year, extreme weather leading to increased reliability impacts," Moura said Wednesday. Extreme weather events affect reliability by increasing demand but also by triggering outages and shutting down resources. Those extreme conditions have affected renewables and traditional energy sources. During the 2021 storm that battered Texas, some 27% of outages were wind generators, but more than half were natural-gas fired units. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER At the same time, Moura, NERC, and grid operators themselves have said the shift away from coal and toward renewable energy has hurt reliability. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which oversees grid operations in all or parts of Manitoba and 15 U.S. states from Minnesota down to Louisiana, said in an April report that retirements of “always-on" generating units like coal plants have contributed to its reliability difficulties. MISO is the only grid operator deemed by NERC to be at a "high" risk level this summer for experiencing insufficient operating reserves even in normal peak conditions.
"As we retire power plants, and don't replace them with comparable energy resources, we can expect riskier conditions ... so we're going to need to adapt the grid, something that looks very different than our grandfathers' version," Moura said. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The UN is appealing for $160m (£136m) in emergency funding to help Pakistan deal with devastating floods.More than 1,150 people have been killed and nearly half a million displaced in the disaster.
"Pakistan is awash in suffering," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a video message for the launch of the appeal.The floods have affected more than 33 million people, or one in seven Pakistanis.Pakistani authorities, supported by the military, rescuers and volunteers, have been battling the aftermath of the floods.
Although rain stopped three days ago and floodwater in some areas were receding, large areas remain underwater.Rescue workers were evacuating stranded people to safer ground, including makeshift tent camps that have sprung up along motorways, villages and towns. More on Pakistan Pakistan minister says West has 'responsibility' to help with floods as it's caused climate change Why Pakistan is at 'ground zero' of the climate crisis after suffering deadly flooding Pakistan flooding: Pictures reveal devastation caused after monsoon rains According to initial estimates by the government, the devastation has caused $10m (£8.5m) of damage to the economy, however, the planning minister, Ahsan Iqbal, said this was a preliminary estimate and the actual cost will be "far greater". Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Laura Bundock looks at some reasons for the current mass flooding in Pakistan and what it might mean for the future of the country. On Monday, the International Monetary Fund's executive board approved the release of $1.17bn £1bn for Pakistan. It is part of a bailout accord the IMF and Pakistan signed in 2019, but the release of a $1.17bn tranche had been put on hold this year after the IMF raised concerns about Pakistan's compliance with the deal's terms under Imran Khan's government.Last week, the UN allocation $3m (£2.5m) for aid agencies and their partners to respond to the floods, with the money used for health, nutrition, food security, water and sanitation services.Pakistan's climate minister, Sherry Rehman said on Monday that new monsoons were expected in September.While monsoons are common at this time of year in the region, they hit earlier than usual in Pakistan, according to officials. Image: The whole of Pakistan has been impacted by the latest flooding The massive rainfall last week affected nearly the whole country, and while Pakistan is used to monsoon rains and flooding, Ms Rehman said, but not like this.The flooding has the hallmarks of a natural disaster fuelled by climate change, but it is too early to assign blame on global warming, experts said."This year, Pakistan has received the highest rainfall in at least three decades. So far this year the rain is running at more than 780% above average levels," said Abid Qaiyum Suleri, executive director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute and a member of Pakistan's Climate Change Council."Extreme weather patterns are turning more frequent in the region, and Pakistan is not an exception." Image: A man swims in floodwaters while heading for a higher ground in Charsadda Pakistan saw similar flooding and devastation in 2010 that killed nearly 2,000 people, but the government did not implement plans to prevent future flooding by preventing construction and homes in flood-prone areas and river beds, said Mr Suleri.Floods and monsoon rains have damaged one million houses and affected 33 million people and reflects how poorer nations can often pay the price for climate change largely caused by more industrialised nations.Since 1959, Pakistan has been responsible for only 0.4% of the world's historic CO2 emissions, while the US is responsible for 21.5%, China for 16.5% and the EU 15%.According to the National Disaster Management Authority, at least 498,000 people in the country of 220 million are in relief camps after being displaced. Image: Nearly half a million people have been displaced due to the flooding Read more:Why Pakistan is at 'ground zero' of the climate crisisPictures reveal devastating impact of Pakistan's floodsQueen and PM send messages to PakistanMany more displaced victims are believed to be living with relatives, friends or out in the open, without shelter.Pakistan started receiving international aid this week, and more planes carrying aid from Turkey and the United Arab Emirates landed at an airport near Islamabad on Tuesday, according to a statement released by the military.It said Chinese planes carrying aid will arrive later on Tuesday and 6,500 Pakistani military personnel have been deployed to help authorities in rescue and relief operations. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comAug 22 (Reuters) - Relentless downpours were expected in the Dallas area again on Monday afternoon after torrential rain overnight triggered flooding that submerged roads and entire neighborhoods, trapping some residents in their swamped vehicles and homes.The National Weather Service (NWS) issued flash flood watches and warnings for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. As much as four inches (10 cm) of rain was expected on Monday afternoon after 10 inches fell overnight in some areas.The heavy rains in the Dallas area and across the Southern Plains were the latest example of extreme weather to hit the United States as a result of climate change, which has recently caused dangerous flooding, tornadoes, wildfires and heat waves.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comIn Dallas, the fire department responded to 186 high-water incidents and 94 water rescues from Sunday evening to late Monday morning, but there have been no reports of fatalities.Video footage from local media overnight showed motorists getting out of their submerged vehicles and swimming for safety in the dark. After daybreak, a video from a local ABC affiliate showed firefighters slowly walking a resident away from a flooded home in a strong downpour."There is literally no meeting or place to be that is worth risking your life or anyone else on the road. Please STAY HOME if at all possible," Dallas Councilmen Adam Bazaldua said on Twitter.Numerous roads remained closed on Monday afternoon due to flooding, the Dallas Police Department said on Twitter, warning motorists to avoid driving in high waters.The National Weather Service also issued flood advisories for parts of Southern Oklahoma, Northern Louisiana and Central Mississippi until Tuesday night."A multi-day heavy rainfall event is in progress over parts of the southern Plains that may produce instances of flash flooding in urban areas and places with poor drainage," the weather service said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Published July 16, 2022 8:20AM Updated 2:59PM Videos show aftermath of deadly pileup on Montana highway Twenty-one vehicles crashed and Montana Highway Patrol said authorities believe the weather is to blame. Two children are among the six people who died in a Montana pileup after a Friday evening dust storm caused blackout conditions on Interstate 90, a major route in both Montana and the Western U.S. Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Jay Nelson said investigators so far have found no other factors that contributed to the pileup that also sent eight other injured people to hospitals. "Everything is indicative of an isolated extreme weather event," Nelson said of the investigation, calling the crash among the worst he'd seen in 24 years with the state. "What could people do? It really was just panic." The pileup was just west of Hardin, with additional ambulances called in from Billings to help. The identities of the dead and conditions of the survivors are not yet being released. The crash was reported around 4:30 p.m., as 21 vehicles, including six commercial semi-trucks, lost control in the dust storm that was fueled by gusts topping 60 mph (97 kph), authorities said. Nelson said there was zero visibility for a mile-long stretch during a peak summer traffic hour for those commuting home from work or traveling for outdoor recreation. It took more than six hours to fully reopen the road. "We had a lot of debris and complete chaos," Nelson said. Gov. Greg Gianforte said on Twitter: "I’m deeply saddened by the news of a mass casualty crash near Hardin. Please join me in prayer to lift up the victims and their loved ones. We’re grateful to our first responders for their service." Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, who oversees the highway patrol, said in a statement that the Montana Highway Patrol, which he oversees, was investigating. "We will release more information as it becomes available and is appropriate out of respect of the lives lost and their loved ones. A video from The Billings Gazette showed hundreds of tractor-trailers, campers and cars backed up for miles along the two eastbound lanes of the interstate. Before the pileup, storms popped up in central southern Montana between 1 and 2 p.m. and slowly began moving east, said Nick Vertz, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Billings. Those storms prompted a severe thunderstorm watch that covered Hardin and other parts of Montana from mid-afternoon until 9 p.m. Friday. Meteorologists forecasted the potential for isolated hail the size of a quarter, scattered gusts up to 75 mph (121 kph) and frequent lightning. A so-called outflow — or a surge of wind that's produced by storms — flew about 30 miles (48 kilometers) ahead of the storms, Vertz said. Winds picked up quickly around the time of the crash, according to readings at nearby Big Horn County Airport. A 40 mph gust (64 kph) was recorded about 15 minutes before the crash was reported and in less than an hour another burst of wind hit 64 (103 kph). The wind easily picked up dust — a product of recent temperatures into the 90s and triple digits over the last week — and reduced visibility to less than 1/4 mile (0.4 kilometers). "If they looked up in the sky while they're in Hardin, they probably didn't see much of what you'd think of for a thunderstorm cloud, maybe not even much at all," Vertz said. "It was just a surge of wind that kind of appeared out of nowhere." | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
LONDON – Europe is facing its worst drought in 500 years, with two-thirds of the continent under a "warning" or "alert," a study by the European Commission has discovered.Preliminary data from the European Drought Observatory found that 47% of Europe is under warning conditions, meaning the soil has a clear deficit of moisture. An additional 17% of the continent is in a state of alert, meaning vegetation is under stress.Across Europe, hot, dry conditions have threatened livestock and increased crop failure. According to the report, grain yields are expected to fall 16% below the average for the past five years. Forecasts for soybean and sunflower yields are also set to fall by 15% and 12%, respectively.Dry arable land in San Benedetto del Po, Italy, on Aug. 11. (Francesca Volpi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)"The severe drought affecting many regions of Europe since the beginning of the year has been further expanding and worsening as of early August," the report said.Countries along Europe’s Mediterranean coast, such as Italy, France and Spain, are likely to see warmer and drier conditions until November.Mariya Gabriel, research commissioner for the European Union, said the ongoing heat waves and water shortages have created “unprecedented stress on water levels in the entire EU.”Gabriel added: “We are currently noticing a wildfire season sensibly above the average and an important impact on crop production. Climate change is undoubtedly more noticeable every year.”The report also warned that most of Europe’s rivers have seen a drop in water level, with riverbeds in Germany and France drying up.Sections of Germany’s River Rhine have completely dried up, disrupting shipping in the country’s most important inland waterway. German officials told CNN on Aug. 12 that levels of water in the river had fallen “exceptionally low.”Receding water levels have uncovered artifacts from below the depths, including shipwrecks, world war relics and “hunger stones” — rocks placed throughout the centuries to mark water levels during historic droughts — inscribed with warnings to future generations.A prolonged drought has lowered the level of the Elbe River so much that a so-called hunger stone appeared in Decin, Czech Republic, on Aug. 18. (Vit Cerny/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)One of the oldest, unearthed in the Czech Republic, is believed to be from the 15th century. The inscription on the stone reads, “If you see me, then weep.”In early August, the French government was forced to set up a crisis team to deal with the drought after more than 100 municipalities were left short of drinking water. “There is nothing left in the pipes,” Christophe Béchu, the minister for ecological transition, said in a statement at the time. The French government described the drought as the worst the country has ever recorded.In Britain, a ban has been imposed on the use of hoses to water gardens, fill paddling pools and wash cars. The ban, which went into effect in southern England, was introduced after reports that the River Thames had reached its lowest level in 17 years. A month earlier, the U.K. experienced several wildfires after a record-breaking heat wave.Wildfires have been a problem elsewhere in Europe and have displaced thousands of people. Electrical blackouts and heat-related deaths have also surfaced in the past two months.The extreme weather is unlikely to stop. In 2020, a U.N. agency predicted that annual global temperatures would be at least 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than preindustrial levels in each of the next five years. Another study, conducted by researchers at the University of Washington and Harvard University, said dangerous heat waves will at least triple worldwide by 2100._____Global temperatures are on the rise and have been for decades. Step inside the data and see the magnitude of climate change. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The Met Office has issued a danger to life health alert and are urging people to look out for vulnerable friends and family members with those who have heart and breathing problems most at risk.The extreme weather could cause deathsBritain was on red alert tonight amid fears that record temperatures of 41C will lead to 48 hours of hell and thousands of deaths. Scorching temperatures have prompted the Met Office to issue its first “danger to life” health alert for extreme heat across almost the entire country. The red warning covers huge swathes of England, from London up to Manchester, and to the Vale of York, with the current heatwave set to peak on Tuesday. The Met Office said the chances of the 37.8C UK record – 101.7F – set in Cambridge in 2019 being toppled had risen to 80%. It will leave parts of the UK warmer than 38C Bahrain – leading to warnings thousands could die from the searing heat without proper precautions. Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: “If people have vulnerable relatives or neighbours, now is the time to make sure they’re putting suitable measures in place to be able to cope with the heat. “This is a very serious situation.” Despite the warnings, million flocked to the seaside to enjoy the Costa-style heat without the grief of flying abroad. This year could see the 2019 heatwave record broken (
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PA) Meanwhile there are mounting fears the NHS will be overwhelmed by a number of heat-related casualties. Those with heart and breathing problems were warned to take care. Heat exhaustion and dehydration are also a threat to the elderly, babies and young children. Some routine hospital appointments and surgery, scheduled for tomorrow and Tuesday, have been postponed to reduce the risk to frail patients travelling into hospital and to free up capacity for extra emergencies. Last year, more than 1,600 excess deaths were recorded during heatwaves when temperatures were lower than this week. Bob Ward, of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, warned it could result in thousands of excess deaths. He said: “We could see 1,500 to 2,000 deaths just from this one period of heat.” A forest fire around the village of Eiriz in Baiao, north of Portugal (
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AFP via Getty Images) Professor Kevin McConway, of the Open University, added: “Assuming the forecasts are roughly correct, it’s very likely that there will be hundreds or thousands of excess deaths from the heat in the next few days.” Last night one NHS doctor warned the heatwave and the surge in Covid-19 cases are resulting in a nightmare for staff. Claire Bronze, an A&E consultant in London, said: “We’ve got people waiting in A&E for up to two days at a time for a bed in the hospital. “We’ve got ambulances queuing to get in, we’ve seen a lot of Covid cases again, and then there’s the heat. “There’s all these things happening that are just a bit of a nightmare.” All of us need to be mindful to stay hydrated when the weather's hot (
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SHARED CONTENT UNIT) Covid infections have jumped by nearly 800,000 in a week, with some parts of the country nearing record levels seen during the spring. Dr Bronze added: “A lot of hospital buildings are very old and many don’t have air conditioning and windows that don’t open so they are extremely hot. “Some staff still have to wear PPE – plastic gowns, masks, gloves – on top of their normal uniform which means people are quickly going to get very hot and dehydrated. “Staff are struggling to go for breaks because it’s so busy, then to add to that we’ve got so many staff members off sick with Covid at the moment, too.” Britons are enjoying the sunny spell (
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PA) Milton Keynes University Hospital, Bucks, said routine outpatient appointments and surgery would not go ahead tomorrow and Tuesday following the warning over extreme heat. Ambulance trusts already struggling to cope with demand are facing a further 20% in call-outs for heat-related illnesses. Paramedic Paul Turner, who works for North West Ambulance Service, claimed up to 90% of emergency vehicles have broken air con. And he claimed cannot get drinking water during sweltering shifts. He said: “It’s going to be really uncomfortable.” Meanwhile, rail bosses begged people to only travel if absolutely necessary as temperatures can affect tracks, power lines and signals. Network Rail warned services may be subject to speed restrictions to avoid tracks buckling. Motorists were warned of delays on the roads and even planes could be affected. Reservoirs are already bone-dry after huge demand. Many schools have said they will close tomorrow while others have altered the times of their school day and told pupils to come in wearing PE kit to make them comfortable. Passengers queue for ferries at the Port of Dover (
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PA) Dome retail experts warned supermarket shelves could be empty as refrigeration systems struggle. A record of up to 41C is forecast for parts of the country on Monday and Tuesday. The warning will remain in place for areas in central, northern, eastern and southeastern England with amber warnings and climes in the high 30s elsewhere. Temperatures are expected to return closer to the low thirties from Wednesday. Animal charities are warning of an upsurge in escaped pet snakes during the heatwave. They warn the reptiles become “extremely active” in hot weather and urged owners to make sure containers are securely fastened. Read More Read More | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The climate crisis is the prime suspect for the devastating scale of flooding in Pakistan, which has killed more than 1,000 people and affected 30 million. But the catastrophe, still unfolding, is most likely the result of a lethal combination of factors including the vulnerability of poor citizens, steep mountainous slopes in some regions, the unexpected destruction of embankments and dams, and some natural climate variation.The horrific scale of the floods are not in doubt. “We are witnessing the worst flooding in the history of the country,” said Dr Fahad Saeed, a climate scientist with the Climate Analytics group, who is based in Islamabad.The obvious cause is the record-breaking rainfall. “Pakistan has never seen an unbroken cycle of monsoon [rains] like this,” said Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s climate change minister. “Eight weeks of non-stop torrents have left huge swathes of the country underwater. This is a deluge from all sides.” She said the “monster monsoon was wreaking non-stop havoc throughout the country”.From the beginning of the month, the rainfall was nine times higher than average in Sindh province and five times higher across the whole of Pakistan. Basic physics is the reason rainfall is becoming intense around the world – warmer air holds more moisture.Scientists are already trying to determine the extent to which global heating is to blame for the rainfall and floods. But analysis of the previous worst flood in 2010 suggests it will be significant. That “superflood” was made more likely by global heating, which drove fiercer rains.Warmer oceans and heating in the Arctic were implicated in the 2010 superflood, one study found, as these factors affected the jet stream, a high-level wind that circles the planet. The greater meandering of the jet stream led to both the prolonged rain in Pakistan and an extreme heatwave in Russia that year.And according to a 2021 study global heating is making the south Asian monsoon more intense and more erratic, with each 1C rise in global temperature leading to 5% more rain.Pakistan has suffered regular flooding since 2010, as well as heatwaves and wildfires. “Climate change is really affecting us,” said Saeed. “It has become a norm now that every year we kind of face extreme events.”The current floods would have been expected less than once a century, according to Dr Liz Stephens, an associate professor of climate risks and resilience at the University of Reading, UK, who is part of a global flood forecasting system. “We can see it is very extreme flooding and, in many places, it will be worse than 2010, when the floods killed 1,700 people.”Two critical factors in the high death toll are flash flooding and the destruction of river embankments, Stephens said. Some of the intense rains have hit places where the water rapidly runs off steep slopes. “Flash flooding is very difficult to provide good warning for and to get people out of harm’s way quickly,” she said.River embankments have also been destroyed. “You can’t predict when they are going to fail, and people living in an area where they think they’re protected might not expect that they need to evacuate.”Stephens said: “We’re talking about potentially unprecedented volumes of water – it would have been inconceivable that some parts of these catchments would have been affected. People don’t prepare for risks that they are not familiar with.”Deforestation could also have increased the speed of rain runoff in places, Stephens said, while Saeed said dams had been destroyed on the Kabul River that runs into the Indus.A natural climate cycle driven by temperature and wind variations in the Pacific may also have added to the Pakistan floods, said meteorologist Scott Duncan. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (Enso) appears to be in its La Niña phase, as it was in 2010. “La Niña is behaving very strongly in some metrics and is a significant factor for enhancing monsoonal rains in my opinion,” he said. However, how global heating affects Enso is not currently well understood.The population of Pakistan is especially at risk from extreme weather driven by the climate emergency, ranked eighth most at risk in the world by the Global Climate Risk Index. “Pakistan is very vulnerable to extremes and the whiplash from unprecedented heat from March to May this year, followed by a strong monsoon makes the impact on society and the economy even more severe,” said Duncan. The extreme heatwave suffered earlier in 2022 was made 30 times more likely by global heating and another heatwave in 2015 was also exacerbated by global heating.“What you see today is just a trailer of what’s in store for us with poverty, hunger, malnutrition and disease if we don’t pay heed to climate change,” said development and climate expert Ali Tauqeer Sheikh.The only silver lining in the current flooding situation is that it may not get even more catastrophic. “Thankfully, no further significant rainfall is expected over the coming days as the end of the monsoon season nears,” said Nicholas Lee at MetDesk.However, it is clear that the climate crisis is supercharging the toll of extreme weather across the globe, even with just 1.1C of global heating to date. Pakistan is the latest country where lives and livelihoods are being lost. “It’s a real planet SOS here,” said Rehman. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Portugal, France, Spain and Greece are on fire - and, recently, so was the UK. Record 40C heat fuelled dozens of blazes around the country, and saw the busiest day for London's firefighters since the Second World War.Meanwhile a staggering amount of Europe, almost half, is living with a drought warning.
The climate crisis is staring us in the face. Yet many in the UK still do not see it.A poll on Wednesday found the vast majority of us, some 70%, understand climate change was driving Britain's unprecedented heat, while 17% said it was unrelated.That's still more than one in ten people who do not realise, or accept the science that heatwaves are unilaterally linked with global warming. Some said the heat was no worse than that in 1976, while others accused media and scientists of scaremongering or having "snowflake mentality".
Yes, the wind bringing hot air over Spain may have blown this way anyway, the Met Office explained. But no, it wouldn't have been so intense had the UK not already warmed by 0.9°C on average. What we believe and the changes we make are "super important," says Dr Kris de Meyer, neuroscientist at Kings College London."Because if you fast forward ten or twenty years in the future… if we are successful as a society to tackle climate change, we will be doing pretty much everything differently." Image: A fire on Dartford Marshes on Tuesday 20 July Optimism biasOne reason we may not join the dots between extreme weather and climate change is "optimism-bias".We may be pessimistic about the world and think it is falling apart, but "when it comes to how stuff will impact you, we usually are much more optimistic, much more biased towards thinking that we ourselves will be fine," says Dr de Meyer, who specialises in the psychology of climate change.And even if we are not fine, even if we are living through flooding perhaps, studies show we tend to "still fall back" on existing and "readily available" narratives, according to Dr Charles Ogunbode, environmental psychologist at Nottingham University and member of the British Psychological Society."The political factors and values generally outweigh an individual experience when it comes to people's perceptions," Dr Ogunbode adds. His studies into flooding found competing narratives muddied the waters of people's understanding of the causes.Professor Nick Pidgeon, who studies perceptions of climate risk at Cardiff University, says those on the right "tend to be a bit more climate sceptic than people on the left, for various reasons" - although that divide is nowhere near as pronounced in the UK as in the United States.While there may be an "element" of us struggling to comprehend long-term timescales, the social and political processes "far outweigh" that, he adds. Image: More than a dozen homes were gutted by fires in Wennington, east London Positive associationThe UK is "unique" because "we've always had a positive association with hot temperatures," adds Dr Ogunbode, a mentality hardly surprising given our temperate climate, an island nation often left bedraggled by unpredictable rain.That association has been fuelled by public figures likening hot weather to desirable destinations, for example comparing our future climate with that of Barcelona's today, he argues.Media reports of heatwaves that feature photos of people having fun, cooling off in fountains or the sea also add to it."It evokes something quite positive… that's the problem with heat in particular".Not only has public perception "not quite caught up with the significance in terms of the risks that come with it," we also "don't have the kind of infrastructure right now in terms of housing, in terms of healthcare to help us live with that kind of change," he adds. Image: People watch as a fire burns during a heatwave, in east London, Britain, July 19, 2022. REUTERS/Tony O'Brien The specific can be surprisingThe "specific" and "concrete" can be "very surprising" says neuroscientist Dr de Meyer.Think of how the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded: "When the second lockdown came, lots of people were again surprised by how severe the situation got… even though they had lived through the first lockdown nine months before.The summer of 2021 may not be scorched in our minds as particularly hot, as with 2003 or 1976. So it's perhaps hard to believe the heat killed an extra 1,634 people, according to the Office for National Statistics, or that it could take even more lives this year. Image: A woman covers her face as a wildfire burns in Pallini, near Athens, Greece Short-term vs. long-termIn the battle in our minds between short- and long-term benefits, the former "would tend to win in everyday decisions" that we make on auto-pilot or mindlessly, says Dr Meyer.But people "are very capable of foregoing present pleasures for future gains," he explains, pointing to times we abstain from a sweet treat because we know it's bad for us.Mr Ogunbode argues that it's not strictly a question of trade-offs or sacrifices anyway. Taking vehicular emissions as an example, he points out that restrictions on fossil fuel engines will also cut air pollution and improve health. Image: Firefighters work to contain a tactical fire in Louchats, as wildfires continue to spread in the Gironde region of southwestern France Elite cuesWhat, then, of the effect of former Conservative leadership candidates Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman pledging to delay the net zero by 2050 target? A target that is not arbitrary, but based on scientific consensus."What politicians actually say really matter[s]," says Cardiff University's Professor Pidgeon.Comments by people in positions about climate change, can "be seen to influence the debate in a way that public opinion then shifts afterwards," he adds. The theory is called elite cues.The example always cited is then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's 1988 speech on climate change.This first warning about the dangers of climate change from a prominent political leader "set in train, I think, a lot of things around the globe, that led to sort of broadly people believing in this country among the general public that climate change is an issue," Prof. Pidgeon explains.The UK generally has a strong cross-party political support on the need for climate action - for now.Current scepticism of green policies by some Conservative MPs does risk making the net zero target "a defining issue between political parties," says research fellow Antony Froggatt from Chatham House's Environment and Society Programme.But overall, "in terms of the government, we haven't seen a significant shift" in support, he argues. Image: Firefighters work at the site of a wildfire as Spain experiences its second heatwave of the year, in Faramontanos de Tabara, Spain, July 19, 2022. REUTERS/Borja Suarez 'Fear alone' won't do it - stories of 'action' willIn the UK we are getting our heads round the risks from heatwaves, with a huge jump in how many thought they were serious, from 23% in 2013 to 72% in 2019. Although flooding, heavy rain and coastal erosion still ranked higher in people's minds.While we are catching up with heat driven by climate change, we haven't with other impacts.In surveys, people "don't particularly mention drought causing failure of crops… which is one that one worries about," Prof. Pidgeon says.Nor do they readily associate with climate change "invasive pests and diseases coming into the country as a result of rising temperatures."But "fear alone" is "not enough to get us to act," Dr Kris de Meyer explains.What will accelerate that and help individuals "make good choices" is hearing stories about "action".Three years ago, Kris attempted to travel from London to Austria by train. "I gave up because the technology didn't exist. The tickets were extremely expensive," he says. So, he booked a £60 flight that was much cheaper and more convenient.Since then, train travel costs have come down, and improved technology allows him to map that route."And so it's become a lot easier for me to be doing the right things," he says over the phone from Austria, where he arrived a few days previously, by train.And after we spoke, I found myself downloading the Interrail app to plan an upcoming Europe trip.Watch the Daily Climate Show at 3.30pm Monday to Friday, and The Climate Show with Tom Heap on Saturday and Sunday at 3.30pm and 7.30pm.All on Sky News, on the Sky News website and app, on YouTube and Twitter.The show investigates how global warming is changing our landscape and highlights solutions to the crisis. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
CNN — Heat waves across multiple continents have dashed records, threatened public health and buckled infrastructure, in what scientists say are signs of the climate crisis’ impact on day-to-day weather. Americans are used to switching on their air conditioners any time temperatures near 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). But in the UK, record-shredding heat this week has brought life to a pandemic-esque standstill. Temperatures in the UK breached 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for the first time on Tuesday, making it the country’s hottest day on record. In the US, one-third of the population was under heat-related weather warnings on Tuesday and Wednesday, with temperatures expected to climb north of 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) in the Plains states. Looking at the cause of these heat extremes in the US and Europe, there are different systems at play. In Europe, a strong ridge of high pressure has allowed temperatures to build over the continent for the past several days. On Tuesday, an area of low pressure was moving in off the coast, acting to help funnel the extreme heat northward into the UK. In the US, a strong dome of high pressure has set up over the Southern Plains and Mississippi Valley. Instead of heat being funneled in from the south, it is building unabated as the sun bakes down through cloudless skies. The connecting tissue between these heat waves is the influence of greenhouse gas emissions and the planet’s ever-warming baseline temperature. The UK Met Office’s chief scientist, Stephen Belcher, was in a state of disbelief as he delivered a video statement about the shocking temperatures the country experienced Tuesday, noting they would have been “virtually impossible” the UK in an “undisrupted climate.” “But climate change driven by greenhouse gases have made these temperatures possible, and we’re actually seeing that possibility now,” he said, adding that if the world keeps emitting greenhouse gases at the level it is now, such heat waves are likely to occur there every three years. Forty degrees Celsius mat not be that hot to someone sitting in the Central US, Australia, the Middle East or in northern India. In the UK, it forced people to work from home and students to study remotely. Authorities told people not to take trains, which become dangerous on hot tracks that expand and bend in the heat. In other words, don’t leave home. But in the UK, which is more likely to struggle with cold rather than hot, homes too are designed to keep heat in. Desk fans are selling out all over the country, but they only go so far. The weather has got Brits so hot and bothered, poor heat management has become the latest criticism hurled at the nation’s outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson – this week held up as another example of the disgraced leader’s failures. “The all-time temperature record for the UK has not just been broken, it has been absolutely obliterated,” said Hannah Cloke, natural hazards researcher at the University of Reading. “The mark of 39 degrees Celsius will never even exist as a UK temperature record, because we have just soared past it into the 40s in a single sweaty leap.” The UK is woefully unprepared for the impacts of the climate crisis. It struggles to manage floods when they occur. In the heat, the nation buckles. So many fires ignited in London on Tuesday that the city’s fire brigade declare a “major incident” and were stretched beyond their capacity. Four people have drowned as people flocked to beaches, rivers and lakes just to try to get cool. Even a runway at an airport on London’s outskirts had to be closed off as it melted in the heat. In southern Europe, a region more accustomed to extreme heat, at least 1,100 people have died in the latest heat wave, and French firefighters are overwhelmed with blazes tearing through forests. Twenty-one European nations are under heat-related warnings. Americans may be more used to the heat, but heat waves are getting longer and more frequent there too, which means more time indoors, or wherever the air conditioning may be. No fewer than 100 million Americans – almost a third of the nation – were under heat alerts on Tuesday. The alerts run from the southern Plains into the Mississippi and Tennessee River Valleys, and there are scattered alerts through the Southwest. The Northeast has already issued heat advisories for heat “feeling like” 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius) for Wednesday. The most dangerous heat is forecast around parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas where excessive heat warnings are in place for Dallas, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Little Rock. Temperatures there are expected to soar to 100 to 110 degrees Farhenheit (as high as 43 degrees Celsius) over the next few days. Scientists who work on just how much of a role the climate crisis is playing in extreme weather now say that just about every heat wave in the world is influenced by humans burning fossil fuels. Friederike Otto from the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London said that it was up to the world to reach net zero – where humans emit as little greenhouse gas as possible and “offsets” the rest – to stop heat waves from becoming even worse, “deadly and disruptive.” “We have the agency to make us less vulnerable and redesign our cities, homes, schools and hospitals and educate us on how to keep safe,” Otto told CNN. “40 degrees Celsius in the UK is not an act of god, but to a large degree due to our past and present burning of fossil fuels.” In China, the annual “sanfu” – which is usually three lots of 10 days in July and August when temperatures and humidity peak – is now forecast to run for an “extended period” of 40 days, the state weather forecaster said, according to Reuters. It warned of scorching heat waves this week, despite seasonal rain, with temperatures likely climb as high as 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit) in the south from Wednesday. In central London on Tuesday, a student named Asser who braved the heat told CNN that world wasn’t doing enough to battle the heat waves. “In fact, the world is doing nothing. The world is burning and we are doing nothing about it. We are just consuming, the industry is running and nobody is doing anything about the climate” he said. “You’ve got heat waves in Europe and London and US, everywhere – you can see it, it’s obvious. You’ve got floods and wildfires and everything.” CNN’s Sana Noor Haq, Angela Fritz, Brandon Miller and Nada Bashir contributed to this report. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
This is the moment another wildfire threatens to engulf a Norfolk village as firefighters desperately battle to push back the advancing inferno.The astonishing drone footage shows rising plumes of smoke and clusters of bright flames - many in gardens and just metres away from people's homes - in a housing estate in Watton, near Norwich.The blaze, which was yesterday being tackled by at least 60 firefighters, is thought to have started in a field near to the estate. It is believed to have spread to a number of houses.It comes as many as 41 homes were destroyed across London yesterday. Up to 19 homes were destroyed in the village of Wennington, near the Dartford Crossing east of London, along with 14 homes and 25 vehicles in a blaze in Dagenham. Where were properties destroyed by fire yesterday? • Wennington (East London) - 19• Dagenham (East London) – 14• Chadwell Heath (East London) – 1• Kenton (North West London) - 2• Brancaster Staithe (Norfolk) - 5• Ashmanhaugh (Norfolk) - 2• Kiveton Park (South Yorkshire) - 3• Barnsley (South Yorkshire) - 6• Maltby (South Yorkshire) - 8• Clayton (South Yorkshire) – 3Outside of London, pictures show a row of six houses devastated by wildfire in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Residents reportedly battled back the flames with hosepipes and buckets of water as they awaited the arrival of the fire brigade. Another eight properties were destroyed in Maltby, Rotherham, and three in nearby Kiveton Park, alongside another three in Clayton, West Yorkshire.It comes after terrified residents in Wennington were ordered out as 100 firefighters tried to halt a lethal wall of flame spreading from home to home, fanned by warm winds. One firefighter at the scene branded it 'absolute hell'. Meanwhile, video from Dagenham shows an almost post-apocalyptic scene following a blaze which has destroyed a number of properties. A person filming the devastation, which looks similar to the types of images taken from bombed out villages in Ukraine, described the blackened area as looking 'like a warzone'. Horrific fires swept through homes last night as Britain recorded the hottest day in its history, with the 40C (104F) barrier broken for the first time. The London fire brigade said Tuesday was their busiest day since the end of the Second World War, with at least 110 fire trucks sent to blazes across the capital.At least 16 London firefighters were injured, including two taken to hospital with heat-exhaustion. A further four firefighters were taken to hospital as they tackled a series of incidents in South Yorkshire. They have since made a full recovery. Extremely dry ground and searing temperatures created the perfect 'tinderbox' conditions for blazes to break out across the country with major incidents declared in London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, South Yorkshire and Leicestershire. Scotland and Wales also saw fires.A wildfire operations expert last night claimed that the severity of yesterday's fires was 'rare or possibly unprecedented', but said due to climate change they were likely to happen 'more and more' in the future.As firefighters battled numerous blazes, parts of the UK saw some relief from the blazing heat last night with showers and thunderstorms, particularly in the north of England and south of Scotland. The Met Office is warning of potential flooding with a yellow warning for thunderstorms in place for London and parts of the south east later today. WATTON: This is the moment another wildfire threatens to engulf a Norfolk village as firefighters desperately battle to push back the advancing inferno WATTON: The blaze, which was yesterday being tackled by at least 60 firefighters, is thought to have started in a field near the homes and is believed to have spread to a number of houses WENNINGTON: An aerial view shows the rubble and destruction in a residential area following a large blaze the previous day in Wennington, Greater London WENNINGTON: Around 100 firefighters were called to an inferno in Wennington, Essex, alone, which one emergency worker described as 'absolute hell.' (Pictured: Row of destroyed homes in Wennington following Tuesday's inferno) DAGENHAM: Firefighters at the scene of a blaze in Dagenham, east London, which destroyed a number of properties and vehiclesDAGENHAM: One of the worst scenes aside from Wennington was in Dagenham, east London, where video shows an almost post-apocalyptic scene following a blaze which has destroyed a number of properties. One person filming the devastation described it as 'like a warzone' DAGENHAM: At least 14 homes and 25 vehicles are believed to have been destroyed in a blaze in Dagenham, east London BARNSLEY: A row of homes destroyed by fire in Woodland Drive, Barnsley stand as empty shells following a devastating wildfire yesterday BARNSLEY: The remains of a property in Barnsley after a fire broke out in a back garden and spread to homes - destroying four properties MALTBY: An aerial view shows the burn out remains of homes after a wildfire ripped through properties in South Yorkshire yesterday MALTBY: An aerial view shows the burn out remains of homes after a wild fire in Maltby yesterday, as fires broke out across the country amid a record 40C heatwave DARTFORD: A view from a drone of Bob Dunn Way Area, close to the former site of Joyce Green Hospital, where a wildfire nearly spread to homes DARTFORD: The fire was contained to a large area of heathland. The fire was the other side over the river to the Wennington fire which destroyed at least 19 houses How London Fire Brigade had resources stretched by multiple fires in yesterday's record-breaking 40C heatwave Yesterday London Fire Brigade declared a 'major emergency' after a number of fires broke out across the Greater London area.Among the largest incidents in the capital, there were: Thirty fire engines dealing with a grass fire on Pea Lane in Upminster.Fifteen fire engines tackling a fire on The Green in Wennington.Twelve fire engines tackling a fire involving garden fencing and trees on Uxbridge Road in Pinner.Ten fire engines tackling a restaurant fire on Green Lanes in Southgate.Eight fire engines tackling a grass fire on Oaks Road in Croydon.Eight fire engines tackling a grass fire on Ballards Road in Dagenham.Eight fire engines tackling a fire on The Broadway in Wembley.Six fire engines tackling a grass fire on Sunningfields Crescent in Hendon.Four fire engines tackling a grass fire on Chapel View in Croydon.Four fire engines tackling a fire on Sidcup Road in Eltham.Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said that Tuesday was the busiest day for London Fire Brigade since the Second World War, with the service experiencing more than seven times the usual volume of calls.He told old Sky News: 'Yesterday was the busiest day for the fire service in London since the Second World War.'On a normal day the fire service receives - roughly speaking - 350 calls, and on a busy day 500 calls.'Yesterday they received more than 2,600 calls - more than a dozen simultaneous fires requiring 30 engines, a couple requiring 15, and some requiring 12.'I'm afraid the bad news is 41 properties were destroyed in London.'He added that on Wednesday fire engines are expected to arrive at properties on average around six minutes after a call is made, but yesterday it took firefighters 20 minutes due to the increased demand.Amid the scramble to evacuate in Wennington, one woman said her uncle was trapped – and was 'digging a trench' around his house to thwart the flames. Police later rescued him.With its Norman church, Wennington features in the Domesday Book, and it seemed an apt description last night amid the smouldering ruins of charred homes. Local councillor Susan Ospreay had been 'devastated'.The inferno appears to have been sparked by a burning compost heap around 1pm in parched grassland adjacent to Wennington fire station – which meant firefighters were immediately on the scene.But they fought in vain to stop it rapidly spreading on to tinder dry scrubland and incinerating back gardens. As homes were gutted, residents said they could hear the sound of panicked horses whinnying in a surrounding field.The heartbreaking village blaze was the most dramatic example of how the country was struggling to cope as the mercury reached unprecedented levels. One resident described the wrecked village as looking like 'a scene from the Blitz'.Resident John Bishop claims he saw the fire from his back window as it started to spread. He told the Telegraph: 'I saw a compost heap which went up in flames and I'm wondering if that was the source of this fire.'The fire became an inferno incredibly quickly. I really don't know about my home, I've been keeping an eye on it on the news via the helicopter pictures.'Another local, Ray Smith, 55, told the Sun: 'I've never seen anything like it before in my life. I got in my car and got out of there. People were scared. It's heartbreaking. I think I've lost everything.' Tim Stock, whose own house was destroyed, said he and his son saw the fire in his neighbour's garden but had been unable to stop it spreading.The 66-year-old, who works as the village gravedigger and church warden, managed to escape with his family, two dogs and a tortoise.He said: 'I lost everything. The house, the garden, we had two beehives, there was no going back. My son took some stuff and went round to his mate's house but about 10 minutes later that burnt down so he has got nothing either.'I've been a gravedigger for 50 years. My truck has blown up, that belonged to the council. I didn't have time to get it out. 'Last night I stayed in Thurrock Hotel. The council was trying to put us up in people's houses but we've got two dogs and my tortoise Malty.' Speaking about how the fire started, he said: 'The fire started across the cornfield, at one point I got stuck behind the cordon and the field was burning so I couldn't get out that way.'We opened up the church because I have the keys, we got everyone in, people were covered in soot, they were having a drink of water, but then that started filling up with smoke so we had to get everyone out again. I'm surprised it didn't burn down as well to be honest. ' More than a dozen firefighters injured battling blazes in London A total of 16 fire fighters were injured tackling the series of fires that ripped through London, Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Smith of the London Fire Brigade said today.In unprecedented scenes, hundreds of firefighters tackled 15 fires in 40 degree temperatures as he warned that climate change would bring more of the same in the future.Speaking to reporters from the village of Wennington he said: 'We have never faced anything like what we saw across London yesterday. We have never had firefighters operating in 40-degree heat.'We had 2,600 calls come through to our control room and we responded to well over 1,000 incidents.'What we have to do to bring fires in the open back under control is extremely labour intensive. It is very physically draining, dragging hoses across fields.'That's why we have had 16 firefighters injured altogether, all of whom have fully recovered.'Describing the scene after yesterday's blaze, he replied: 'It was like a warzone. Down the actual main road, all the windows had exploded out, all the roofs have caved, it was like a scene from the Blitz really.'It's heartbreaking really. I mean, I've been there 41 years but my granddad was there before me, so we've been there 60-odd years, he told BBC Radio 5 Live.'And to see it all fall apart yesterday, it's really sad. But as I said, we'll get the site cleared, fit up a kind of mobile home there, and we'll start again.'Another resident, Carole Stopp, 69, who has lived in Wennington Green for more than 35 years, also rescued her tortoise Cleo - who is 60 years old in human years - from the blaze.She told the Telegraph: 'Thick black smoke started rising at about 1pm. 'I said: 'Oh my god' and looked out the window. Our neighbour Tim's front garden was on fire. We rang to see if he was ok. Tim was trying to put the fire out himself with a hose.'Then we heard some large bangs - we think it must have been windows imploding because of the heat. We just grabbed the tortoise and left.'Meanwhile, Gary Ruel, 63, a lorry driver who also was evacuated from his home, told the paper: 'I'm really worried about my house.'I might have lost three cats, I got the dog out, but didn't have time for the cats.'Neighbour Kia Meadows described how quickly things went ablaze. She told BBC's Radio 4 Today programme: 'I was sunbathing in my garden when a massive black cloud's come across, I looked up and that side of Wennington was on fire and within an hour it had spread to our house. 'A lot of this land is built on a lot of rubbish and as soon as the heat comes, this area goes on fire straight away but never did I believe it would come that close.' WENNINGTON: Residents and emergency services are assessing the damage this morning after Britain's hottest day on record sparked a string of devastating wild fires which destroyed dozens of homes and businesses. (Pictured: Aftermath in Wennington, Essex) WENNINGTON: Burned out cars are among the wreckage left by a fierce wildfire in Wennington, Essex, sparked by record-breaking temperatures on Tuesday WENNINGTON: Firefighters are pictured dampening the flames in Wennington early on Wednesday morning, as warnings for fires remained in place due to the dry conditions WENNINGTON: A woman is given water and comforted close to the blaze in the village of Wennington, east London, where 100 firefighters tackled a fire on Tuesday WENNINGTON: Burnt grass surrounds St Mary and St Peter's Church in the village of Wennington, as historic place of worship miraculously remains largely untouched by the inferno WENNINGTON: Two rows of terraced houses, four other homes, 12 stables and five cars were destroyed by the inferno in Wennington, near the Dartford Crossing east of London. Pictured: A sliding image showing the devastation after the fire (left) and the village before the fire (right) DAGENHAM: Pictures show an almost post-apocalyptic scene with a number of properties and vehicles destroyed in a blaze in Dagenham, east London DAGENHAM: Pictures show the scale of destruction caused by a grassland fire that tore through a residential area of Dagenham DAGENHAM: More than 130 people had to be evacuated from their homes yesterday when a wildfire broke out in Beam Parklands and spread to nearby residential roads (damage pictured) DAGENHAM: The fire tore through buildings and what appears to be a car storage area. As many as 14 homes and 25 vehicles are believed to have been damaged WENNINGTON: A row of burnt out houses and gardens is seen in the village of Wennington east of London after yesterday's record temperatures. Pictured: Slide across to see a satellite image of the properties before the blaze WENNINGTON: A compost heap on the edge of Wennington village is believed by some to be the source of the inferno after it reportedly burst into flames before spreading to nearby grass and undergrowth and eventually reaching homes (destroyed properties pictured) WENNINGTON: The fire took place near to a fire station. Firefighters battled to contain the inferno is it swept across the village, and towards the fire station itself WENNINGTON: The chard remains of homes in the village of Wennington following the devastating fire which swept through yesterday as Britain hit 40C for the first time WENNINGTON: A Union flag remains undamaged amid the devastation following the huge wildfire which ripped through the village of Wennington in east LondonWENNINGTON: The charred remains of a house in Wennington, Greater London, following a devastating wildfire which ripped through the village on Tuesday WENNINGTON: The inferno appears to have been sparked by a burning compost heap around 1pm in parched grassland adjacent to Wennington fire station – which meant firefighters were immediately on the scene WENNINGTON: Firefighters fought in vain to stop the fire rapidly spreading on to tinder dry scrubland and incinerating back gardens. As homes were gutted, residents said they could hear the sound of panicked horses whinnying in a surrounding fieldSome disruption is still expected on railway services this morning but timetables are set to improve throughout the day. Wennington resident says she fled her home with just a photo album, her cat and her dead father's ashesA woman fled her burning home in scorched Wennington with just her photo album, a cat and her dead father's ashes, it emerged today.Two of her cats are still missing following the massive fire which she said might have started in a compost bin next door to her.The story emerged as a friend, who would not give his name, returned to the village to look for her cats.He said he was looking after two people who had lost their homes.He said: 'I just came down to look for the cats of two friends who are staying at mine in Upminster.'I heard the scrapyard was looking after pets but I haven't seen the cats and the police aren't letting anyone through.'The fire, it was next door to their house, and she seems to think it came from a compost bin. She said it enveloped the treeline.'She tried to get her cats out, one jumped out of her hand, the other she got in a box and the other ran off.'It scratched her hand it was so frightened.'She was evacuated to the Windmill pub but luckily I'm local so I phoned them up when I heard and they came to stay with me in Upminster.'They are more concerned about the cats than the rest of it. They're in shock but there are little bits coming back to them.'She lost her father last year and she picked up her photo albums on the way out and his ashes.'Otherwise it's all gone, everything. They've got two vehicles and they are not even letting them go in to get them, a van on The Green and a Porsche outside someone's house.'At least if they get them they are mobile.'Wennington is still cordoned off as emergency services remain on site to assess the damage. At least 40 hectares of grassland and farm buildings were affected and many houses and 12 stables were destroyed, while at least 90 properties were evacuated. While the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, a number of residents reported seeing a fire start in someone's garden. Warnings are still in place across the country today due to the very dry ground but temperatures are expected to drop significantly while some showers are predicted.Elsewhere in the country hundreds of fire crews battled raging infernos in Wales, Scotland and the rest of England as 'tinderbox' dry conditions in the UK caused wildfires to threaten homes, animals and people and a children's nursery was destroyed along with most of a street in Yorkshire amid police fears some of the fires could have been deliberate. Officers and fire chiefs also think deliberate blazes were set on scrubland, trees, fields, rubbish, buildings on a residential street and at a nature reserve during the heatwave, which began on Saturday. Yesterday, temperature records were shattered as sweltering Britons turned to beaches lakes and even fountains in Trafalgar Square in a desperate bid to cool off. Heathrow was first to reach the 40C barrier – breaking the old record of 38.7C (102F) measured in Cambridge in 2019. But hottest of all yesterday was Coningsby in Lincolnshire, which recorded 40.3C (104.5F). At least 34 parts of the country broke the UK's previous national record of 38.7C, the Met Office said stretching from West Yorkshire to Surrey. Staggeringly, meteorologists calculated that Britain was hotter than 98.9 per cent of the Earth's surface yesterday.Scotland also recorded its hottest day ever as temperatures climbed to 34.8C (94.64) at Charterhall and Wales set its record yesterday of 37.1C in Hawarden, Flintshire.But a band of thunderstorms moving across England and Wales from the Isles of Scilly spelt the end of the punishing temperatures for some.The 'extreme heat' also led to almost 15,000 homes in the North East being left without power at about 2pm as electrical equipment overheated during the record temperatures. Roads were also closed as fires broke out alongside major motorways including the M25 and M1.Emergency call centres were hit with tens of thousands of pleas for help. Greater Manchester Police said four fires were deliberate on moorland at Dovestone Reservoir near Oldham. Superintendent Phil Hutchinson said: 'This is being as arson which, following conviction, can result in a lengthy prison sentence.'The UK is also being warned these temperatures could soon be the 'new normal' as Britain starts to see wildfires, extreme heat and pressure on the water supply which has long plagued Europe.One expert, a specialist in wildfire operations, last night told the Telegraph that the severity of fires seen yesterday was 'rare, or possibly unprecedented' in the UK. Steve Gibson said: 'It's difficult to find a previous time when so much of the country has been affected.' A major incident was declared due to a fire surge near Twickenham Golf Course between Feltham, Teddington, Richmond and Hounslow in West London on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. Police arrived, along with London Fire Brigades, arrived at the scene and started evacuating residents. Temperatures reached more than 40C for the first time This pictures show how the dramatic fire in the village of Wennington engulfed a row of homes as the blaze spread from the grass A row of houses on fire in the village of Wennington in East London yesterday afternoon as temperatures soar again tod Families now homeless in Wennington, where the worst of the wildfires has been seen, were at first sent to a Premier Inn before that lost power and they were directed to go to Hornchurch Sport Centre to sleep on air mattresses as their 'worst nightmare' came true Maggie Stock, Tim Stock, Vicky Schafer and Alfie Stock who have lost everything after the fire started next door to them in Wennington The chard remains the Stocks's home in the village of Wennington, following yesterday's blaze which started amid yesterday's 40C heatwave Shocking pictures show a huge bush fire raging on the Dartford marshes, Kent on Tuesday Geographic information system software Esri shows on this map where wildfires have broken out and in red where there has been strong thermal hotspots for serious blazes. In this picture you can see most are in England and the south with a few in the very north of England In this aerial view, smoke from fires in a residential area being fought by fire services are seen on Tuesday in Wennington Hundreds of fire crews battled raging infernos in Wales, Scotland and the rest of England as 'tinderbox' dry conditions in the UK caused wildfires to threaten homes, animals and people and a children's nursery was destroyed along with most of a street in Yorkshire. Pictured: A fire at Hatch End on Tuesday afternoon. A fire burns the Kiddi Caru nursery in the Walnut Tree area of Milton Keynes down to the ground as blazes take hold of areas across England The fire at Wennington is shown yesterday (left) and the area is also pictured before the blaze (right, file picture) This picture shows homes on fire as a huge heath fire ravaged at least three houses near Rotherham, South Yorkshire Fires sparked by lightning at Zennor Head, West Cornwall pictured burning on Tuesday evening Around 100 firefighters tackled blaze in the village of Wennington in East London yesterday amid the 40C heatwave People remove gas canisters from Lennards pub as firefighters tackle a blaze in the village of Wennington yesterday afternoon A huge black smoke cloud erupts during a blaze in the village of Wennington yesterday afternoon Around 100 firefighters tackled a blaze in the village of Wennington in East London yesterday that destroyed a number of homes A man attempts to damp down the smouldering field with a hose pipe as fire services tackle a large blaze in WenningtonThe remains of a fire near Dartford Heath on the A2 coastbound, Crayford is seen as smoke spreads throughout the area Firefighters attend a gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall yesterday afternoon Firefighters attend a blaze on Dartford Marshes in Kent after temperatures reached 40C for the first time on record Residents of Yorkshire queued for more than two hours to gain entry into Ilkley Lido The Dartford fire is seen raging yesterday as firefighters rushed to tackle the flames A thunderstorm is seen to rage in Thanet, Kent (left) while a major incident has been declared due to a fire surge near Twickenham Golf Course (right) between Feltham, Teddington, Richmond and Hounslow in West London Firefighters attend a gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall yesterday afternoon A firefighter tackles a grass fire in a park in New Brighton in Merseyside yesterday afternoon amid the heatwave Firefighters attend a gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall yesterday afternoon Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service issued this picture of firefighters attend to a grass fire in Rixton, Warrington The area surrounding Twickenham Golf Course was filled full of smoke as a fire raged and creeped closer to a Shell garage A gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall yesterday afternoon amid the very high temperatures The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, yesterday morning after a grass fire came within feet of homes Firefighters rest as they attend a gorse bush fire during a heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall yesterday afternoon The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, yesterday morning after a grass fire came within feet of homes Drone footage of the aftermath of a field fire by Cheshunt Park in Hertfordshire pictured yesterday A gorse bush fire during the heatwave near Zennor in Cornwall yesterday afternoon amid the very high temperatures The burnt out remains of parkland in Skellow, Doncaster, yesterday morning after a grass fire came within feet of homes A wild fire in Upminster, Essex, yesterday, seen from the M25 motorway, as the temperature hit 40C amid a series of extreme weather warnings The burnt out remains of Lickey Hills parkland in Birmingham yesterday morning where fire crews are still on the sceneFamilies now homeless in Wennington, where the worst of the wildfires has been seen, were at first sent to a Premier Inn before that lost power and they were directed to go to Hornchurch Sport Centre to sleep on air mattresses as their 'worst nightmare' came true. How to claim on insurance if your home is damaged in a fire Claiming on your insurance can be a daunting task at the best of times, let alone after your home has been damaged or destroyed in a fire. Here is a step-by-step guide by loss assessors Morgan Clark on what you should do if tragedy strikes.1. Notify the insurance companyYou'll need to tell your insurer immediately. Many of these have a specific emergency number you can ring that is staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year. 2. Secure the buildingAfter the fire brigade has done its job, the home owner is the person responsible for making sure there is no further damage or loss. They should do their best to keep people from entering the house and making sure it is structurally safe - the latter of which may require hiring a qualified surveyor. You must also have your house checked by a qualified electrician to make sure wiring isn't compromised. 3. Find temporary accommodationThis will often be the main priority immediately after a fire. You can stay with family or friends, or your insurer can provide you with accommodation such as a nearby hotel, until you find somewhere long-term.4. Meet a Loss AdjusterThe insurance company will appoint, and pay for, a Loss Adjuster. This person is responsible for all investigations and negotiations. They will look into the damage, and will ask questions about the fire including what caused it. It might be helpful to hire a professional Loss Assessor to represent yourself in this.5. Loss Adjuster's initial reportThe Loss Adjuster will submit a report to the insurance company. This will detail the circumstances of the fire and recommend whether or not the insurer should accept the claim. It will also state whether they think your insurance policy is sufficient for what has taken place. If you have hired a Loss Assessor, they will discuss with you where you can go from here. 6. Appoint emergency contractorsThese contractors will deal with securing and weather-proofing the property, as well as storing any items. They will also check for asbestos and make the property safe. The insurer might not pay for this until they have accepted liability for your claim, so you might have to pay for it in the meantime. 7. Appoint a qualified SurveyorThis person will assess the damage to the property and put together a detailed scope of works for rebuilding your home.8. Claim for your contentsAt this stage you (or the Loss Assessor if you've appointed one) will now start to prepare a claim for lost or damaged contents. This must be as detailed as possible, with accurate replacement values. For items such as designer clothes or electronic equipment, there will need to be proof of make, model or design.9. Emergency accommodation/costs claimA claim for emergency costs should now be compiled, such as money spent on emergency accommodation.10. Find long-term alternative accommodationYou can choose to stay with friends or family, but you can also move into more permanent rented accommodation. If you have a Loss Assessor they can guide you through your options.11. Negotiations with the Loss AdjusterThere should now be another meeting with the Loss Adjuster to discuss the entire claim, including how much work is needed on the house, and the claims you have submitted for contents and emergency costs.12. Move into long-term alternative accommodationOnce this has been approved by the insurer, you are free to move into your temporary new home. 13. Tender ProcessThe Surveyor will put re-building works out to tender, with contractors submitting their bids. They will then make a decision on the successful bids and works will take place.14. Contents claimWhile the tender process is taking place, negotiations will continue about the contents claim. This should be fully agreed and all payments made or replacement items secured before the work is completed on the home. 15. Return HomeOnce works are completed, you will be able to move back into your home.16. Final claim settlementAfter all this is done, you will be able to submit the final part of your claim, which covers all your expenses as a result of the incident. Source: Morgan Clark Amid the scramble to evacuate people from Wennington yesterday, one woman said her uncle was trapped – and was 'digging a trench' around his house to thwart the flames. Police later rescued him.With its Norman church, Wennington features in the Domesday Book, and it seemed an apt description last night amid the smouldering ruins of charred homes.Local councillor Susan Ospreay said: 'Wennington Village has been completely devastated by fire.' The inferno appears to have been sparked by a burning compost heap around 1pm in parched grassland adjacent to Wennington fire station – which meant firefighters were immediately on the scene.But they fought in vain to stop it rapidly spreading on to tinder dry scrubland and incinerating back gardens. As homes were gutted, residents said they could hear the sound of panicked horses whinnying in a surrounding field.Lorry driver Gary Rouel, 64, told how he raced back from work after a phone call from his wife Debbie, 64, saying: 'She just said, 'The house has gone up in flames.'Mrs Rouel, a dinner lady, tried to round up the couple's three cats and their dog as firefighters ordered her to evacuate.Mr Rouel said: 'It's terrible. I've just finished paying off the mortgage two months ago. It's heartbreaking. My wife has [the lung condition] COPD and the fireman was just telling her 'Get out, get out!'.'The couple's son William, 33, who lives in Halstead, Essex said: 'My mum sent me a picture of the fire outside the home from the bathroom. She was still in there when it was coming up to the house.'It started in the field, then came into the garden, then it was up to the decking and the conservatory. We think the neighbour's house has gone too. It's awful, I watched on TV as the house went up in flames.' Distressed residents could be seen carrying buckets of water to the Lennards Arms pub where the community had gathered. Others were hurri | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The Luton Airport runway was closed because of a 'surface defect' in the heat today as Wales recorded its hottest day on record with England set to follow later after fires broke out, trains were cancelled and schools closed.One passenger said her flight had been diverted to Stansted because the 'runway has apparently melted in Luton', adding that her car was still at Luton and she 'can't wait to schlep with the kids across counties on the hottest day of the year.' Another added: 'Diverted to Stansted, sat waiting to see will they fly us or bus us back to Luton.' A Luton spokesman apologised to passengers, telling MailOnline: 'Following today's high temperatures, a surface defect was identified on the runway. Engineers were called immediately to site and repair works are currently in progress to resume operations as soon as possible. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused.' The Met Office confirmed Hawarden in Flintshire had reached 37.1C (98.8F) this afternoon, exceeding the previous all-time high in Wales of 35.2C (95.4F) in the same location on August 2, 1990. And it was Cornwall's hottest day on record today, with 34.2C (93.6F) observed in Bude - beating the previous all-time high of 33.9C (93F) in June 1976.In England, the hotspot by 4pm today was Cambridge with 38C (100.4F) - closing in on the all-time UK record of 38.7C (101.7F), set in the same city in July 2019. It was also the UK's hottest day of the year so far by some distance - beating the previous 2022 high of 33C (91F) set in Hawarden only yesterday. London was at 37.5C (99.5F) today.Wildfires continued to burn today after weeks of very dry conditions - including across fields near Chesterfield in Derbyshire - while a vehicle dramatically set on fire in a car park near the beauty spot of Durdle Door in Dorset.Elsewhere, rail tracks buckled in London's Vauxhall in the heat - resulting in a safety inspection on the line that caused disruption between Waterloo and Clapham Junction. And operator Great Northern said a buckled rail at Watlington in Norfolk meant services could not run between Cambridge and Kings Lynn. And all flights in and out of RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire were halted because the 'runway has melted', according to a military source. In London, a judge at Wood Green Crown Court was forced to halt a murder trial after an air conditioning unit broke down – saying he had 'no choice' but to adjourn proceedings and move the case to the Old Bailey.With the UK set to be hotter than the Sahara Desert, transport links in the capital were already grinding to a halt due to train cancellations - while roads could melt and bosses have urged employees to work from home.Health chiefs told patients to stay away unless it is an emergency amid fears hospitals will be overwhelmed, while emergency services urged swimmers to stay away from lakes and rivers in case they face difficulties.Some schools in Nottinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire have shut while others will close early - and water providers have also warned of shortages, while a burst water main caused chaos in Kingston upon Thames.Some 53 schools in Buckinghamshire have closed and reverted to remote learning. Elsewhere, Northwood Community Primary School in Kirkby, Merseyside, said that sports day had been axed today; while King Charles I School, a secondary school in Worcestershire, has cancelled all on-site detentions both today and tomorrow.Professor Endersby told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning: 'We think today we may well see the hottest day in the UK in history, with the hottest temperatures in the South East, but actually the highest temperatures we expect tomorrow, and those temperatures will be further north as that warm air pushes north. 'It's tomorrow that we're really seeing the higher chance of 40C and temperatures above that. Even possibly above that... 41C isn't off the cards. We've even got some 43Cs in the model but we're hoping it won't be as high as that.'One GP surgery in Hertfordshire had to close a site today because it has no air conditioning; others in London have texted patients to warn them of reduced services with limited clinic rooms in operation; and Milton Keynes University Hospital said it was 'standing down routine outpatient appointments and surgery' today and tomorrow. In Cardiff, a children's hospital's cancer ward at Noah's Ark Children's Hospital was left without air conditioning after the unit failed in hot weather. Engineers were working to fix the fault affecting the chemotherapy area - and health chiefs said that if the problem cannot be solved, patients will be moved to a different ward to keep cool. Meanwhile Royal Mail warned of disruption to deliveries, saying today: 'In areas where temperatures rise to potentially dangerous levels during the day, our staff have been advised to return to the office with any mail they have been unable to deliver and not put themselves under any risk of falling ill due to the extreme heat.' At Buckingham Palace, the Changing of the Guard was scaled down to protect the soldiers. The marching and ceremonial parade was made shorter to prevent the Queen's Guard from being too long in the midday sun.But Guardsman were still required to stand to attention and march outside the Palace in their Canadian bearskins and full uniform. And one standing guard was seen being given water to drink as he stood in the direct sunshine.As health officials declared a 'national emergency', rail chaos was already affecting parts of London this morning - with the Overground suspended between Willesden Junction and Richmond, and Romford and Upminster.On the Underground, the District, Central, Bakerloo and Jubilee lines all had severe delays while the Hammersmith & City Line was completely axed due to 'heat related restrictions' and there was no Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate. Transport for London told all passengers in the capital to avoid non-essential travel.The scorching heat means the UK will be warmer than Nassau in the Bahamas (32C), Kingston in Jamaica (33C), Malaga in Spain (28C), Athens in Greece (35C), Albufeira in Portugal (28C) and Dakhla in the Western Sahara (24C).Temperatures had already hit 34C (93F) in London by midday today. As Britons camped overnight at Bournemouth beach for the best spot today amid what forecasters called an 'exceptional hot spell':The Met Office urged people to do 'as little as possible' to avoid dire health risks as the 'red warning' began;Rail passengers were urged to travel only if 'necessary' and gritters were sent out to stop roads melting;Wildfires swept through parched grassland after days of dry and roasting conditions in 'tinderbox' Britain;There is now a 90 per cent chance of the all-time UK temperature record being broken today or tomorrow;Water providers including Affinity, Anglian and South East reported supply issues due to the hot weather.The hot weather also caused a significant drop in footfall in London, with a drop of 10 per cent across high streets, retail parks and shopping centres today compared to last week. The figure across all UK shopping destinations was down 3 per cent overall - but footfall on high streets in coastal towns was up 9 per cent. This map from Netweather shows how 41C highs are expected in parts of central England tomorrow - and 40C in the South Fire crews fight grass and field fires near Chesterfield in Derbyshire today as temperatures soar across Britain Thousands of people pack onto Brighton beach in East Sussex this afternoon as the very hot weather continues A member of the Queen's Guard receives water to drink during the hot weather outside Buckingham Palace in London today A vehicle dramatically set on fire in a car park near the beauty spot of Durdle Door in Dorset this afternoon A very busy Brighton beach in East Sussex at lunchtime today as visitors flock to the seaside A major grass fire in Newgale, Pembrokeshire, today with multiple crews at the scene trying to keep it under control Two women play in the sea off Bournemouth beach today on the hottest day of the year so far Firefighters tackle a huge blaze at a recycling centre near Braintree in Essex today amid fears it may spread to a nearby forest People jump into the tidal pool and swim during hot weather at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Network Rail engineers have found a kink in the rail at Vauxhall in London today due to the extreme heat The kink in the tracks was spotted near Vauxhall in London today, with trains re-routed to avoid the affected section A man uses a newspaper as a fan whilst travelling on the Bakerloo line in central London during the heatwave today Sunbathers on the sand at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today as the very hot weather continues People out enjoying the hot weather at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside today as temperatures rise all over the UK Lara Cahill, Olivia Murtagh and Caoimhe Clynch sunbathe on Portobello beach in Edinburgh todayPeople flock to Bournemouth beach in Dorset today as they make the most of the extreme temperaturesTanisha Randell, 19, takes a stroll along Bournemouth beach today during a day trip from Southampton People swim at Hampstead Heath in North West London today as they enjoy the very hot weather Commuters cross London Bridge today as the Shard reflects the sun in the early morning heat People relax on Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as the heatwave continues People flock to Bournemouth beach in Dorset today as they make the most of the extreme temperatures People preparing to enter the water in Penzance, Cornwall, today Scorching temperatures in Battersea Park in South West London today as people cool off inside the fountainCommuters on London Bridge feel the heat at 8.30am this morning amid the extreme weather conditions A young girl rides her inflatable pelican in the sea at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, this afternoon A woman uses a fan to cool herself down as commuters cross London Bridge today in extreme temperaturesA woman keeping cool in the River Thames near Chertsey in Surrey today (left) and another on Bournemouth beach (right)People took to Twitter after the London Luton Airport runway was closed because of a ‘surface defect’ in the heat todayThe Met Office's Professor Endersby said today that such extreme temperatures are not expected beyond tomorrow, but that meteorologists will then be monitoring the possibility of drought in the coming months. 'Well, we certainly don't see these very hot temperatures persisting past Tuesday, so we're expecting a big drop in temperature, mercifully, overnight into Wednesday - down 10 or 12 degrees on what it has been the days before. Millions more people work from home to avoid severe travel disruptionMillions more people are working from home to avoid severe disruption to transport networks caused by soaring temperatures.Road traffic and public transport usage dropped on Monday after people were urged to avoid unnecessary travel.Network Rail said the number of passengers using major stations across Britain on Monday was around 20% down on a week ago.Location technology firm TomTom said road congestion at 9am was lower in most UK cities than at the same time last week. In London, congestion levels fell from 53% on July 11 to 42% on Monday.In Birmingham they were down from 46% to 43%, in Manchester they decreased from 45% to 37%, and in Glasgow they dropped from 17% to 12%. The figures reflect the proportion of additional time required for journeys compared with free-flow conditions.Transport for London (TfL), which advised people to 'only travel if essential', said around 1.06 million entries and exits were made by London Underground passengers up to 10am on Monday. This is down 18% compared with the same period last Monday.Some 1.07 million bus journeys were made up to 10am, a 10% decrease week on week.TfL said: 'Ridership on Monday is typically lower than other days of the week on public transport and is therefore likely to be a good indication of where people are working from home. Typically, TfL also sees a small reduction in ridership at this time of year as schools enter their last week of term and people begin to go on holiday.'However, the recent high temperatures have led to more of a reduction than would have been expected before our travel advice was issued to only make essential journeys during this extreme hot weather.'Temperatures were expected to soar into the high 30s on Monday. Train speed restrictions imposed by Network Rail to reduce the chances of tracks buckling in the heatwave caused delays and cancellations.Many operators are running a heavily reduced timetable on Monday and Tuesday, including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Great Northern and Thameslink. LNER will run no trains from south of York and south of Leeds to London King's Cross on Tuesday.Kevin Groves, chief spokesman for Network Rail, said journeys which typically take two hours could take 'more than four hours' as emergency measures have been brought in to prevent trains derailing.He told Sky News: 'Certainly later on today that (buckling) is a strong possibility, which is why, from about midday today through till 8pm tonight, there will be large swathes of England and Wales that will have emergency heat-related speed restrictions placed on the rail network.'Jake Kelly, also from Network Rail, warned of travel disruption across the country. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the return of normal services on Wednesday 'will depend on the damage that the weather does to the infrastructure'.Council gritters were on stand-by to spread light dustings of sand on melting roads.The RAC anticipated that the number of vehicle breakdowns on Monday and Tuesday could be up to a fifth higher than normal. Spokesman Rod Dennis said the increase in callouts will 'put pressure on all breakdown services' as he advised drivers to carry an 'emergency kit' such as water, non-perishable food, sun protection and any medication required.'We are still seeing hotter than average in our three-month outlook and also very dry, and our attention is turning, once we're past these two days, to drought and when we might see any rain, and we're not seeing any significant rain coming up.'She also said that the public should take Met Office heat warnings as seriously as those about other significant weather events such as snow or wind, as the extreme heat could cause thousands of excess deaths.Professor Endersby added: 'Our warnings are always impact-based, so, when we put out warnings, if they're red, that means there's a danger to life and we're expecting major infrastructure impacts, and that's true, whether it's snow, wind, rain, and it's true of this heat warning. 'We're certainly seeing people reacting a little bit differently to the heat warnings as though they think that maybe we shouldn't be telling them to worry about heat the way we tell them to worry about storm or wind.'These temperatures are unprecedented in the UK and we're not used to dealing with them. And heat undoubtedly causes many hundreds, thousands of excess deaths in heatwaves, so people do need to take care and follow the advice we've been putting out about keeping in the shade, keeping cool, keeping hydrated, and so on.'She also said that, while extreme temperatures remain 'rare', by 2100 temperatures like those expected this week could be seen in the UK as frequently as once in every three years as a result of climate change.'These temperatures are unattainable in the UK without climate change, they just don't appear in the ensembles at all. They're still rare in today's 1.1 - 1.2-degree warmed climate, but by 2100, we're expecting them to be anywhere between one in 15 and one in three years, depending on the emissions pathways we take between now and then.'She added: 'We will certainly need to make changes to our infrastructure, transport, hospitals, care, homes, all those sorts of things, as well as to our domestic building designs. So yes, we need to make short-term changes for things like cooling centres and then longer-term changes, as well as assuming the very good progress we've already made as a nation towards net zero.'It comes after the Met Office revealed the deep red colour showing the high temperatures on weather maps was part of a redesign in autumn 2021 that was actually intended for parts of the Middle East and North Africa. Chief meteorologist at the Met Office Paul Davies warned that tonight will be very hot and it will be hard to sleep in the heat. He told Sky News: 'Tonight will be very oppressive, I mean it's actually difficult sleeping conditions.'And tomorrow is the day where we are really concerned about a good chance now of hitting 40C or 41C, and with that all the health conditions that come with those higher temperatures.'He also claimed that the rise in temperature is 'entirely consistent' with climate change and said the 'brutality' of the heat could become commonplace by the end of the century.Mr Davies told Sky News the weather charts he had seen today were 'astounding' and unlike any he had observed throughout his 30-year career.'This is entirely consistent with climate change. To get 40 degrees in the UK we need that additional boost from human-induced climate,' he said. 'Well, I've been a meteorologist for about 30 years and I've never seen the charts I've seen today. 'And the speed at which we are seeing these exceptionally high temperatures is broadly in line with what we were saying but to be honest, as a meteorologist, to see the brutality of the heat we're expecting tomorrow, is quite astounding. And it does worry me a lot and my colleagues here at the Met Office that this sort of unprecedented heat could become a regular occurrence by the end of the century.'And Mr Davies said that even colleagues in hot countries like Spain and Portugal had described the scenes in the UK as 'exceptional'.The top forecaster said a 'plume' of heat pushing across Europe was affecting Britain differently. A combination of that plume and human activity generating its own heat is contributing to the high temperatures, he said. A family paddle at the fountains of Trafalgar Square in London this afternoon A packed Brighton beach today after the UK's first ever red extreme heat warning was issued A group of friends jump into the pool as people enjoy the hot weather at Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge today Sunbathers take to the sea at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today amid the extreme heat A busy Bournemouth Beach this morning as the country endures very hot weather Jerome Yates and Orla Tagg make use of the shade in London's Regents Park during the heatwave today A man enjoys the heat as he contemplates going into Dovestone reservoir in Greater Manchester today People out in the sun at Trafalgar Square in London today as the UK endures the hottest day of the year so far Sunbathers on Bournemouth beach this morning as the UK heatwave continues A young woman stands under a water sprinkler outside Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London this afternoon People go for a dip at Hampstead swimming ponds in North West London during the heatwave today People out enjoying the hot weather at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside this morning A busy Bournemouth Beach this morning as the country endures very hot weather People out enjoying the hot weather at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside this morning Richard and Laura Frostman from the US under an umbrella in London's Regents Park during the heatwave today A very busy Bournemouth beach in Dorset this afternoon on the hottest day of the year so far Two women in the sea off Bournemouth Beach this morning as the country endures very hot weather Two women enjoy sunbathing at Hampstead Heath in North West London during the heatwave today Two women walk along a busy Bournemouth beach in Dorset today on the hottest day of the year so far An aerial view shows people swimming outside in the sun at Hathersage Swimming Pool in Derbyshire today A busy Bournemouth Beach this morning as the country is hit by extreme temperaturesTwo women sunbathe at Clapham Common in South West London today amid the extreme conditions A woman stays hydrated while commuting on the Jubilee line in London this morning as people travel to work People shelter from the sun underneath a map during the hot weather outside Buckingham Palace in London today People enjoy the beach in Folkestone, Kent, during the hot weather this afternoon People leap into the River Cam as the temperatures rises in Cambridge this afternoon A person sunbathing outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster this afternoon A woman enjoys a dip in the sea off Bournemouth beach in Dorset this morning as people flock to the seaside Eddie, a four year old golden retriever, travels on a District Line train in central London during the heatwave today A very busy Bournemouth beach in Dorset this afternoon on the hottest day of the year so far Charles relaxes as he enjoys the hot weather at Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge today A near empty Dowry Reservoir near Oldham today as the heatwave in the UK continues A man sunbathes at Clapham Common in South West London today amid the extreme conditions A group of people on Bournemouth Beach this morning as the country endures very hot weather A woman sunbathing in London's Regents Park during the heatwave this afternoon A man uses a stand-up paddleboard on the River Thames during the hot weather at Shepperton near Windsor today Commuters use umbrellas on London Bridge today as they feel the heat this morning amid the extreme weather conditions A very busy Bournemouth beach in Dorset this afternoon on the hottest day of the year so far People sunbathe at Clapham Common in South West London today amid the extreme conditions A group of men walk along Bournemouth beach today as people flock to the seaside to enjoy the very hot weather Commuters wait for a Jubilee line train at London Bridge station this morning as they travel to work Sunseekers enjoy the sea off Bournemouth beach today as people flock to the seaside to enjoy the very hot weather A person sits on the bank of near empty Dowry Reservoir close to Oldham this afternoon Commuters cross London Bridge this morning amid the extreme temperatures affecting the capital today People swim and relax in a dinghy on the River Thames during the hot weather at Shepperton near Windsor today A very busy Bournemouth beach in Dorset this afternoon on the hottest day of the year so far'I was talking to my colleagues in Spain, Portugal and France over the weekend and they described this heat as exceptional too, and they've seen and observed amazing temperatures and, as I say, the brutality of that impact. Burst water main floods London streets A burst water main has flooded streets in south-west London as temperatures soared across the UK.Around 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines responded to the scene on Galsworthy Road in Kingston upon Thames this morning, alongside the police.Footage shared on social media shows flooding on several roads which have been closed nearby. Around 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines responded to the scene of a burst water main in Kingston upon Thames todayThames Water has said the broken 30-inch pipe does not supply homes so water should not be affected, adding that the conduit is a trunk main and not a sewage pipe as some witnesses claimed.'Our engineers are tackling a large burst pipe on Kingston Hill. They're working to shut down the flow of water from the damaged section,' it said in a statement.'We'll be doing all we can to repair it and get things back to normal as soon as we can, particularly in the current heatwave. The burst pipe doesn't directly supply local properties, but we'll be working hard to limit any impact. We'll need to carry out a major repair, so there's likely to be a need for a road closure. We're sorry for any inconvenience this causes.'The flooding also limited access to Kingston Hospital.'Due to the water works incident on Kingston Hill, access to Kingston Hospital is currently limited,' Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust tweeted. 'Patients who need to come in can still enter the hospital site through the main car park entrance, via Coombe (road).'London Fire Brigade said: 'Firefighters are dealing with a large burst water main and is causing a number of road closures. Please avoid the area if possible.''In terms of the UK, the heat which has been affecting Spain, Portugal and France is different towards us. So it's the activity of that plume, and also us generating our own heat that's causing the particular problems for tomorrow.'Mr Davies also said temperatures will ease from next Wednesday onwards but warned another heatwave later in summer could not be ruled out.Mr Davies told Sky News: 'When we look to the future in terms of the next week, there is an easier time because in fact the temperatures start to ease back to what we describe as slightly above normal from about Wednesday onwards. 'But as we move into all this, you just can't rule out another plume.'He added that holiday-goers should also check the weather overseas because the heat is likely to be 'sustainable and pretty intense' over the course of the month.And London Mayor Sadiq Khan told Sky News today: 'We aren't ready for these temperatures, we aren't prepared. We're not used to them and that's why people should be careful. 'You're not on holiday now, you're in this country. These temperatures are excessive, please be careful.'He also said Boris Johnson is treating the British public with 'contempt' following his absence from Cobra meetings over the summer heatwave, and called for him to immediately step down as Prime Minister.Mr Johnson has been criticised for choosing not to chair the security meetings with Cabinet ministers as parts of the country face temperatures of up to 40C (104F) on Monday and Tuesday, while still finding time to ride in a Typhoon fighter jet during a demonstration at RAF Coningsby last week.Mr Khan said Mr Johnson should be making better use of his time, and declared he should hand over power to Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab while the Conservative Party chooses its next leader.He said: 'The Met Office for the first time ever have issued a level 4 red alert warning, the chief medical officer is advising everybody to be careful as a consequence of this extreme weather, the Prime Minister is hosting a lavish party at Chequers and obviously going on a joyride on a Typhoon plane.'That's not what a Prime Minister should be doing. And if the Prime Minister wants to go on a jolly, he should leave Number 10 Downing Street, he should resign and allow the Deputy Prime Minister to be a caretaker prime minister until the Conservatives have chosen their leader.'He added: 'This idea of a Prime Minister, who has been voted out by his party, having a jolly for six months is treating the British public with contempt, he should go now.'Sir Keir Starmer said the Government's lack of planning for the heatwave would leave people distressed and disappointed. The Labour was asked whether businesses and schools should be open, after he spoke to young entrepreneurs at a central London bank.He told reporters: 'Yes, schools should be open and most schools are managing perfectly well. Obviously there's been changes to uniforms and what people are wearing, children are wearing to school and some of the schools have flexible times when they can go home. People gather during hot weather on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Visitors to Cambridge take to the River Cam to enjoy punt rides as temperatures in the city soar People enjoy the conditions at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today as the very hot weather continues A very busy Bournemouth beach in Dorset this afternoon on the hottest day of the year so far Scorching temperatures in Battersea Park in South West London today as people cool off inside the fountain Lara Cahill, Olivia Murtagh and Caoimhe Clynch sunbathe on Portobello beach in Edinburgh today Commuters travel on the London Underground's Central line during a heatwave in the capital today People gather during hot weather on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today A paddleboarder off Bournemouth beach in Dorset today on the hottest day of the year so far People queue for refreshments on Bournemouth beach today as the very hot weather continues Dry fields of grassland and a golf course near Perranporth in Cornwall today A man sunbathes close to the water in Mousehole, Cornwall, today during the UK's first red extreme heat warning People enjoy the conditions at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today as the very hot weather continues The ruins of old farmhouses usually covered with water are visible in the Upper Glendevon reservoir in Perthshire today Rush-hour commuters on London Bridge this morning as the extreme red weather warning beginsRush-hour commuters on London Bridge this morning amid the very hot weather conditions A very busy Bournemouth beach in Dorset this afternoon on the hottest day of the year so far Swimmers enjoy an early morning swim in the cool water of Jesus Green lido in Cambridge today People leap into the River Cam as the temperatures rises in Cambridge this afternoon People enjoy the conditions at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today as the very hot weather continues A homeowner prepares for the record high temperatures by covering the front facing windows and his vehicles with large sheets to block out the sun at Henley on Thames in Oxfordshire today People swim in the tidal pool during hot weather at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today A woman walks along Bournemouth beach in Dorset this afternoon on the hottest day of the year so far Scorching temperatures in Battersea Park in South West London today as people cool off inside the fountain People surf a wave during hot weather at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Members of the Household Cavalry in the midday heat during the Changing Of the Guard ceremony in Westminster todayA member of the Household Cavalry in the midday heat during the Changing Of the Guard ceremony in Westminster today People enjoy the conditions at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today as the very hot weather continues People enjoy the beach in Folkestone, Kent, during the hot weather this afternoon People gather during hot weather on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today A person surfs a wave during hot weather at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Visitors to Cambridge take to the River Cam to enjoy punt rides as temperatures in the city soar Two dogs wait for a ball to be thrown at Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, today as the very hot weather continues An aerial view shows people swimming outside in the sun at Hathersage Swimming Pool in Derbyshire today A woman drinks water as she travels on the London Underground during a heatwave in the capital today Swimmers enjoy an early morning swim in the cool water of Jesus Green lido in Cambridge today Scorching temperatures in Battersea Park in South West London today as people cool off inside the fountain Visitors to Cambridge take to the River Cam to enjoy punt rides as temperatures in the city soar People out enjoying the hot weather at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside today as temperatures rise all over the UK Visitors to Cambridge take to the River Cam to enjoy punt rides as temperatures in the city soar Commuters travel on the London Underground during a heatwave in the capital today People gather during hot weather on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Visitors to Cambridge take to the River Cam to enjoy punt rides as temperatures in the city soar People gather during hot weather on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Visitors to Cambridge take to the River Cam to enjoy punt rides as temperatures in the city soar People sit on a bench on the cliff top during hot weather at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Scorching temperatures in Battersea Park in South West London today as people cool off inside the fountain Swimmers enjoy an early morning swim in the cool water of Jesus Green lido in Cambridge today A person lies down on the cliff top during hot weather at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall today Low water levels at Dovestone Reservoir in Greater Manchester today as the hot and dry weather continues'We need to work through this but I think most people say we need a Government that's on our side, that's got a strategy, that's planned for events like this. Disruption on Transport for London services this afternoon'But we're left again with a Government that's not done t | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
04:34 - Source: CNN Hear why Kentucky's governor is worried the death toll will rise CNN — [Breaking news update at 1:45 p.m. ET] The death toll in flood-stricken Kentucky has risen to 35, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday afternoon, as rescue workers continue to comb the region for hundreds of missing people, unable to access areas left isolated after floodwater washed away bridges and inundated communities. “More tough news,” the governor said on Twitter. “We have confirmed more fatalities from the Eastern Kentucky floods. Our loss now stands at 35. Pray for these families and for those who are missing.” [Previous story, published at 12:56 p.m. ET] Rescue workers searching for hundreds of missing people in flood-stricken Kentucky have been hampered by the devastation left behind – unable to access areas left isolated after floodwater washed away bridges and inundated communities, with even more rainfall forecast for Monday. The death toll rose Monday to 30, Gov. Andy Beshear said at a news conference in Frankfort, adding, “There are hundreds of unaccounted for people, minimum.” “We just don’t have a firm grasp on that. I wish we did – there are a lot of reasons why it’s nearly impossible,” he said. “But I want to make sure we’re not giving either false hope or faulty information.” The flooding last week swelled over roads, destroyed bridges and swept away entire homes, displacing thousands of Kentuckians, the governor previously said. Vital electricity, water and roadway infrastructure was also knocked out. Some of it has yet to be restored, though cell service is returning in some of the state’s hardest-hit areas, the governor said, which may help people connect with loved ones they’ve yet to contact. “I’ve lived here in this town for 56 years, and I have never seen water of this nature,” Tracy Neice, the mayor of Hindman, Kentucky, told CNN, saying his town’s main street looked like a stretch of river where one might go whitewater rafting. “It was just devastating to all of our businesses, all of our offices.” While reading a breakdown of those killed in each county during a news conference Sunday, Beshear became visibly emotional when he reached four children dead in Knott County. They were identified to CNN by their aunt as siblings Chance, 2; Nevaeh, 4; Riley Jr., 6; and Madison, 8. “It says ‘minors,’” the governor said looking at the list. “They are children. The oldest one is in second grade,” Beshear said. The children – described as sweet, funny and lovable – died after the family’s mobile home flooded last week, forcing them to seek shelter on the roof, their aunt, Brandi Smith, told CNN on Friday. “They were holding on to them,” Smith said of her sister and her partner. “The water got so strong it just washed them away.” Sixteen of the deaths occurred in Knott County, about 130 miles southeast of Lexington, per the governor’s office. Seven people were killed in Breathitt County, two in Clay County, two in Letcher County and three in Perry County. The governor believes recovery crews are “going to be finding bodies for weeks,” he told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, “many of them swept hundreds of yards, maybe a quarter-mile plus from where they were last.” Officials are “still in search and rescue mode,” Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman told CNN on Monday, “because there is so much water.” “All of our state roads are passable,” she said, but “we still have back roads and country roads that are broken off, and our bridges are out. So it’s really difficult to get to some of the most remote places.” In Perry County, as many as 50 bridges are damaged and inaccessible, according to county Judge Executive Scott Alexander. “What that means is there’s somebody living on the other side or multiple families living up our holler on the other side that we’re still not able to have road access to,” Alexander said. Things could get more difficult due to a slight risk of excessive rainfall throughout the region Monday, the National Weather Service said, and with the ground already saturated, more rain could bring yet more flooding. “If things weren’t hard enough on the people in this region, they’re getting rain right now,” Beshear said Monday. A flood watch will be in effect overnight, lasting from 9 p.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Tuesday. Forecasts predict thunderstorms and potential rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour. Heavy downpours could cause excessive runoff and “result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations,” said the weather service. Temperatures are expected to rise later this week, hitting the mid-80s and near 90 on Wednesday and Thursday, per the weather service, but it will feel much hotter because of the humidity. The heat indices – the temperature it feels like when heat is combined with humidity – are expected to peak around 100 degrees in some places, leaving rescue crews and displaced people facing oppressive heat as more than 14,000 customers remain without power. As the climate crisis fuels more frequent extreme weather events, several areas of the US are currently experiencing flash flood risk, including swathes of the desert Southwest, Knoxville, Tennessee, and Tucson, Arizona. Kentucky State Police are still actively searching for missing residents in several counties and ask that families inform law enforcement if their loved one is unaccounted for. Meantime, state officials are immediately focused on getting food, water and shelter to the people who were forced to flee their homes. Power outages and storm damage left 22 water systems operating in a limited capacity, a Sunday news release from the governor’s office said. More than 60,000 water service connections are either without water or under a boil advisory, it said. Officials overseeing the recovery efforts say bottled water, cleaning supplies and relief fund donations are among the most needed resources as the region works toward short- and long-term recovery. FEMA is providing tractor trailers full of water to several counties. “A lot of these places have never flooded. So if they’ve never flooded, these people will not have flood insurance,” the mayor of Hazard, Kentucky, Donald Mobelini told CNN on Saturday. “If they lose their home, it’s total loss. There’s not going to be an insurance check coming to help that. We need cash donations,” he said, referring to a relief fund set up by the state. Beshear established a Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund to pay the funeral expenses of flood victims and raise money for those impacted by the damage. As of Sunday morning, the fund had received more than $1 million in donations, according to the governor. The federal government has approved relief funding for several counties. FEMA is also accepting individual disaster assistance applications from impacted renters and homeowners in Breathitt, Clay, Knott, Letcher and Perry counties, the governor said. On Monday he requested a number of other impacted counties be made eligible. Though the recovery effort was still in the search-and-rescue phase over the weekend, Beshear said in a news conference Saturday that he believes the losses will be “in the tens if not the hundreds of millions of dollars.” “This is one of the most devastating, deadly floods that we have seen in our history,” Beshear said told NBC on Sunday. “It wiped out areas where people didn’t have that much to begin with.” And it wasn’t just personal possessions washed away by the floodwaters. A building housing archival film and other materials in Whitesburg, was impacted, with water submerging an irreplaceable collection of historic film, videotape and audio records that documented Appalachia. The beloved media, arts and education center, Appalshop, held archival footage dating as far back as the 1940s, Appalachian filmmaker Mimi Pickering told CNN, holding the stories and voices of the region’s people. Employees and volunteers were racing to preserve as much material as they could. “We’re working as hard and fast as we can to try to save all that material … The full impact, I don’t think has totally hit me yet. I think I don’t really want to think about it,” Pickering said. She noted the Smithsonian and other institutions have reached out offering assistance. The extensive loss Kentuckians are suffering will likely also take a mental toll, Frances Everage, a therapist and 44-year resident of the city of Hazard told CNN. While her home was spared, she said some of her friends have damaged homes or lost their entire farms. “When you put your blood, sweat and tears into something and then see it ripped away in front of your eyes, there’s going to be a grieving process,” Everage said. “This community will rebuild and we will be okay, but the impact on mental health is going to be significant.” CNN’s Sara Smart, Andy Rose, Lauren Lee, Raja Razek, Mike Valerio, Mark Biello, Cole Higgins, Robert Shackelford, Chris Boyette, Aya Elamroussi, Dakine Andone, Caitlin Kaiser and Tom Sater contributed to this report. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A record-breaking drought has caused some rivers in China – including parts of the Yangtze – to dry up, affecting hydropower, halting shipping, and forcing major companies to suspend operations.A nationwide drought alert was issued on Friday as a long-running and severe heatwave in China’s heavily populated south-west was forecast to continue well into September.The loss of water flow to China’s extensive hydropower system has sparked a “grave situation” in Sichuan, which gets more than 80% of its energy from hydropower.On Sunday the provincial government declared it was at the highest warning level of “particularly severe”, with water flow to Sichuan’s hydropower reservoirs dropping by half. The demand for electricity, meanwhile, has increased by 25% this summer, local media reported.Photograph showing the low water levels of the Yangtze river at Wuhan – a result of this year’s drought. Photograph: China Daily/ReutersLast week the province suspended or limited power supply to thousands of factories and rationed public electricity usage due to the shortage. Toyota, Foxconn and Tesla are among companies reported to have temporarily suspended operations at some plants over the last fortnight. On Sunday the South China Morning Post reported plans to restart production this week had been postponed.The Yangtze is the world’s third largest river, providing drinking water to more than 400 million Chinese people, and is the most vital waterway to China’s economy. It is also crucial to the global supply chain, but this summer it has reached record-low water levels, with entire sections and dozens of tributaries drying up. Water flow on the Yangtze’s main trunk is more than 50% below the average of the last five years. Shipping routes in the middle and lower sections of the river have also closed, the SCMP reported.People fan themselves during a heatwave in Shanghai, China. The long-running heatwave in the country’s south-west is forecast to continue well into September. Photograph: Aly Song/ReutersAcross the affected regions of China authorities are rushing to ensure water and power supply, as the region approaches harvest season for water-intensive crops like rice and soy. On Sunday authorities discharged 980m cubic meters of water from reservoirs in an effort to replenish lower levels of the river, state media said.The drought has affected at least 2.46 million people and 2.2m hectares of agricultural land in Sichuan, Hebei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui and Chongqing. More than 780,000 people have needed direct government support because of the drought, according to China’s ministry of emergency management. Drinking water has been trucked in to areas where residential supplies have completely dried up. High temperatures in July alone caused direct economic losses of 2.73bn yuan ($400m), affecting 5.5 million people, the emergency ministry said last week.In the city of Chongqing the water level dropped to reveal previously submerged Buddhist statues thought to be about 600 years old.Around the world major rivers are drying up as record-breaking heatwaves take a devastating toll, including the Rhine and the Loire in Europe, and the Colorado river in the US.Bernice Lee, chair of the advisory board at the Chatham House sustainability accelerator in London, said societies including China have remained “unprepared and underprepared” for high-impact, low-probability events like extreme droughts and heatwave.“Looking to the future, as the frequency of extreme weather events looks set to grow, the future could be even more bleak.”An infant tries to cool off during a heatwave in Hunan province, China. Photograph: ReutersChinese authorities have repeatedly attributed the drought and heatwave to climate change. Chen Lijuan, chief forecaster of the country’s national climate centre, last week described the combined heatwave and drought as a “pressure cooker”.“We have to face the fact that similar heatwaves will occur frequently in the future … it will become a new normal,” Chen said.However the immediate impact on electricity supplies has put pressure on Beijing’s climate change commitments. Last week vice-premier Han Zheng said the government would step up support for coal-fired power production.Warnings are in place for continued high temperatures and low rain. A red heat warning – the highest level of alert – was issued for the 10th consecutive day on Sunday for large swathes of the country.Additional reporting by Vincent Ni, Xiaoqian Zhu, and agencies | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The United Nations appealed Tuesday for $160 million to support Pakistan’s response to more than two months of destructive nationwide flash flooding triggered by climate-driven erratic monsoon rains. Pakistani officials say the calamity has “badly” impacted more than 33 million people and killed more than 1,100 people since the seasonal rainfall began in June. The U.N., together with the Pakistani government, launched the flash funding appeal simultaneously in Islamabad and Geneva. “Pakistan is awash in suffering,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the event in his pre-recorded video message. “The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids — the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding,” he warned. “Millions are homeless, schools and health facilities have been destroyed, livelihoods are shattered, critical infrastructure wiped out, and people’s hopes and dreams have been washed away.” Guterres said the U.N.’s flash appeal will help provide 5.2 million people with food, water sanitation, emergency education, protection and health support in the South Asian nation. He noted that Pakistani authorities were responding to “the climate catastrophe” by releasing funds, including immediate cash relief, to flood victims. But the scale of needs was rising like the flood waters, requiring collective and prioritized attention, the U.N. chief said. “Let us work together to respond quickly and collaboratively to this colossal crisis.” Climate Change Guterres said that South Asia is one of the world’s global “climate crisis hotspots” and people living in these hotspots are 15 times likely to die from climate impacts. “Let’s stop sleepwalking towards the destruction of our planet by climate change. Today, it’s Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country,” he warned. The U.N. chief criticized the lack of action in tackling the climate emergency even as the world continues to experience more and more extreme weather events. Guterres said “it is outrageous that climate action is being put on the back burner as global emissions of greenhouse gases are still rising, putting all of us – everywhere – in growing danger.” Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari told Tuesday’s televised launching ceremony Pakistan has been battling one of the most severe, totally anomalous cycles of torrential monsoon weather since June, noting rainfall during this period has been equivalent to 3 times the 30-year national average. “In some cases, the water is just everywhere, in an unbroken horizon of inundation,” Zardari said. The National Disaster Management Authority, or NDMA, leading the country’s response in coordinating assessments and directing humanitarian relief to affected people, has listed 72 out of the country’s 160 districts as calamity-hit. More than 33 million residents there have been affected, tens of thousands of others displaced, with massive losses inflicted on key cash crops. The death toll from the floods is likely to increase as some flood-hit towns and villages in the hardest-hit Baluchistan, Sindh provinces as well as in the mountainous north remain cut off due to landslides and flooding, hampering rescue and relief efforts. The rest of the two provinces, northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and central Punjab had also suffered significant losses. The NDMA noted that more than a million homes, 162 bridges, and nearly 3,500 kilometers of roads across the South Asian nation have been damaged or destroyed. The flooding has also killed more than 800,000 farm animals and damaged vital farmlands and crops, it added. The flash floods in Pakistan are comparable to those of 2010 when more than 2,000 people were killed. Pakistani officials informed Tuesday’s event that the economic impact of the flooding could reach at least $10 billion, and it may take the country years to rehabilitate the victims. Some countries, including China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, have already sent cargo planes that are carrying tents, food, medicines and other relief supplies, and rescue teams. More relief aid is on the way, according to Pakistani officials. The International Rescue Committee anticipates a sharp increase in food insecurity and a severe impact on the national economy. “Our needs assessment showed that we are already seeing a major increase in cases of diarrhea, skin infections, malaria and other illnesses,” the group said in a statement.
Pakistan is home to more than 7,000 glaciers, but experts warn rising global temperatures are causing them to melt fast, creating thousands of glacial lakes. The South Asian nation says it is responsible for only less than 1% of greenhouse gas emissions but listed among the top ten countries suffering from the climate change effects. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Wildfires are continuing to rage across Europe causing thousands of people to evacuate and claiming the life of a pilot of a firefighting plane.Strong winds and hot, dry weather have hampered efforts to battle a huge blaze that is burning through pine forests in Bordeaux, while fires have also burned in Portugal, Spain, Greece, Hungary and Croatia.
Around 3,000 firefighters supported by water-dumping planes battled the wildfire in southern France as they sought to save as many homes as possible.Fire season has hit parts of Europe earlier than usual this year after an unusually dry, hot spring left the soil parched - something authorities have attributed to climate change.In pictures: Wildfires across Europe, droughts and ice pops In Portugal, more than 1,000 firefighters worked alongside ordinary citizens desperate to save their homes on Saturday after a long week of battling multiple blazes around the country.
The fires have been fanned by earlier-than-usual extreme temperatures and drought conditions. More on Climate Change Extreme weather: Britain's cities need radical design overhaul - or they will become unliveable UK heatwave: Revealed - the areas of England that are most vulnerable to hotter weather Extreme weather: Roads close, 'frightening' fires break out and drought sets in as Portugal's temperatures climb towards 46C A pilot of a firefighting plane died on Friday when his plane crashed while on an operation in the northeast of the country, the first fire fatality in Portugal this year. Image: Strong winds and hot, dry weather are frustrating French firefighters' efforts to tackle the flames. Pic: AP Across the border, firefighters in Spain struggled to contain several blazes, including two that burned around 7,400 hectares of land.Around 3,000 people had to be evacuated from villages in southern Andalusia as a fire burned nearby.For a sixth day, firefighters were also trying to bring under control a fire started by a lightning strike in the west-central Las Hurdes area."All heatwaves studied so far in Europe are getting warmer," said Robert Vautard of the Pierre-Simon Laplace Institute at the Sorbonne University."As long as greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced to zero, heatwaves will continue to intensify, become more frequent and last longer." | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Three million residents of southern England are now preparing for a hosepipe ban in the coming days - with Britons already complaining on social media about neighbours filling up paddling pools and washing cars.South East Water today confirmed a hosepipe ban across Kent and Sussex from next Friday which will affect around 2.2million customers, as Britain's dry spell continues following a record-breaking July for lack of rain. The 'temporary usage ban' means the use of hosepipes or sprinklers will be restricted for residents of those counties.The water firm – which is the second to bring in a hosepipe ban so far this summer - lost 88.7million litres of water a day through leaking pipes last year, and said demand for water this summer has broken all previous records.Southern Water last week announced a ban for nearly a million people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from this Friday. It means hosepipes cannot be used to water gardens or clean cars, and ornamental ponds and private pools must not be filled. Flouting the restriction could lead to prosecution and a court fine of up to £1,000.And neighbours are already pointing out that some residents could be in for a surprise when the ban comes in. One Twitter user said: 'There's a neighbour of mine who's always washing his pride and joy outside on the driveway. He doesn't know it yet but there'll be a fine coming his way as soon as hosepipe ban is enforced.'It comes as forecasters said the UK can expect cooler and 'fresher' days for the rest of this week with the mercury in the low-to-mid 20Cs tomorrow and on Friday, before high temperatures return into the weekend. Yesterday's rainfall in the north Midlands and northern England is set to move to southern parts of the Midlands, into central and southern England and East Anglia today, but is expected to become lighter.Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: 'No real major signs of anything wet coming through for the South and generally the kind of warm theme is continuing for a lot of the country after a very brief cooler spell on Thursday and Friday.' THEN AND NOW: The water level at Bewl Water reservoir (left, in May 2021; and right, last Tuesday) near Lamberhurst in Kent, which is currently measured at 67 per cent of its capacity Around 2.2million customers across Kent and Sussex in the shaded areas will be hit by the ban South East Water has confirmed a 'temporary usage ban' in Kent and Sussex from August 12 Southern Water will bring a ban for nearly a million of its customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from this Friday. Its service map is pictured - although its other areas are not affectedDiscussing usage of water, one Twitter user said: 'Neighbours bought a huge paddling pool for the kids and filled it up to the brim.' And a third tweeted: 'Saw another person washing their car yesterday, really, that's necessary is it?'A fourth added: 'Luckily I live with amazing neighbours and after not grassing on them for not observing any lockdown rules in their back garden, I'm sure they won't mention my use of the hosepipe to water my veggies.'An internal South East Water briefing on plans for the new ban, seen by the Daily Mail yesterday, noted that other water companies could follow suit as they are 'really thinking hard on their positions'.The firm has already called on its customers to voluntarily turn off their hosepipes and sprinkler systems as the hot, dry weather continues. Very dry grass at Boughton and Eastwell Cricket Club in Ashford, Kent, pictured last Friday Firefighters dampen down dry grass that caught alight at Barton's Point Coastal Park on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent last month Southern Water - which announced a ban last week - had previously warned customers over filling up their paddling pools The Met Office said southern England had seen its driest July since records began in 1836 This map from Ofwat shows which water company supplies each area of England and Wales. Key - Water and wastewater companies: ANH Anglian Water / WSH Dŵr Cymru / HDD Hafren Dyfrdwy / NES Northumbrian Water / SVE Severn Trent Water / SWB South West Water / SRN Southern Water / TMS Thames Water / UUW United Utilities Water / WSX Wessex Water / YKY Yorkshire Water // Key - Water only companies: AFW Affinity Water / BRL Bristol Water / PRT Portsmouth Water / SEW South East Water / SSC South Staffs Water / SES SES WaterSouth East Water said in an announcement today: 'The use of a hosepipe or sprinkler will be restricted from Friday, August 12 for our customers in Kent and Sussex. UK to see 'fresher' days before more heat at the weekend - but little rainThe UK can expect cooler and 'fresher' days for the rest of the week before high temperatures return into the weekend, according to forecasters. Temperatures today are expected to be in the high 20Cs across the South East of England, with other parts of England and Wales seeing low-to-mid 20Cs and high teens or low 20Cs in Scotland and Northern Ireland.Tomorrow and Friday will bring temperatures in the low 20Cs to areas of England while northern parts of the UK are likely to see 18C to 20C. But they will again climb to the mid-to-high 20Cs in the South East of England on Saturday and Sunday and low 20Cs in northern areas.Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: 'As we go into Thursday and then towards the weekend, high pressure - which has made itself at home across the UK this summer - is re-establishing itself as we go through to the end of the week and into the weekend.'A lot of the UK will probably see a dry weekend with the best of the sunshine in the South. After potentially a couple of fresher days, Thursday and Friday, temperatures kind of climb once again as we go into the weekend.'Yesterday's rainfall in the north Midlands and northern England is set to move to southern parts of the Midlands, into central and southern England and East Anglia today, but is expected to become lighter.Mr Snell added: 'No real major signs of anything wet coming through for the South and generally the kind of warm theme is continuing for a lot of the country after a very brief cooler spell on Thursday and Friday.' 'This has been a time of extreme weather conditions across the UK. 'Official figures show this is the driest July on record since 1935 and the period between November 2021 and July 2022 has been the driest eight-month stint since 1976.'During July in the South East, we have only seen 8 percent of average rainfall for the month, and the long term forecast for August and September is for similar weather.'The demand for water this summer has broken all previous records, including the Covid lockdown heatwave.'We have been producing an additional 120 million litres of water a day to supply our customers, which is the equivalent of supplying a further four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne, daily.'We have been left with no choice but to restrict the use of hosepipes and sprinklers from 0.01am on Friday, August 12 within our Kent and Sussex supply area until further notice.'We are taking this step to ensure we have enough water for both essential use and to protect the environment. 'This will enable us to also reduce the amount of water we need to take from already stressed local water sources.'Lee Dance, South East Water's head of water resources, had also said last week: 'Clearly, we are in a very dry and warm period and the forecast is that this may continue for a number of weeks.'Mr Dance added: 'We have been looking very closely at the current situation and assessing the likelihood of restrictions and other measures.'If our assessment reveals voluntary reduction of water use will not allow us to maintain supplies of water for essential use or to protect the environment, then we may need to impose more formal bans.'The most prominent water company that has hinted it could also bring in a hosepipe ban this summer is Thames Water.The firm said in a statement last week: 'If we do not receive around or above average rainfall in the coming months, this will increase pressure on our resources and may, indeed, result in the need for more water saving measures including restrictions.'This week, the Met Office said southern England had experienced its driest July since records began in 1836.South-East and central southern England saw an average of just 5mm (0.2ins) of rain last month, while East Anglia had only a fraction more with 5.4mm (0.21ins).Most of England – with the exception of the North-West – has moved into a state of 'prolonged dry weather'.This is described by the Environment Agency as 'the first stage of a drought', raising the spectre of restrictions such as hosepipe bans.The Isle of Man also announced a hosepipe ban last week, while Welsh Water has said it may have to bring in a similar restriction in Pembrokeshire. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Respected institutions are advising to factor climate change into your retirement planning. getty You’d have to be Rip Van Winkle to be unaware of the suffering and costs from this summer’s heat waves, wildfires, and severe weather events. Fortunately, the financial and retirement industries are galvanizing to help address and mitigate the financial and health consequences for everybody—and seniors and retirees are particularly vulnerable. Diverse and respected sources warning of the risk of climate change Consider these conclusions from diverse, respected, and nonpartisan sources: “Climate Change and You” was the cover story of the June 2021 issue of the AARP Bulletin. It summarized the challenges that climate change poses for older Americans and shared tips for protecting their lives and finances. The Bulletin is read by more than 30 million people and is in the top two of readership in the U.S. along with its sister publication, AARP Magazine. “Climate risk is investment risk” was a large heading in Larry Fink’s 2022 letter to CEOs of Blackrock clients. He is the CEO of Blackrock, the world’s largest investment management firm with more than $10 trillion in assets under management, including the nation’s largest 401(k) plans. His letter goes on to say that cities and countries that don’t plan for a carbon-free future risked being left behind. “The combination of age, chronic conditions and disability in an extreme weather event can be lethal” is the warning of an article written by Joe Coughlin, director of the MIT AgeLab. His article appeared in the July 2022 issue of Generations magazine published by the American Society on Aging. His story cites a forecast that “…portends more extreme weather events affecting everyone, but likely putting the well-being and economic security of older adults at greatest risk.” An October 2021 article from giant insurance company Swiss Re states, “It is clear that climate change is no longer some distant future threat but that it is here today.” The article headline? “It’s time to take action on climate change.” “Climate change poses the biggest long-term threat of our time, impacting not only how we live but also how we invest,” according to a recent report titled Investing in Times of Climate Change 2022. This report was published by Morningstar, the influential financial services firms that many financial advisors rely on to analyze mutual funds, ETFs, and individual stocks. Morningstar presents evidence that investment returns of corporations with the highest ESG ratings (measuring environmental, social, and governance factors) outperformed the general stock market by more than 8% in 2021, in a report titled Why Sustainable Strategies Outperformed in 2021. Moving beyond the financial and retirement industries, the United Nations 2022 report on the climate issued a clear warning with it’s title: “It’s ‘now or never’ to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.” And let’s not forget Pope Francis, who has called on world leaders to provide "effective responses" to the environment emergency and offer "concrete hope" to future generations.
What can you do? It might be natural to wonder what seniors and retirees can do about these disturbing conclusions. Well, there’s a lot you can do. You can investigate how to adapt your life to climate risks and severe weather events with respect to your home, community, transportation, nutrition, and buying habits. You can review your investments and financial resources to determine if you need to reposition your finances to be more resilient to climate change. And some of you might pursue activism to help your children and grandchildren inherit a better world. With the climate and retirement challenges we face, we’ll need all hands on deck. It’s reassuring to know that the establishment is getting on board.
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These are the devastating effects that Pakistan’s deadly floods are wreaking on the country.Dubbed “the monster monsoon of the decade” by Pakistan’s climate change minister Sherry Rehman, torrential rain in the region has killed at least 982 people since June, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.Every 24 hours, the agency lists hundreds of men, women, and children who are being injured or killed because of collapsed roofs, flash floods, or drowning.“Pakistan is living through a serious climate catastrophe, one of the hardest in the decade,” Rehman said in a Twitter video. “We are, at the moment, at the ground zero of the frontline of extreme weather events in an unrelenting cascade of heat waves, forest fires, flash floods, multiple glacial lake outbursts, flood events, and now the monster monsoon of the decade is wreaking nonstop havoc throughout the country.”The unprecedented deluge — worse than Pakistan’s 2010 "Superflood" which affected 20 million people — has overwhelmed the country’s resources, prompting leaders to urge the international community to help with relief efforts.One of the hardest hit provinces of Sindh has requested 1 million tents for its displaced residents, Rehman told Reuters. But there aren’t enough tents, and people are seeking refuge in makeshift shelters in school buildings and mosques, she said.The streets are filled with stagnant sewage water and the risk of waterborne diseases is high.“This is clearly the climate crisis of the decade,” Rehman said. “Through no fault of our own,” she added, noting that Pakistan emits less than 1% of the global greenhouse gas emissions.Global warming is causing Pakistan’s 7,000 glaciers — the largest number outside the poles — to melt, causing glacial lake outbursts triggered by heat waves in the country.This year, extreme weather events like droughts, heat waves, and floods are affecting every part of the world.In Africa, floods have taken a devastating toll on tens of thousands of people in Chad and Gambia, while nearly 4.6 million children in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia are threatened by severe malnutrition following a severe drought in the region, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.Meanwhile in Europe, receding water levels caused by drought are revealing underwater artifacts while three ancient Buddha statues resurfaced after water levels plunged in China’s Yangtze River. And in Dallas, a summer’s worth of rainfall in one day wreaked havoc in the city amid a drought in Texas.Weather disasters like droughts are inextricably linked to human-induced climate change. The planet has already warmed 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, according to NASA, and that’s making disasters worse. Stopping this vicious cycle will require drastically reducing our reliance on climate-polluting fossil fuels. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
U.S. President Joe Biden pledged more federal help to flood-ravaged eastern Kentucky on Monday after touring the devastation, which he linked to climate change. “We’re staying — the federal government, along with the state and county and the city — we are staying until everyone is back to where they were,” he said after visiting with families in Lost Creek, Kentucky, affected by the flooding. He said the objective is not to “just to get back to where we were, it’s to get back to better than where we were.” At least 37 people were killed in the flooding last week after storms dropped up to 26 centimeters of rain in some areas of eastern Kentucky in just 48 hours. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said Monday that authorities expect to add at least one more death to the total. Earlier Monday, Biden told a briefing with state and federal officials on the emergency response that climate change is leading to more weather disasters. "As you all know, we've suffered the consequence of climate change, a significant number of weather catastrophes around the nation," Biden said. Senate Democrats on Sunday passed an economic package that includes nearly $400 billion to fight climate change.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed concern about the increasing effects of climate change, saying, “The floods in Kentucky and extreme weather all around the country are yet another reminder of the intensifying and accelerating impacts of climate change and the urgent need to invest in making our communities more resilient to it.” Biden issued a major disaster declaration for Kentucky last week, allowing federal funds to be used in the rescue and cleanup efforts. Jean-Pierre said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided more than $3.1 million in relief funds to Kentucky. First lady Jill Biden, left, and Britainy Beshear fold and organize donated clothes at Marie Roberts Elementary School, to help in the ongoing response efforts to devastating flooding, Aug. 8, 2022, in Lost Creek, Kentucky. Beshear praised Biden’s response to the flooding, saying Monday the president “acted with greater speed for that federal disaster declaration as well as for individual assistance to our families than I have ever seen.” Biden, who is traveling with his wife, Jill Biden, arrived in Kentucky Monday morning and was greeted by Beshear and his wife, Britainy Beshear. They drove through parts of Breathitt County that were most affected by the storm and afterward attended a briefing on the flooding's impact with first responders, also meeting with families who lost their homes in the disaster. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden tour a neighborhood impacted by flooding, Aug. 8, 2022, in Lost Creek, Kentucky. The National Weather Service has warned of the possibility of more flooding in Kentucky this week because of the potential for thunderstorms through Thursday. This is Biden’s second visit to Kentucky as president. He traveled to the state in December to view damage from tornadoes that killed 81 people. Beshear said Monday “the trials and tribulations we Kentuckians have faced are hard to understand.” He added, however, that perhaps the state is better able to handle the crises “because of how we lean on one another in times of need.” Some information in this report comes from The Associated Press and Reuters. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
UK records hottest night everThe UK recorded its provisionally warmest night ever from Monday into Tuesday.The mercury never got below 25C in places, the Met Office said this morning. That beats the previous nighttime high of 23.9C in Brighton in August 1990.Key events:19m agoUK records hottest night ever52m ago'Unprecedented' day ahead as UK temperatures could hit 41CShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureYouGov has polled people about whether they’ve changed their plans for Monday and Tuesday due to the hot weather – nearly a third say they have, rising to 39% in London, where some of the hottest temperatures will be seen, to 18% in Scotland, where it’s a little cooler.The Met Office has also asked commenters on Twitter whether they’re adapting their plans – answers range from to a delivery driver exasperated with customers telling her she’s lucky to have aircon in her van (she doesn’t), to those who’ve experimented with putting tinfoil on their windows to block out the sun, to someone who went paddle-boarding after work and another who claims to have run a half marathon in the morning...Have you been doing anything differently or changed your plans in response to our Extreme heat warnings (and forecasts)?— Met Office (@metoffice) July 18, 2022
Rachel Hall here taking over from Fran Lawther for the rest of the day – please do send over your stories or news from your local area to [email protected] records hottest night everThe UK recorded its provisionally warmest night ever from Monday into Tuesday.The mercury never got below 25C in places, the Met Office said this morning. That beats the previous nighttime high of 23.9C in Brighton in August 1990.The ambulance service in London reported a slight increase in 999 calls for fainting and heat exposure on Monday. Brian Jordan, director of 999 operations for London ambulance service, told BBC Radio 4 the service received 6,600 emergency calls yesterday, slightly lower than predicted.“We really hope that’s because the public really have been listening to the messages about how they can look after themselves and only call 999 if it’s a genuine emergency,” Jordan said.“People have been through a very long day yesterday and there’s been high temperatures overnight, and with the even hotter temperatures today I cannot really emphasise enough that people need to continue to do what we were asking them yesterday – to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, keep hydrated, look after more vulnerable friends, families, neighbours and use sun cream etc.”For tips on how to deal with the temperatures, my colleague Nicola Davis has this guide to keeping cool:The Met Office tweeted this graphic to give details of what to expect on Tuesday:The hot weather has sparked health warnings as there is a higher risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, dehydration as well as breathing problems due to high pollution.People have been urged to stay inside during the hottest part of the day – between 11am and 4pm – and wear sun cream, a hat, stay in the shade and keep hydrated with water.A construction worker digging up a road in the Northern Quarter in Manchester wipes sweat from his face. Photograph: Joel Goodman/The GuardianThere were warnings about swimming in lakes, rivers and reservoirs after three people died in waters in England and a fourth was missing believed drowned.There is a higher risk of wildfires, with people asked not to use barbecues or leave litter that could spark fires in the countryside – while zoos and wildlife parks were closed to protect animals, staff and visitors.Water companies have been experiencing “unprecedented peak demand”, with people encouraged to “carefully consider” their water usage and urged not to waste it.The UK transport secretary, Grant Shapps, was on Sky News this morning to say issues on the rails and roads will continue for decades during extreme heatwaves.Asked how long it will take to upgrade existing rail infrastructure to be more resilient, Shapps said: “Decades, actually, to replace it all. Ditto with Tarmac on the roads.“There’s a long process of replacing it and upgrading it to withstand temperatures, either very hot or sometimes much colder than we’ve been used to, and these are the impacts of global warming.”He said there was no Cobra meeting planned for Tuesday, with the prime minister instead chairing cabinet.Boris Johnson was accused on Monday of having “checked out”, missing an emergency Cobra meeting about the searing heat. He instead attended the Farnborough airshow, where he gave a whimsical speech about completing a loop the loop and a barrel roll in a Typhoon fighter jet.On Tuesday, Shapps denied Johnson was “checked out”. He said: “It’s literally not true, in fact exactly the opposite is the truth.”'Unprecedented' day ahead as UK temperatures could hit 41CGood morning and welcome to our extreme weather blog.The UK is bracing itself for the hottest day on record on Tuesday, as forecasters said temperatures could reach 41C.The mercury is set to rise higher than on Monday – already the hottest day of the year at 38.1C (in Santon Downham, Suffolk), though slightly short of the all-time UK heat record of 38.7C. That was set in Cambridge in July 2019 but could be broken today.Rachel Ayers, from the Met Office, told PA Media that Tuesday was going to be “unprecedented”. She said: “The temperature will be very hot throughout the day, before rising as high as 40C, maybe even 41C in isolated spots across England during the afternoon.“This will make it the hottest day on record and the first time we have seen temperatures as high as 40C.”Scotland and Wales could also have their hottest days on record. Holyrood minister Keith Brown urged people “to think about whether they need to travel and, if they do, make sure they’re properly equipped and plan their journey in advance”.Travel routes will be affected by the heat and National Rail told customers only to travel if absolutely necessary. The operator said: “There will be delays, cancellations and last-minute changes to train services due to the unprecedented record heat on those days.”There will be no Thameslink or Great Northern trains running anywhere north of London, from London Blackfriars via St Pancras, or from London King’s Cross or London Moorgate on Tuesday.Merseyrail said the number of trains running and journey times will be “seriously affected”, with some routes closed completely. LNER will run no trains from south of York and south of Leeds to London King’s Cross.Southern, South Eastern, South Western Railway and Great Western Railway are among the dozens of train companies running significantly reduced services across the country.Transport for London (TfL) said London’s rail network would also be running a reduced service on Tuesday due to safety restrictions put into place to deal with the heat.My name is Fran Lawther and I’ll be keeping you up to date with the latest weather news, analysis and tips on how to deal with the heat. Please get in touch with any updates from your local area. You can email me at [email protected]. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
PARIS (AP) — A thousand firefighters with 10 water-dumping planes struggled Friday to contain two wildfires in the Bordeaux region of southwest France that have forced the evacuation of 10,000 people and ravaged pine forests near the Atlantic coast.High temperatures and strong winds have complicated firefighting efforts in the region, one of several around Europe scorched by wildfires this season. No victims have been reported so far in the French fires, though some homes and cars have been damaged.One of the French fires is in woodlands just south of the Atlantic resort town of Arcachon, a major attraction for visitors from around France and beyond during the summer season. The other is in parkland not far from valleys dotted with vineyards that have struggled with hotter, drier weather than usual this year that authorities link to climate change.More than 7,000 hectares of land have been consumed by the fires, according to the regional emergency service. As the fires stretched into a fourth day Friday, one of the fires was partially contained, it said, but warned that hotter temperatures and winds coming from inland over the weekend could further complicate the efforts.Some of the firefighting planes and equipment that were supposed to be displayed in Thursday’s Bastille Day parade in Paris was diverted for use on the Bordeaux region fires. Wildfires also broke out in southeast France and north of Paris. Portugal has been particularly hard hit by wildfires this week. More than 3,000 firefighters battled this week alongside ordinary Portuguese citizens desperate to save their homes from several wildfires that raged across the country, fanned by extreme temperatures and drought conditions.Portuguese state television RTP reported Friday that the area burned this year has already exceeded the total for 2021. More than 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of land has been burned, it said, most in the past week.The country’s Civil Protection Agency said some 10 fires were still raging Friday, with ones in the north of the country causing most concern.Meanwhile, authorities said a July high for the country of 47 degrees Celsius (117 Fahrenheit) was registered Thursday in the northern town of Pinhao on Wednesday, the hottest day of the year so far.Spain, Croatia and Hungary have also fought wildfires this week. For a fifth day, firefighters in Spain were battling to try to bring under control a fire started by a lightning strike in the west-central Las Hurdes area that has consumed about 5,500 hectares.Some 400 people from eight villages were evacuated late Thursday as the flames approached their houses and threatened to spread into the nearby Monfrague National Park. The government said Friday 17 fires across Spain kept firefighters busy. In northeastern Catalonia, authorities introduced access restrictions to several mountain areas in a bid to avoid possible fires.The European Union has urged member states to prepare for wildfires this summer as the continent faces another extreme weather shift that scientists say is being triggered by climate change.In the Spanish city of Seville, one of the hottest spots in Europe this week, some unions called for workers to be sent home. Temperatures in many parts of Spain have been topping the 40 C (104 F) mark for several days and are expected to continue to do so through to next week.Seville became the first city in the world to take part in a pilot project that names and categorizes heatwaves in an effort to raise awareness of the health hazards caused by extreme heat and the precautions citizens should take.“Climate-driven extreme heat is killing more people than any other of the climate-driven hazards. Heat is invisible, it is silent and it kills slowly, and people are not aware of it,” said Kathy Baughman McLeod, director of the Arsht-Rockefeller Resilience Center of the Atlantic Council.Britain’s Met Office weather agency warned Friday that record temperatures expected next week pose a risk of “serious illness or danger to life.”The office issued its first-ever “red warning” of extreme heat for Monday and Tuesday, when temperatures in southern England are forecast to reach 37 Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit). There is a chance temperatures could breach the highest ever recorded in the U.K., 38.7C (101.7F), set in 2019.The weather alert, which covers a big chunk of England from London up to Manchester, warns of danger to life, disruption to air and rail travel and potential “localized loss of power and other essential services, such as water or mobile phone services.” | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
As the UK braces for temperatures toppling over 40C, fears are growing for the elderly and vulnerable.A stark, public service announcement from the chief executive of the Met Office says the temperatures are "absolutely unprecedented" and warns Britons to stay inside.
Scorching temperatures are predicted for Monday, with Peterborough expected to hit 37C (99F) and Milton Keynes, Norwich and Lincoln set to see 36C (97F) - while temperatures could rise to 40C (104F) in London on Tuesday.UK heatwave - latest updates as country braces for 40CPenny Endersby, boss of the Met Office, said in her broadcast: "The extreme heat we are forecasting right now is absolutely unprecedented. "Here in the UK, we are used to treating a hot spell as a chance to go and play in the sun. This is not that sort of weather. Our lifestyles and infrastructure are not adapted to what is coming.
"Please treat the warnings we are putting out as seriously as you would a red or amber warning for wind or snow, and follow the advice." More on Extreme Weather Extreme weather: Britain's cities need radical design overhaul - or they will become unliveable National emergency as red extreme heat warning issued for first time across England A long legacy: How the scars from Germany's floods still run deep, a year on Her warning was echoed by College of Paramedics chief executive Tracy Nicholls, who said the "ferocious heat" the UK is predicted to experience over the next few days could lead to deaths.She told Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: "This isn't like a lovely hot day where we can put a bit of sunscreen on, go out and enjoy a swim and a meal outside."This is serious heat that could actually, ultimately, end in people's deaths because it is so ferocious. We're just not set up for that sort of heat in this country."Find out the five-day forecast for where you live Image: Tuesday's weather forecast 'National emergency'The Met Office has issued an amber warning for the majority of England, which extends to southern Scotland and Wales from Monday until Tuesday.The UK's first red extreme heat warning has also been issued across a large part of England, from London to Manchester and York on Monday and Tuesday, with transport services expected to be disrupted on both days.The UK Health Security Agency has further announced a heat health warning at level four, which is described as a "national emergency", and ministers have discussed the situation at an emergency weekend COBRA meeting.Boris Johnson, however, did not attend as he prepares for a farewell party to mark the end of his premiership.Read more: What a Level 4 heatwave means for the UK Met Office advice Stay out of the sun. Keep your home cool. Think about adjusting your plans for the warning period. If you do have to go out, wear a hat and sunscreen, keep in the shade as much as possible and carry water. Don't leave people or animals in hot cars and keep a particular lookout for your family and neighbours, especially vulnerable people. Climate attribution scientist at the Met Office Dr Nikos Christidis has said Tuesday's 40C prediction is a result of climate change.But Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab told Sky News that while people should take precautions ahead of the record-breaking temperatures, they should also be able to enjoy themselves."Obviously there is some common-sense practical advice we are talking about - stay hydrated, stay out of the sun at the hottest times, wear sun cream - those sorts of things," he told Sophy Ridge On Sunday."We ought to enjoy the sunshine," he added. "And actually we ought to be resilient enough through some of the pressures it will place."Read more: Why Britain's cities need a radical overhaul Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player How to keep cool according to doctors Hospitals to be 'really, really pushed'Additional contingency support for ambulance services, such as more call handlers and extra working hours, have been put in place on Monday and Tuesday.The chairman of the NHS Confederation said hospitals are going to be "really, really pushed".Lord Victor Adebowale said the NHS "will cope", but added that "coping isn't good enough".Meanwhile, the British Veterinary Association warned dog owners to consider the impact rising temperatures could have on their pets.Read more: How to keep your dog coolA statement said at the mild end of the heat-related illness spectrum, a dog may feel tired, restless, struggle to sleep, lose its appetite, and pant consistently to try to lower its body temperature.But at the more serious end of the spectrum (heat stroke) "your dog could lose consciousness, start fitting, pass bloody diarrhoea or vomit, bleed under the skin and eventually experience internal organ failure".The association said that one in seven dogs in the UK die from conditions relating to the heat, with flat-faced breeds at particular risk due to their limited capacity to cool through panting.Read more: Why tropical nights could be deadly Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Sleep expert's top five tips for hot nights Body recoveredGreater Manchester Police implored people to avoid cooling off in reservoirs, rivers, or ponds after a teenage boy died while swimming with friends in a canal.The 16-year-old got into difficulties and was last seen struggling in the water at Salford Quays in Greater Manchester at around 6.15pm on Saturday.A boy's body was recovered overnight, and officers believe it may be that of the missing teenager. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Japan’s government has warned tens of millions of people in the Tokyo region to save energy or face power cuts, as the capital battles record June temperatures after a premature end to the rainy season.Temperatures of 35C (95 degrees Fahrenheit) were forecast in the city throughout the day, with similarly extreme weather expected for the rest of the week, according to the Japanese meteorological agency.“We ask the public to reduce energy consumption during the early evening hours when the reserve ratio falls,” Yoshihiko Isozaki, the deputy chief cabinet secretary, told reporters.Isozaki advised households and businesses to turn off lights not in use and limit air conditioner use, although he added that people should guard against heat stroke.The economy and industry ministry said people living in the region serviced by Tokyo Electric Power [Tepco] should conserve energy, especially when demand peaks in the late afternoon and early evening. Reports said reserve generating capacity risked dropping as low as 3.7% in Tokyo and the surrounding region at that time; below 3% risks power shortages and blackouts.Kaname Ogawa, the director of electricity supply policy at the ministry, said electricity demand was higher than expected because the temperature had exceeded Sunday’s forecast. “We are struck by unusual heat for the season,” Ogawa said. “Please cooperate and save as much power as possible.”Much of Japan would normally be experiencing less uncomfortable temperatures during the middle of the rainy season. But on Monday the agency declared the season had ended – the earliest date on record – in the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo.It was the earliest end to the season since records began in 1951 and 22 days earlier than usual.The heat has hit other parts of the country in recent days. On Sunday, Isesaki city in Gunma prefecture, north of Tokyo, recorded the country’s highest temperature in June, at 40.2C.More than 250 people were taken to hospitals in the capital over the weekend after suffering heat stroke, according to the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.“Immediately after the rainy season ends, many people are yet to be fully acclimated to heat and face a greater risk of heat stroke,” the meteorological agency said in a statement.Officials have been encouraging people to remove their masks when outside to prevent heatstroke, although many were still wearing face coverings in Tokyo on Monday.Asako Naruse, who was out sightseeing in the city, said she had never experienced such brutal heat this early in the summer. “I’m from northern Japan, so these temperatures seem really extreme,” she said. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- New York City has reported a heat-related death amid the city's latest stretch of extreme heat and humidity.The victim, a person in their 70s, died Friday in their home in Queens.The cause of death was listed as hyperthermia due to environmental exposure.The medical examiner says the victim had pre-existing conditions that contributed to their death.Tri-State residents continued to cope with dangerous conditions Monday as the heat wave moved into its seventh day.Click here for the latest advisories, watches and warnings from the National Weather ServiceThe extreme weather forced organizers to shorten portions of the New York City Triathlon on Sunday.Storms forecast for Monday afternoon were expected to bring an end to the consecutive days of 90+ degree temperatures.ALSO READ | Tips to beat the heat, where to find cooling centers as temperatures rise across New York City areaEMBED More News VideosNew York City's cooling centers will be open starting Tuesday, July 19th.----------* Get Eyewitness News Delivered * More New York City news* Send us a news tip* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Follow us on YouTubeSubmit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Report a correction or typo Related topics:weathernew york cityqueenstriathlonheatnyc weatherheat wavesevere weatherShare:ShareTweetEmailCopyright © 2022 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Chinese forecasters said Typhoon Chaba weakened into a tropical storm on Monday, but more heavy rain is expected in the central and eastern parts of the country in the coming days. The eye of Chaba was in the southern region of Guangxi as of Monday morning and it was moving at a speed of 10 to 15 kilometer per hour into Hunan and Hubei provinces, Chinese authorities said. Late Sunday, China’s Central Meteorological Observatory lifted the typhoon blue warning as Chaba was downgraded. The Observatory said heavy rain and strong winds are expected in Guangdong province, the Guangxi region, and Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Henan, and Shandong provinces from Monday to Wednesday. Typhoon Chaba made landfall in southern China Saturday afternoon, after lashing Hong Kong Friday with high winds and heavy rains that damaged buildings and uprooted trees. The Observatory has warned that more extreme weather, including heavy flooding, is expected in the southern region of the country through August. Heavy rains and flooding are not unusual for China, but forecasters say climate change is partly to be blamed the increasing frequency of severe storms. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Temperatures across the UK have started rising as an amber weather warning for extreme heat came into force in England at the start of what is anticipated to be a record-breaking heatwave.The Met Office has forecast temperatures in Wales, the Midlands, the south-east and south-west England could jump to 31C on Sunday, before climbing to as high as 40C over the next few days as the country braces for the first ever red warning for exceptional heat, which begins at midnight.The new health secretary, Steve Barclay, said extra measures were being put in place for ambulance services on Monday and Tuesday, including the provision of more call handlers and extra working hours.Meteorologists have given an 80% chance of the mercury topping the UK’s record temperature of 38.7C, set in Cambridge in 2019, with temperatures in London expected to hit 40C on Tuesday.The UK’s first red extreme heat warning has been issued across a large part of England on Monday and Tuesday, while an amber warning initially covers all of England on Sunday and extends to southern Scotland and Wales from Monday until Tuesday.The UK Health Security Agency has increased its heat health warning from level three to level four, which is described as a “national emergency”.Barclay told the BBC: “We’re asking people to keep an eye out for their neighbours and those who may be vulnerable.“Each ambulance trust has well-developed contingency plans for extreme weather [ and] we’re using the full capability of the hospital rather than people waiting longer than they need to in ambulances outside.”Ministers held a virtual emergency Cobra meeting on Saturday after meteorologists warned the record high temperatures could put lives at risk.The cabinet office minister, Kit Malthouse, who chaired the meeting, said transport services would face “significant disruption” on Monday and Tuesday and urged people not to travel.He added schools were being issued with guidance to enable them to remain open.The Met Office said the chance of extreme heat events hitting the UK had increased significantly due to climate change.“The chances of seeing 40C days in the UK could be as much as 10 times more likely in the current climate than under a natural climate unaffected by human influence,” said the Met Office climate attribution scientist, Dr Nikos Christidis. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
BEIJING -- From the snowcapped peaks of Tibet to the tropical island of Hainan, China is sweltering under the worst heatwave in decades while rainfall hit records in June.Extreme heat is also battering Japan, and volatile weather is causing trouble for other parts of the world in what scientists say has all the hallmarks of climate change, with even more warming expected this century. The northeastern provinces of Shandong, Jilin and Liaoning saw precipitation rise to the highest levels ever recorded in June, while the national average of 112.1 millimeters (4.4 inches) was 9.1 % higher than the same month last year, the China Meteorological Administration said in a report Tuesday. The average temperature across the nation also hit 21.3 degrees Celsius (70.34 Fahrenheit) in June, up 0.9 C (1.8 F) from the same period month last year and the highest since 1961. No relief is in sight, with higher than usual temperatures and precipitation forecast in much of the country throughout July, the administration said. In the northern province of Henan, Xuchang hit 42.1 C (107.8 F) and Dengfeng 41.6 C (106.9 F) on June 24 for their hottest days on record, according to global extreme weather tracker Maximiliano Herrera. China has also seen seasonal flooding in several parts of the country, causing misery for hundreds of thousands, particularly in the hard-hit south that receives the bulk of rainfall as well as typhoons that sweep in from the South China Sea. China is not alone in experiencing higher temperatures and more volatile weather. In Japan, authorities warned of greater than usual stress on the power grid and urged citizens to conserve energy. Japanese officials announced the earliest end to the annual summer rainy season since the national meteorological agency began keeping records in 1951. The rains usually temper summer heat, often well into July. On Friday, the cities of Tokamachi and Tsunan set all-time heat records while several others broke monthly marks.Large parts of the Northern Hemisphere have seen extreme heat this summer, with regions from the normally chilly Russian Arctic to the traditionally sweltering American South recording unusually high temperatures and humidity. In the United States, the National Weather Service has held 30 million Americans under some kind of heat advisory amid record-setting temperatures. The suffering and danger to health is most intense among those without air conditioning or who work outdoors, further reinforcing the economic disparities in dealing with extreme weather trends. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
CBS Evening News July 19, 2022 / 8:13 PM / CBS News Heat-fueled wildfires destroy homes, force evacuations Heat-fueled wildfires destroy homes and force evacuations 03:07 Brutal and dangerous temperatures are being felt from California to Massachusetts, with more than 120 million Americans under excessive heat warnings or advisories. The National Weather Service said that more than 60 new record highs will be set across 20 states by the end of the week. As temperatures soared into the triple digits, Hoover Dam experienced a major power scare when a transformer explosion sent smoke billowing. The dam supplies power to California, Nevada and Arizona. West of Dallas, an intense heat-fueled wildfire burned a number of homes as temperatures reached 111 degrees. The fire was about 10% contained with 4,000 acres burned as of Tuesday evening, according to officials. On Tuesday, 85 large fires were burning more than three million acres in 13 states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Twenty-four days in the triple digits is also taking a toll on Texas infrastructure. Drought conditions are causing the ground to shift, breaking water lines. Of the nearly 500 breaks in Fort Worth this year, almost 40% have happened in the last month. So far, the fragile Texas power grid is keeping pace with record demand as pleas for customers to conserve electricity continue. Brutal heat wave blankets U.S. and Europe 01:00 Meteorologists say the weather pattern is stuck, driving warmer and drier conditions north and creating a drought, which prompts more hot temperatures, resulting in parts of California, Arizona and the Central Plains stifling under a heat dome. "We're certainly seeing more extreme weather due to climate change," Sarah Barnes, a meteorologist at the Fort Worth National Weather Service office, told CBS News. "This drought caused us to go into summer much earlier than we normally see." In this kind of heat, paramedics say you can get in trouble in just minutes. In Fort Worth, 14 people were taken to the hospital Monday, with one in critical condition. The biggest mistake people make in the heat is not drinking enough water. Europe bakes under deadly heat wave 02:03 The U.S. isn't the only place melting under a heatwave. Britain shattered its record for highest temperature ever registered with 34 locations across the country breaking previous highs. Rare wildfires broke out in London as it broiled in its hottest day since record-keeping began. Around the country, train tracks buckled in the heat and service was slowed or canceled. Meanwhile, Spain battled at least 30 blazes. In France, firefighters struggled to contain a wildfire burning an area twice the size of Paris. Portugal has had more than 1,000 heat-related deaths. Ramy Inocencio contributed reporting. In: Heat Wave Wildfires Kris Van Cleave Kris Van Cleave is a congressional correspondent for CBS News based in Washington, D.C. Twitter Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes as wildfires continue to burn in Spain and France caused by an ongoing heatwave.Two people were killed in the blazes in Spain with the country's prime minister linking the deaths to global warming, saying: "Climate change kills."
That toll comes on top of the hundreds of heat-related deaths reported in the Iberian Peninsula, as high temperatures have gripped the continent and triggered wildfires from Portugal to the Balkan region.Some areas, including northern Italy, are also experiencing extended droughts.UK weather - latest: UK could hit 41C - as RAF halts flights from biggest base after runway 'melts' In France, heat records were broken and swirling hot winds complicated firefighting efforts in the country's southwest.
"The fire is literally exploding," said Marc Vermeulen, the regional fire service chief who described tree trunks shattering as flames consumed them, sending burning embers into the air and further spreading the blazes. More on Europe Heatwave in pictures: Wildfires across Europe, droughts and ice pops Extreme weather: From blankets on glaciers to ice creams for pandas, Europe finds new ways to deal with blistering heatwave Italy: Crime network who duped lonely men out of more than €1m arrested in international police sting "We're facing extreme and exceptional circumstances," he said.Authorities evacuated more towns, moving another 14,900 people from areas at risk of finding themselves in the path of the fires.In all, more than 31,000 people have been forced out of their homes and summer vacation spots in the Gironde region since the wildfires began 12 July. Image: Firefighters work to contain a tactical fire in Louchats, as wildfires continue to spread in the Gironde region of southwestern France Three additional planes were sent to join six others already fighting the fires, scooping up seawater into their tanks and making repeated runs through dense clouds of smoke.More than 200 reinforcements headed to join the 1,500-strong force of firefighters battling night and day to contain the blazes in the Gironde.Spain, meanwhile, reported a second fatality in two days as it battled its own blazes.The body of a 69-year-old sheep farmer was found on Monday in the same hilly area where a 62-year-old firefighter died a day earlier when he was trapped by flames in the northwestern Zamora province. More than 30 forest fires around Spain have forced the evacuation of thousands of people and blackened 85 square miles (220 square km) of forest and scrub.Passengers on a train through Zamora got a frightening, up-close look at a blaze when their train came to a stop in the countryside.Video showed about a dozen passengers becoming alarmed as they looked out of the windows at the flames encroaching on both sides of the track. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Train surrounded by wildfires in Spain Almost 600 heat-related deaths have been reported in Spain and neighbouring Portugal, where temperatures reached 47C (117F) earlier this month.The heat wave in Spain was forecast to ease on Tuesday, but the respite will be brief as temperatures rise again on Wednesday, especially in the dry western Extremadura region.Read more:Roads close, 'frightening' fires break out and drought sets in as Portugal's temperatures soarHeatwave in pictures: Wildfires across Europe, droughts and ice popsThe Balkans region is expected to get the worst of the heat later this week but has already seen sporadic wildfires.Early on Monday, authorities in Slovenia said firefighters managed to bring one blaze under control. How to stay safe in the heat - official advice Keep out of the sun between 11am and 3pm and avoid physical exertion Drink plenty of fluids and avoid excess alcohol Close curtains in rooms that face the sun Never leave anyone in a parked car - and check in on elderly and vulnerable neighbours Walk in the shade, apply sunscreen and wear a wide-brimmed hat Check medicines can be stored according to instructions - and check that your fridges, freezers and fans are working properly Watch the Daily Climate Show at 3.30pm Monday to Friday, and The Climate Show with Tom Heap on Saturday and Sunday at 3.30pm and 7.30pm.All on Sky News, on the Sky News website and app, on YouTube and Twitter.The show investigates how global warming is changing our landscape and highlights solutions to the crisis. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
LONDON -- Britain shattered its record for highest temperature ever registered Tuesday amid a heat wave that has seared swaths of Europe, as the U.K.'s national weather forecaster said such highs are now a fact of life in a country ill-prepared for such extremes. The typically temperate nation was just the latest to be walloped by unusually hot, dry weather that has triggered wildfires from Portugal to the Balkans and led to hundreds of heat-related deaths. Images of flames racing toward a French beach and Britons sweltering — even at the seaside — have driven home concerns about climate change.The U.K. Met Office weather agency registered a provisional reading of 40.3 degrees Celsius (104.5 degrees Fahrenheit) at Coningsby in eastern England — breaking the record set just hours earlier. Before Tuesday, the highest temperature recorded in Britain was 38.7 C (101.7 F), set in 2019. By later afternoon, 29 places in the UK had broken the record.As the nation watched with a combination of horror and fascination, Met Office chief scientist Stephen Belcher said such temperatures in Britain were “virtually impossible” without human-driven climate change. He warned that “we could see temperatures like this every three years” without serious action on carbon emissions.The sweltering weather has disrupted travel, health care and schools. Many homes, small businesses and even public buildings, including hospitals, in Britain don’t have air conditioning, a reflection of how unusual such heat is in the country better known for rain and mild temperatures.The intense heat since Monday has damaged the runway at London’s Luton airport, forcing it to shut for several hours, and warped a main road in eastern England, leaving it looking like a “skatepark,” police said. Major train stations were shut or near-empty Tuesday, as trains were canceled or ran at low speeds out of concern rails could buckle. London faced what Mayor Sadiq Khan called a “huge surge” in fires because of the heat. The London Fire Brigade listed 10 major blazes it was fighting across the city Tuesday, half of them grass fires. Images showed several houses engulfed in flames as smoke billowed from burning fields in Wennington, a village on the eastern outskirts of London.Sales of fans at one retailer, Asda, increased by 1,300%. Electric fans cooled the traditional mounted troops of the Household Cavalry as they stood guard in central London in heavy ceremonial uniforms. The length of the changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace was shortened. The capital’s Hyde Park, normally busy with walkers, was eerily quiet — except for the long lines to take a dip in the Serpentine lake.“I’m going to my office because it is nice and cool,’’ said geologist Tom Elliott, 31, after taking a swim. “I’m cycling around instead of taking the Tube.’’Ever the stalwart, Queen Elizabeth II carried on working. The 96-year-old monarch held a virtual audience with new U.S. ambassador Jane Hartley from the safety of Windsor Castle.A huge chunk of England, from London in the south to Manchester and Leeds in the north, remained under the country’s first “red” warning for extreme heat Tuesday, meaning there is danger of death even for healthy people.Such dangers could be seen in Britain and across Europe. At least six people were reported to have drowned while trying to cool off in rivers, lakes and reservoirs across the U.K. In Spain and neighboring Portugal, hundreds of heat-related deaths have been reported in the heat wave.Climate experts warn that global warming has increased the frequency of extreme weather events, with studies showing that the likelihood of temperatures in the U.K. reaching 40 C (104 F) is now 10 times higher than in the pre-industrial era. The head of the U.N. weather agency expressed hope that the heat gripping Europe would serve as a “wake-up call” for governments to do more on climate change. Other scientists used the milestone moment to underscore that it was time to act.“While still rare, 40C is now a reality of British summers,” said Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute for Climate Change. “Whether it will become a very common occurrence or remains relatively infrequent is in our hands and is determined by when and at what global mean temperature we reach net zero.”Extreme heat broiled other parts of Europe, too. In Paris, the thermometer in the French capital’s oldest weather station – opened in 1873 – topped 40 C (104 F) for just the third time. The 40.5 C (104.9 F) measured there by weather service Meteo-France on Tuesday was the station’s second-highest reading ever, topped only by a blistering 42.6 C (108.7 F) in July 2019. Drought and heat waves tied to climate change have also made wildfires more common and harder to fight. In the Gironde region of southwestern France, ferocious wildfires continued to spread through tinder-dry pines forests, frustrating firefighting efforts by more than 2,000 firefighters and water-bombing planes.Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from homes and summer vacation spots since the fires broke out July 12, Gironde authorities said.A smaller third fire broke out late Monday in the Medoc wine region north of Bordeaux, further taxing resources. Five camping sites went up in flames in the Atlantic coast beach zone where blazes raged around the Arcachon maritime basin famous for its oysters and resorts.In Greece, a large forest fire broke out northeast of Athens, fanned by high winds. Fire Service officials said nine firefighting aircraft and four helicopters were deployed to try to stop the flames from reaching inhabited areas on the slopes of Mount Penteli, some 25 kilometers (16 miles) northeast of the capital. Smoke from the fire blanketed part of the city’s skyline.But weather forecasts offered some consolation, with temperatures expected to ease along the Atlantic seaboard Tuesday and the possibility of rains rolling in late in the day.———Associated Press writers Sylvia Hui and Jo Kearney in London, John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, and Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this story.———Follow AP’s climate coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
02:22 - Source: CNN Heat wave continues to build across the West CNN — The savage heat that has gripped several states in the West will persist through the holiday weekend – and for the third day in a row, Californians are being advised to curb their electric consumption to avoid power outages. “Numerous record-tying/breaking highs are possible across the entire region and widespread heat-related advisories are in place,” the National Weather Service said Thursday. “The heat wave will pose a high to very high risk to the general population, particularly the elderly and those without adequate air conditioning, due to both the intensity of the high temperatures and duration of the heat wave,” the weather service warned. More than 45 million people were under heat alerts across most of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Nevada and parts of Utah, Arizona as well as California. The heat has been so intense that millions of Californians have again been urged to reduce their electricity consumption between the hours of 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday to protect the power grid. The California Independent System Operator – which manages 80% of the state’s power grid – issued the third Flex Alert of the week, asking residents to be mindful of their electricity use. “The Flex Alert covers that time of day when the grid is most stressed from higher demand and less solar energy,” the operator explained. The operator also asked residents to pre-cool their homes before 4 p.m. and then set their thermostats to 78 degrees Fahrenheit during reduction hours and to avoid charging their electric vehicles. California cities including Los Angeles, Redding, San Diego, Sacramento, Palm Springs and Fresno may see temperatures as high as 116 degrees, according to CNN meteorologist Robert Shackelford. Similar temperatures are expected in Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Multiple jurisdictions including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Orange and Fresno counties have opened cooling centers. Officials have also compiled a list of all the cooling centers in the state. Temperatures up to 105 degrees may be seen in Reno, Nevada; Boise, Idaho; and Spokane, Washington state. High summer temperatures have been the norm in California, but what makes this heatwave especially dangerous is the length of time it’s forecast to linger over much of the state. In addition, little relief is expected during overnight hours. “Even after the sun goes down, heat can be a real danger – especially in large cities. Dark pavement and buildings are very effective at absorbing heat,” the weather service office in Los Angeles said. And that’s why higher temperatures are more common in large cities, making them susceptible to becoming an “urban heat island,” the service explained. The weather service defines a heat wave as a period of abnormally hot and humid weather lasting for more than two days. Excessive heat has killed more people than any other extreme weather event in the US. Heat deaths have outpaced hurricane deaths by more than 15-to-1 over the past decade, according to data tracked by the National Weather Service. Climate change imposes conditions that have been making extreme weather events more deadly and more common. In Arizona, where temperatures are expected to hit triple digits this weekend, 111 people have died from heat-related complications this year in Maricopa County as of Wednesday, according to a report from the county’s public health department. The report indicates 38% of the deaths have been in people 50 to 64 years old, and 80% of the deaths occurred outdoors. CNN’s Paradise Afshar, Taylor Romine and Alaa Elassar contributed to this report. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
There are growing concerns people's lives could be at risk as the Met Office indicated it is likely a new UK record temperature could be set early next week.Meteorologists have said there is an 80% chance the mercury will top the UK's record temperature of 38.7C (101.7F) set in Cambridge in 2019.
The heatwave is set to peak on Tuesday, with temperatures climbing over the weekend.The Met Office has issued an amber warning for heat covering much of England and Wales from Sunday until Tuesday.Find out the five-day forecast for where you live Daytime temperatures on Saturday are predicted to be around 27C in London, 26C in Cardiff, 23C in Belfast and 21C in Edinburgh. On Sunday, it could hit 30C in the capital, 27C in Cardiff, 24C in Belfast and 23C in Edinburgh.
Temperatures are set to increase further across the nation on Tuesday and reach the mid-thirties for much of England and Wales. More on Uk Weather Extreme weather: Britain's cities need radical design overhaul - or they will become unliveable What is a national heatwave emergency and what could it mean for the UK this week? Extreme weather: From blankets on glaciers to ice creams for pandas, Europe finds new ways to deal with blistering heatwave There is a 50% chance of temperatures reaching 40C somewhere in the UK, with the Met Office issuing its first-ever red warning for extreme heat.The UK Health Security Agency increased its heat health warning from level three to level four - a "national emergency".Level four is reached "when a heatwave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system... At this level, illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups," it said.The Met Office's red warning for Monday and Tuesday covers an area from London up to Manchester, and up to the Vale of York. Read more:Why 'tropical nights' in UK could be deadlyAreas of England that are most vulnerable to hotter weatherWhat is a national heatwave emergency and how will it impact the UK?Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: "If people have vulnerable relatives or neighbours, now is the time to make sure they're putting suitable measures in place to be able to cope with the heat because if the forecast is as we think it will be in the red warning area, then people's lives are at risk."This is a very serious situation."A No 10 spokesman said railway speed restrictions may be needed on "some parts of the network next week to manage the hot weather and to avoid any potential damage".Jake Kelly, of Network Rail, warned journeys will take "significantly longer and delays are likely as speed restrictions are introduced to keep passengers and railway staff safe".Train operators have warned passengers to avoid anything but "absolutely necessary" travel on Monday and Tuesday.Some schools across the south are also closing on those days.Motorists have been advised to make their journeys out of the hottest periods of the day, particularly if they have older cars. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Extreme weather happens as a combination of events, Niyogi said: Heavy winds come with severe rainfall, which leads to power outages, transportation issues, and health hazards."It's a compound cascade of hazard events that we seem to see increasing, and we need to have, as we look to our future infrastructure, an ability to build that into our plans," he said.Andrew Dessler, an atmospheric science professor at Texas A&M University, said a longstanding prediction of climate science is that the variability of rainfall will increase, and scientists have observed that in the past few years."Increasing variability means that you'll have more dry periods, which increases the chance of intense drought," he said. "When it does rain, it's going to rain harder. That's going to increase the chance of events of floods like Hurricane Harvey or the event in Dallas." | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A pharmacy thermometer shows a temperature of 43 degrees Celsius (109.4F), as a heat wave hits France, in Nantes, France, July 13, 2022. REUTERS/Stephane MaheRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSummaryWMO issues warning on air quality in towns and citiesUK declares first red heat warning for Monday, TuesdayWildfires ablaze in France, Spain and PortugalLEIRIA, Portugal/LONDON, July 15 (Reuters) - Hundreds more people were evacuated from their homes as wildfires blistered land in France, Spain and Portugal on Friday, and officials in Europe issued health warnings for the heatwave in coming days.More than 1,000 firefighters, supported by water-bomber aircraft, have battled since Tuesday to control two blazes in southwestern France that have been fanned by scorching heat, tinder-box conditions and strong winds.While temperatures dipped a little in Portugal, they were still expected to top 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in some places, with five districts on red alert for extreme weather and more than 1,000 firefighters tackling 13 wildfires, authorities said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comIn Spain, the Environment Ministry said it was helping tackle 17 wildfires across the country.Officials are worried about the effects on people's health and on healthcare systems already challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic as the searing heat hits the continent, with warnings issued for worse to come in Britain in particular.The World Meteorological Organization said on Friday the heatwave would trap atmospheric pollutants, degrading the air quality, especially in towns and cities."The stable and stagnant atmosphere acts as a lid to trap atmospheric pollutants, including particulate matter," Lorenzo Labrador, WMO scientific officer, told a Geneva press briefing."These result in a degradation of air quality and adverse health effects, particularly for vulnerable people."From July 7 to July 13, Portugal registered 238 excess deaths due to the heatwave, the country's DGS health authority said."In this specific case, the excess can be attributed to the heatwave. In the last few days we have had very high, extreme temperatures ... and for a very long period," DGS chief Graça Freitas told Lusa news agency.Health Minister Marta Temido said on Thursday the health system faced a "particularly worrying" week due to the heatwave and said some hospitals were overwhelmed.UK WARNINGBritain's weather forecaster issued its first red "extreme heat" warning for parts of England on Monday and Tuesday when temperatures are forecast to reach record highs. read more "Exceptional, perhaps record-breaking temperatures are likely early next week," Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said."Nights are also likely to be exceptionally warm, especially in urban areas," he said. "This is likely to lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure."The highest recorded temperature in Britain was 38.7 C (101.7 F) recorded in Cambridge on July 25, 2019.Hannah Cloke, climate expert at Britain's University of Reading, said the heatwave showed climate change is here and there is an urgent need to adapt."We are seeing these problems now and they are going to get worse. We need to do something now," she told Reuters."It's harder to cope with these types of temperatures in the UK because we're just not used to them."In Portugal, the highest temperature on Thursday was recorded in the northern town of Pinhao at 47 C (116.6 F), just below the record.In France's southwestern Gironde region, 11,300 people have been evacuated since the wildfires broke out around Dune du Pilat and Landiras. Some 7,350 hectares (18,000 acres) of land have been burnt, and authorities said the fires had not yet been stabilised.In Spain, the wildfires that have been burning in parts of Extremadura, which borders Portugal, and the central Castille and Leon region forced the evacuation of four more small villages late on Thursday and on Friday.The flames are now threatening a 16th century monastery and a national park. Several hundred people have been evacuated since the fires started and 7,500 hectares of forest have been destroyed in the two regions.In Catalonia in the northeast, authorities suspended camping and sporting activities around 275 towns and villages to prevent fire risks and restricted farm work involving machinery.Areas of Galicia and Extremadura remained on extreme alert for temperatures expected to touch 44 C (111 F).Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comAdditional reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten in Paris, Emma Pinedo and Christina Thykjaer in Madrid, William James in London and Emma Farge in Geneva
Writing by Alison Williams
Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
JACOBABAD, Pakistan, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Not long ago, Sara Khan, principal at a school for disadvantaged girls in Jacobabad in southern Pakistan, looked on in alarm as some students passed out from the heat - the city was the world's hottest at one point in May.Now, after heavy monsoon rains submerged large parts of the country, her classrooms are flooded and many of the 200 students homeless, struggling to get enough food and caring for injured relatives.Such extreme weather events in a short space of time have caused havoc across the country, killing hundreds of people, cutting off communities, wrecking homes and infrastructure and raising concerns over health and food security. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJacobabad has not been spared. In May, temperatures topped 50 Celsius, drying up canal beds and causing some residents to collapse from heatstroke. Today, parts of the city are under water, though flooding has receded from its peak. read more In Khan's neighbourhood in the east of the city, houses have been badly damaged. On Thursday, she said she heard cries from a neighbour's house when the roof collapsed from water damage, killing their nine-year-old son.Many of her students are unlikely to return to school for months, having already lost class time during the brutal summer heatwave."Jacobabad is the hottest city in the world, there are so many challenges ... before people had heatstroke, now people have lost their homes, almost everything (in the flood), they have become homeless," she told Reuters.Nineteen people in the city of around 200,000 are confirmed to have died in the flooding, including children, according to the city's deputy commissioner, while local hospitals reported many more were sick or injured.More than 40,000 people are living in temporary shelters, mostly in crowded schools with limited access to food.One of the displaced, 40-year-old Dur Bibi, sat under a tent in the grounds of a school and recalled the moment she fled when water gushed into her home overnight late last week."I grabbed my children and rushed out of the house with bare feet," she said, adding that the only thing they had time to take with them was a copy of the Koran.Four days later, she has not been able to obtain medicine for her daughter who is suffering from a fever."I have nothing, besides these kids. All of the belongings in my home have been swept away," she said.A man walks through rain waters, following rains and floods during the monsoon season in Jacobabad, Pakistan August 30, 2022. REUTERS/Akhtar SoomroWEATHER EXTREMESThe level of disruption in Jacobabad, where many people live in poverty, demonstrates some of the challenges extreme weather events linked to climate change can create."A manifestation of climate change is the more frequent and more intense occurrence of extreme weather events, and this is exactly what we have witnessed in Jacobabad as well as elsewhere globally during the past few months," said Athar Hussain, head of the Centre for Climate Research and Development at COMSATS University in Islamabad.A study earlier this year by the World Weather Attribution group, an international team of scientists, found that the heatwave that hit Pakistan in March and April was made 30 times more likely by climate change.Global warming likely exacerbated recent flooding as well, said Liz Stephens, a climate scientist at the University of Reading in Britain. That's because a warmer atmosphere is able to hold more moisture, which is eventually unleashed in the form of heavy rains.Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the country, which is heavily dependent on agriculture, was reeling."If you are a farmer in Jacobabad ... you couldn't plant your crops because of water scarcity and the heat during the heatwave and now your crops have been damaged in the monsoons and floods," he told Reuters in an interview.In Jacobabad, local health, education and development officials said record temperatures followed by unusually heavy rains were straining vital services.Hospitals that set up emergency heatstroke response centres in May are now reporting an influx of people injured in the floods and patients suffering from gastroenteritis and skin conditions amid unsanitary conditions.Jacobabad Institute of Medical Sciences (JIMS) said it had treated around 70 people in recent days for injuries from debris in floods including deep cuts and broken bones.More than 800 children were admitted to JIMS for gastroenteritis conditions in August during heavy rains, compared to 380 the previous month, hospital data showed.At the nearby Civil Hospital, where the grounds are partially underwater, doctor Vijay Kumar said cases of patients suffering from gastroenteritis and other illnesses had at least tripled since the floods.Rizwan Shaikh, head officer at Jacobabad's Meteorology Office, recorded a high temperature of 51 degrees in May. Now he is tracking persistent heavy rainfall and notes with alarm that there are two more weeks of the monsoon season to go."All the districts are in a very tense situation," he said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSyed Raza Hassan reported from Jacobabad and Charlotte Greenfield from Islamabad; Additional reporting by Gloria Dickie in London; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Part of River Wye is at just 1cm in depth The River Wye is at a shockingly low level this morning. As of 8am, it had a height of just 1cm at Hereford Bridge. Yesterday, it had been 2cm deep according to Environment Agency data. The top of the river's normal range is 3.3m. During last month's heatwave, many fish were found dead in the Wye due to the hot weather dissolving oxygen levels in the water. Latest satellite image shows parched land across much of UK Huge swathes of England appear dry and parched in this satellite image shared by Professor James Cheshire, an expert in geographic information and cartography. Parts of Scotland and Wales also appear to have been affected. It highlights the devastating impact of the hot and dry weather that has lasted for weeks. Official drought expected to be declared tomorrow - report Water industry insiders believe a drought will officially be declared tomorrow, according to the BBC.Weeks of hot weather and little rain have left rivers and ponds running dry, and fields and parks parched and yellow. What does it mean when a drought is declared? The Environment Agency, which can officially declare a drought, will monitor water companies to make sure they stick to their drought plans. Abstractors will be stopped from taking too much water out of rivers, and water companies will be expected to impose restrictions on non-essential domestic and commercial water use. French firefighters battling 'monster' blaze As the UK's wildfire severity risk has been raised to "exceptional", across the Channel France is already gripped by huge fires. Firefighters are tackling a "monster" blaze in the Landiras region near the winegrowing heartland of Bordeaux. "I would qualify the fire in Landiras as a mega-fire," Gregory Allione, from the French firefighters body FNSPF, said. "It's an ogre, it's a monster." Meanwhile, fires continue to rage in the Gironde region in southwestern France. Homes have been destroyed and 10,000 residents have been evacuated, some of whom were forced to scramble onto rooftops as the flames got closer. 'Constant battle' to stop water leakage The water industry is doing "everything possible" to stop water leakage but it is a "constant battle", the director of policy at Water UK has said. As hosepipe bans come into effect across parts of the country, more scrutiny is being given to the water wasted by leakages. "Although we are currently seeing the lowest level of leakage on record, it is a constant battle because, particularly in hot, dry conditions, what happens is the soil dries out, cracks, and it moves, and that puts additional pressure on the pipes, and that can cause additional bursts," Stuart Colville said. He told BBC Breakfast it is looking "increasingly inevitable" that the Environment Agency will declare a drought for England. Weather in UK 'worse than expected', says climate change expert The weather in the UK is "worse than expected" and driven by climate change, an expert has told Sky News.Sir David King, former permanent special representative for climate change, said: "It is worse than we expected and it is all coming sooner than we expected. I think we now have an understanding of these extreme weather events, they are occurring right across Europe."It's driven by what's happening in the Arctic circle region where ice is melting much more rapidly than predicted."Now during the three polar summer months, much of the arctic ocean is exposed to sunlight - whereas before it was covered with ice so it was reflected back into space."So that heating of the Arctic circle region is the cause of what we are looking at."We have now got to anticipate this kind of weather going into the future, and if anything it's getting worse."He warned: "Yes, it's lovely to have a nice hot day to get out in the sun but please don't spend too much time in the sun"Your body should not exceed 37 and getting rid of that excess heat is a real problem."Sir David said the UK needs a "coordinated plan" from the government to adapt society to cope with the challenges posed by heatwaves. A plan "needs to be put in place so next summer we are in a state of preparedness", he said.He spoke out against potential plans to remove the green levy - which has been proposed to help ease (green levies now represent 9-12% of electricity bills) the impact of the rising cost of fuel."The right reaction is not to invest in fossil fuels to see if we can bring the price down by putting more fossil fuels into the marketplace."That would take far too long. We have got a crisis that is here now. How do we manage it today?"The way to do it is to increase energy efficiency, to ask people to really look after their use of energy sources," he said. The latest weather forecast An amber heat warning for extreme heat came into force at midnight last night, affecting much of southern Britain, and is due to stay in place until Sunday.The week will bring heatwave conditions, with rain confined to the far north, but hitting last month's record temperatures is unlikely.The heat will build through the week, peaking on Friday and Saturday thanks to the influence of high pressure positioned over the UK. Temperatures are likely to rise into the low-to-mid 30s Celsius for those within the warning areaOutside the warning area, heatwave criteria are still likely to be met for much of the UK, with temperatures widely into the high 20s Celsius and a chance of a few spots seeing temperatures into the low 30s. Scotland and Northern Ireland will also see temperatures into the high 20s and could reach official heatwave criteria by Friday.National Highways head of road safety Jeremy Phillips said: "It is always very important to plan ahead for your journey and this advice remains the same during periods of hot weather. "When hot weather is forecast, please remember to take plenty of drinking water with you – enough for you and your passengers. "We also advise everyone should check their vehicles, such as tyres, coolant and oil levels, before heading out." Fire services 'completely unprepared' for imminent heatwave Riccardo La Torre, national officer for the Fire Brigades Union, has warned that services across the UK are "completely unprepared" for the level of risk posed by the imminent heatwave.Mr La Torre told Sky News: "These are brutal, brutal fires to fight. The temperature that they burn at, the speed at which they spread at."The reality is we've been left completely unprepared to do that as a fire and rescue service."We've had over a fifth of the workforce cut since 2010, that's over 11,500 firefighters cut. Yet we're asking them to deal with these extreme weather events in increasing regularity and increasing severity."The professionals on the ground have been warning that these conditions are coming and we very much saw the reality of that in these last few weeks."Firefighters have been injured, firefighters have ended up in hospital, we've seen families lose their homes, we've seen businesses lost, infrastructure burn to the ground, because we simply can't get to these fires quick enough."When we do, we simply don't have the resources to deal with them adequately." Climate crisis: Drought hitting nearly half of Europe It's not just the UK being hit by the hot weather - almost half of European Union land is currently under a drought warning, and there are fears it could last for months. From water handouts in France in the west and fish deaths in Serbia in the east, to an evaporating river in Germany and withering olive tress in Spain and Italy, much of the territory is suffering what is set to be its worst drought in a 500 year record.Read more from Sky's climate reporter Victoria Seabrook here... How is the hot weather affecting you? You can share your story, pictures, or video with us using our app, private messaging, or email.
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“We are not ready on this at all,” said Ed Miliband, member of Parliament, who covers climate change for the opposition Labour Party. “Not by a long shot.”July 19, 2022, 10:54 AM UTC / Updated July 19, 2022, 1:22 PM UTCLONDON — Britain "well and truly" shattered the record for its hottest day Tuesday, provisionally hitting the highest temperature ever documented in southeast England. A temperature of 104.3 Fahrenheit was provisionally recorded at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday at around 12:50 p.m. local time (7:50 a.m.), the Meteorological Office said. Earlier in the day, a temperature of 102.4 had already been provisionally recorded at Charlwood, Surrey, already breaking records.Earlier, the Met Office said on its website that the ongoing heat wave was the first time it had forecast temperatures of 104 F. The previous high of 101.6 F was set in Cambridge Botanic Garden on July 25, 2019.The record-breaking heat marks “an exceptional historic day, really, for the U.K.,” Craig Snell, a meteorologist for the Met Office told NBC News in a phone interview. “It’s certainly going to be going down in the record books.” And, Snell said, “it’s likely that the temperature may well continue to rise,” with a peak at temperatures expected at around 4 or 5 p.m. local time. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that (104.3) goes up a little bit more.” As the U.K. grapples with the extreme heat, neighboring France’s southwestern region of Gironde continues to see wildfires spreading to 27,000 acres, forcing thousands to flee their homes. And in Portugal, where wildfires are also raging, more than 650 have died amid soaring temperatures. The Met office had said that parts of the U.K. could experience temperatures of more than 104 F on Tuesday when it issued a "red" warning for extreme heat for much of central, northern and southeast England.On Monday, Wales recorded its hottest day on record at 98.7 F, while a high of 100.5 F was hit in Suffolk on Monday, just shy of the U.K. record.The Met Office said parts of the country had "provisionally" experienced the warmest night on record in Britain overnight, as well as the "highest daily minimum temperature."Two women dip their heads into the fountain to cool off in London's Trafalgar Square on Tuesday.Dan Kitwood / Getty Images"Temperatures didn’t fall below 25 C (77 F) in places, exceeding the previous highest daily minimum record of 23.9 C (75.02 F), recorded in Brighton on 3rd August 1990," it said in a tweet.The Met Office warned that Tuesday's extreme heat could lead to "serious illness or danger to life." As a result, it has said that "substantial changes in working practices and daily routines will be required." It also warned of a "high risk of failure" of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, which could lead to localized losses of power and other essential services, including water or cellphone services.The soaring temperatures have already had a major impact on travel, with London Luton Airport on Monday forced to temporarily suspend flights to allow for a runway repair after it said high surface temperatures "caused a small section of the runway to lift." The issue was fixed and the runway was fully operational within hours.In the capital, London’s busy Oxford Circus station was evacuated Tuesday morning following reports of smoke from an escalator machine room.The London Fire Brigade said the smoke was due to escalator brake pads overheating. Network Rail, which runs most of the railway network in Britain, issued a "do not travel warning" for services traveling through the "red zone" Tuesday. Meanwhile, other rail and train services have been canceled or reduced due to the extreme heat warning.The rail network also recorded its "hottest rail," which clocked in at 144 F.While the U.K. has experienced warm weather before, scientists have said these soaring temperatures are becoming increasingly common due to climate change propelled by the greenhouse gases that humans are pumping into the atmosphere.Snell noted that this week's hot weather came after scientists for decades predicted increasing heatwaves and other extreme weather due to climate change."We can't directly link everything to climate change, but what we can probably say is that this heatwave has probably been enhanced by climate change," he said.In Britain, many homes and businesses are not equipped to deal with high temperatures, with air conditioning uncommon outside of offices and public spaces, while many homes were built in the 1800s and have thick brick walls that absorb heat in the day and retain it at night.Politicians and government advisers have increasingly warned that homes and essential services in the U.K. must be adapted to prepare for rising temperatures in the years to come.Swimmers on Moulleau beach in southwestern France watch as smoke rises from a forest fire at La Teste-de-Buch on Monday. Thibaud Moritz / AFP - Getty Images"The planet is hotter than it's been for 125,000 years. We've got 1 degree of warming so far, but I don't want to be a doom-monger, but we're going to get more than 1 degree of warming, that's the average, and that will mean more extreme heat ... and we are not ready as a country," Ed Miliband, Britain's shadow climate change secretary, told Sky News, which is owned by NBC News' parent company, Comcast.In the U.K., the "shadow cabinet" consists of opposition members who scrutinize the policies and practices of their corresponding government ministers and propose alternatives."We are not ready on this at all," Miliband said. "Not by a long shot."In Spain, shocking video emerged this week of a man in the northwestern town of Tábara forced to jump from an excavator after trying to dig a trench to safeguard his town from a wildfire.As the blaze closed in and started to engulf the digger, Angel Martin Arjona was forced to jump out and run for his life, Reuters reported.Chantal Da SilvaChantal Da Silva is a breaking news editor for NBC News Digital based in London. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A wildfire burns during the second heatwave of the year, in the vicinity Tabara and Losacio, Zamora province, Spain, July 18, 2022. REUTERS/Isabel InfantesRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSummaryBritain on course for hottest day on recordTemperatures begin to ease in parts of southern EuropeHeatwave consistent with climate change, scientists sayFirefighters still battle to contain wildfiresMADRID/LISBON July 18 (Reuters) - A heatwave sweeping southern Europe that has caused hundreds of deaths and huge wildfires in past weeks showed some signs of abating on Monday but continued to move north, including towards Britain where authorities issued an extreme weather warning.Much of Europe is baking in a heatwave that scientists say is consistent with climate change and has pushed temperatures into the mid-40s Celsius (over 110 Fahrenheit) in some regions, with wildfires raging across tinder-dry countryside in Portugal, Spain and France. read more Temperatures in some parts of southern Europe began to ease over the weekend but thousands of firefighters across the region still battled to contain hundreds of wildfires and authorities said the risk of further blazes remained extremely high.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSpain was facing the eighth and last day of a more than week-long heatwave on Monday, which caused more than 510 heat-related deaths, according to estimates from the Carlos III Health Institute.With fires burning thousands of hectares in Galicia, Castille and Leon, Catalonia, Extremadura and Andalusia, Spain mourned the death of one firefighter in the northwestern province of Zamora on Sunday evening. Almost the entire country faces a extreme fire risk."There are never words to thank the immense work of those who fight the fires tirelessly," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Sunday night in a condolence message on Twitter.More than 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) have burnt in Spain so far this year, the worst year of the last decade, according to official data. Last month, a huge wildfire in Sierra de la Culebra, Castille and Leon, ravaged about 30,000 hectares of land.Spain also reported a second death caused by a wildfire after a fireman died on Sunday. A 69-year-old was found dead on Monday in Ferreruela, in an area burned by flames, emergency authorities said. Local media said it was a farmer.In Portugal, temperatures dropped over the weekend, but the risk of wildfires remained very high across most of the country, according to the Portuguese Institute of Meteorology (IPMA).More than 1,000 firefighters, backed by 285 vehicles and 14 aircraft, were battling nine ongoing wildfires, mainly in the country's northern regions, authorities said.NATIONAL EMERGENCIESBelgium and Germany were among the countries expecting the heatwave to hit them in coming days.Britain was on course for its hottest day on record on Monday with temperatures forecast to hit 40 Celsius (Fahrenheit) for the first time, forcing train companies to cancel services, schools to close early and ministers to urge the public to stay at home.The government has triggered a "national emergency" alert as temperatures were forecast to surpass the 38.7C (102F) recorded in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden in 2019 on Monday and Tuesday. read more "We hoped we wouldn't get to this situation but for the first time ever we are forecasting greater than 40C in the UK," climate attribution scientist at the Met Office, Dr Nikos Christidis, said."Climate change has already influenced the likelihood of temperature extremes in the UK. The chances of seeing 40C days in the UK could be as much as 10 times more likely in the current climate than under a natural climate unaffected by human influence," he said.In France, wildfires had spread over 11,000 hectares (27,000 acres) in the southwestern region of Gironde, and more than 14,000 people have been evacuated, regional authorities said on Sunday afternoon.More than 1,200 firefighters were trying to control the blazes, the authorities said in a statement.France issued red alerts, the highest possible, for several regions, with residents urged "to be extremely vigilant".In Italy, where smaller fires have blazed in recent days, forecasters expect temperatures above 40C in several regions in coming days.Switzerland also suffered the effects of the heatwave. Axpo, the operator of the Beznau nuclear plant, said it on Monday it was forced to reduce output so that it does not overheat the Aare river from which it draws its cooling water.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Reuters bureaus; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
World August 30, 2022 / 9:20 AM / CBS/AP Pakistan declares "climate catastrophe" Death toll tops 1,000 in Pakistan floods as officials declare a "climate catastrophe" 01:50 Islamabad, Pakistan — The United Nations and Pakistan issued an appeal Tuesday for $160 million in emergency funding to help millions affected by record-breaking floods that have killed more than 1,150 people since mid-June. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres said Pakistan's flooding, caused by weeks of unprecedented monsoon rains and compounded by glacial meltwater running down from the mountains, were a signal to the world to step up action against climate change. "Let's stop sleepwalking toward the destruction of our planet by climate change," he said in a video message to an Islamabad ceremony launching the funding appeal. "Today, it's Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country." More than 33 million people, or one in seven Pakistanis, have been affected by the catastrophic flooding, which has devastated a country already trying to revive a struggling economy. More than 1 million homes have been damaged or destroyed in the past two and half months, displacing millions of people. Around a half million of those displaced are living in organized camps, while others have had to find their own shelter. A flood affected woman fills a drinking water container from a partially submerged handpump near her flooded home in Shikarpur, Sindh province, Pakistan, August 30, 2022. ASIF HASSAN/AFP/Getty According to initial government estimates, the devastation caused $10 billion in damage to the economy. "It is a preliminary estimate likely to be far greater," Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told The Associated Press. More than 160 bridges and more than 2,100 miles of road have been damaged. Although the rain stopped three days ago, large swaths of the country remained underwater, and the main rivers, the Indus and the Swat, were still swollen on Tuesday. The National Disaster Management Authority warned emergency services to be on maximum alert, saying flood waters over the next 24 hours could cause further damage. Rescuers continued to evacuate stranded people from inundated villages to safer ground. Makeshift tent camps have sprung up along highways. Meteorologists have warned of more rain in the coming weeks. Pakistani flood victims wade through flood water after monsoon rains in Matiari, Sindh province, Pakistan, August 29, 2022. Shakeel Ahmad/Anadolu Agency/Getty "The situation is likely to deteriorate even further as heavy rains continue over areas already inundated by more than two months of storms and flooding. For us, this is no less than a national emergency," Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said Tuesday, urging the international community to give generously to the U.N. appeal. "Since mid-June, in fact, Pakistan has been battling one of the most severe, totally anomalous cycles of torrential monsoon weather," he said. Rainfall during that time was three times the average, and up to six times higher in some areas, he said. The U.N. flash appeal for $160 million will provide food, water, sanitation, health and other forms of aid to some 5.2 million people, Gutteres said. "The scale of needs is rising like the flood waters. It requires the world's collective and prioritized attention," he said. The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids. More than 1000 people have been killed - with millions more lives shattered. This colossal crisis requires urgent, collective action to help the Government & people of Pakistan in their hour of need. pic.twitter.com/aVFFy4Irwa— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 30, 2022 A day earlier, the International Monetary Fund's executive board approved the release of a much awaited $1.17 billion for Pakistan. The funds are part of a $6 billion bailout agreed on in 2019. The latest tranche had been on hold since earlier this year, when the IMF expressed concern about Pakistan's compliance with the deal's terms under the government of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Khan was ousted through a no-confidence vote in the parliament in April. Pakistan has risked default as its reserves dwindle and inflation has spiraled, and to get the IMF bailout, the government has had to agree to austerity measures. The flooding catastrophe, however, adds new burdens to the cash-strapped government. It also reflects how poorer countries often pay the price for climate change largely caused by more industrialized nations. Since 1959, Pakistan is responsible for only 0.4% of the world's historic CO2 emissions. The U.S. is responsible for 21.5%, China for 16.5% and the EU 15%. The climate crisis: The time to act is now 02:24 Several scientists say the record-breaking flooding has all the hallmarks of being affected by climate change. "This year, Pakistan has received the highest rainfall in at least three decades," said Abid Qaiyum Suleri, executive director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute and a member of Pakistan's Climate Change Council. "Extreme weather patterns are turning more frequent in the region and Pakistan is not an exception." Pakistan's climate minister has warned that a third of the country could be underwater by the time this year's "monster monsoon" flooding recedes. Pakistan is hit, on average, with three or four spells of monsoon rains per season, but this year has been wicked. As CBS News' Maria Usman reported on Monday, however, the country has already been dealt eight spells of relentless rainfall this summer. A photograph taken on May 7, 2022, shows a bridge partially collapsing due to flash floods sparked by a glacial lake outburst, in Hassanabad village, in Pakistan's northern Hunza district. AFP via Getty "We could well have one fourth or one-third of Pakistan underwater," Sherry Rehman, a Pakistani senator and the Federal Minister for Climate Change, said on Sunday."We are at the moment at the ground zero of the front line of extreme weather events, in an unrelenting cascade of heat waves, forest fires, flash floods, multiple glacial lake outbursts, flood events and now the monster monsoon of the decade is wreaking non-stop havoc throughout the country," said Rehman.She warned that the warming climate was speeding up the rate at which glaciers in Pakistan's mountainous north are melting, exacerbating the impact of the heavy rain. Pakistan has 7,532 glaciers, more than anywhere else outside of the polar regions. Pakistan saw similar flooding and devastation in 2010 that killed nearly 2,000 people. But Suleri said the government didn't implement plans to prevent future flooding by preventing construction and homes in flood prone areas and river beds. In: Climate Change Pakistan Severe Weather Flooding Flood Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Why does it matter?Switzerland's melting glaciers aren't an isolated event.In July, 11 people died after part of the Marmolada glacier collapsed in the Dolomites in an event Italy's prime minister, Mario Draghi, tied to climate change.In addition, this year Europe has been battling extreme weather events including drought, heatwaves, wildfires and fatal storms. On Rhône glacier, Prof Farinotti and his team are mapping the changes.He shows us a huge section of it that totally collapsed this year.Near the middle, another area is visibly bowing.In one spot, the scientists are using ground penetrating radar to check the thickness of the ice, further up they are drilling into the glacier to monitor changes in velocity."The situation for glaciers is not good at all. They have been retreating for decades, but this summer has been particularly bad. It may well become the worst year on record [for glacier retreat]," Prof Farinotti explains, showing us the huge walls of broken ice.He is in no doubt that, along with the other extreme weather events experienced this year, the melting glaciers are victims of climate change."The cause is well-known; it is the warming temperatures caused by ongoing climate change," Prof Farinotti adds"The bad news is that it's not only affecting glaciers, but also many other areas of the Earth system; think forest fires, severe weather events such as drought and extreme precipitation, but also floods and storms. They all have the same cause."According to the team, one major consequence of the disappearing glaciers is the impact on water supplies. Initially when the ice melts, water is released into the valleys, but as glaciers shrink further the water supply diminishes. Once glaciers are gone that crucial water source cannot be replaced.For some glaciers it's already too late, they'll be gone in just over a decade. The future of the rest depends on us - on our desire and ability to slow the global warming heating up our world. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (AP) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived in Kentucky on Monday to meet with families and view damage from storms that have resulted in the worst flooding in Kentucky’s history.At least 37 people have died since last month's deluge, which dropped 8 to 10 1/2 inches of rain in only 48 hours. The National Weather Service said Sunday that flooding remains a threat, warning of more thunderstorms through Thursday.The Bidens will be joined by Gov. Andy Beshear and his wife, Britainy, for a briefing on the flooding's impact with first responders and recovery specialists at Marie Roberts Elementary School in Lost Creek. They will then tour a hard-hit community in the state and meet directly with those affected.“They will receive an update on the disaster response, thank those on the front lines and share in the community's grief,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.Get Today in PoliticsA digest of the top political stories from the Globe, sent to your inbox Monday-Friday.Monday's visit is Biden's second to the state since taking office last year. He previously visited in December after tornadoes whipped through Kentucky, killing 77 people and leaving a trail of destruction.“I wish I could tell you why we keep getting hit here in Kentucky," Beshear said recently. "I wish I could tell you why areas where people may not have much continue to get hit and lose everything. I can’t give you the why, but I know what we do in response to it. And the answer is everything we can. These are our people. Let’s make sure we help them out.”Biden has expanded federal disaster assistance to Kentucky, ensuring the federal government will cover the full cost of debris removal and other emergency measures.Jean-Pierre said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided more than $3.1 million in relief funds, and hundreds of rescue personnel have been deployed to help.“The floods in Kentucky and extreme weather all around the country are yet another reminder of the intensifying and accelerating impacts of climate change and the urgent need to invest in making our communities more resilient to it,” she said.The flooding came just one month after Beshear visited Mayfield to celebrate the completion of the first houses to be fully constructed since a tornado nearly wiped out the town. Three families were handed keys to their new homes that day, and the governor in his remarks hearkened back to a visit he had made in the immediate aftermath.“I pledged on that day that while we had been knocked down, we were not knocked out,” Beshear said. “That we would get back up again and we would move forward. And six months to the day, we’re not just up, we’re not just standing on our feet, we are moving forward.”Now more disasters are testing the state. Beshear has been to eastern Kentucky as many times as weather permitted since the flooding began. He’s had daily news conferences stretching an hour to provide details including a full range of assistance for victims. Much like after the tornadoes, Beshear opened relief funds going directly to people in the beleaguered regions.A Democrat, Beshear narrowly defeated a Republican incumbent in 2019, and he's seeking a second term in 2023.Polling has consistently shown him with strong approval ratings from Kentuckians. But several prominent Republicans have entered the governor’s race, taking turns pounding the governor for his aggressive pandemic response and trying to tie him to Biden and rising inflation.Beshear comments frequently about the toll surging inflation is taking in eating at Kentuckians’ budgets. He avoids blaming Biden, instead pointing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and supply chain bottlenecks as contributors to rising consumer costs.___Schreiner reported from Frankfort, Kentucky and Megerian reported from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
HONG KONG — It’s been a summer that has seen heat records jump across the globe. China’s health workers have been particularly impacted, enduring relentless heat waves wrapped head-to-toe in protective gear as they continue to test the mass populace for Covid-19, amidst a seemingly never-ending series of outbreaks.Wearing hazmat suits known locally as the “Big White,” the army of workers, responsible for enforcing China’s zero-Covid policy have for a large part of this year been toiling in temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more. “The inner condition is airtight,” Joshua Liu, a health worker from Shanghai told NBC News by telephone last month. “Once the suit is on, we can’t eat, drink and go to the toilet.”Workers are “soaked in sweat” and their “fingers and palms are wrinkled” when they remove them, said Liu who helped medical staff to collect Covid test samples and register residents’ information.“I can feel my skin breathing and sweating,” he said. “Every day when I finally get off work, the only thing I want to do is take a shower and fall asleep.”Air-conditioning units are installed as summer heats up at a Covid test site in June in Beijing.Ng Han Guan / APUse of the “Big White” was brought sharply into the spotlight last month when a video of nurse Chunhua Xie lying on a bed in the emergency room with her limbs twitching went viral on Chinese social media, after it was released by officials in Nanchang County in the eastern Jiangxi province. Wearing the protective suit, Chunhua had been conducting Covid tests for several days at the People’s Hospital of Nanchang County, when she suffered from heat stroke and fainted, text over the video said. The temperature was just over 100 degrees outside the facility at the time, the video said. Although she later recovered, the video sparked an online backlash and was later removed by officials. But by then it had been widely shared and viewed by millions of people on Weibo, China’s largest microblogging site and other social media channels, where some accused the government of incompetence.A regular sightThe “Big White” has become a regular sight at Covid testing sites as health workers followed guidance on protective clothing issued by China’s National Health Commission in January 2020, shortly after the initial Covid outbreak in the city of Wuhan. In Shanghai, Liu said he and his colleagues regularly wore the body-covering outfits during Shanghai’s two-month Covid lockdown between March and May, when authorities, pursuing China’s uncompromising “zero Covid” policy, shuttered schools, malls, convenience stores and gyms, and stopped bus, subway and ferry services in the city.Throughout more localized neighborhood lockdowns in the following months, when residents were barred from leaving and entering their living compounds without a permit, Liu said he and his co-workers helped conduct mass testing and contact tracing, while also helping to enforce strict quarantine requirements. But as the summer months arrived, temperatures across China began to rise and the mercury regularly hit 100 degrees in Shanghai. So far temperatures of 104 degrees have been hit seven times in the commercial hub of 25 million, surpassing the record of five days hit in 2013. As a result, heatstroke started to trend on Chinese social media, as people discussed the symptoms which include headaches, vomiting and fever, or in more serious cases people can go into convulsions or a coma. For Janice Ho, a postdoctoral fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, it was a “good thing” the people were searching for the term because it helped them “be more aware that heat actually has implications for death.” At the moment the core body temperature hits 100 degrees, “your organs will start failing because it’s too hot to function and your body may stop regulating itself,” added Ho, whose research focuses on heat and public health. “That’s when it becomes fatal. It’s very risky to end up dying from it.”Several deaths have already been attributed to the searing heat, including that of a 56-year-old construction worker in the city of Xi’an. Admitted to hospital with a body temperature of 109.4 degrees he died from multiple organ failure and severe heat stroke in July, the state-run China Youth Daily reported. After the video of Chunhua was released, China’s National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases published an article that said that wearing “protective garments (commonly known as the “Big White”) … could greatly increase the risk of heat stroke.” Medical workers were instead advised to wear lighter and more breathable surgical gowns. But temperatures have continued to soar since then however and on Aug.12 the first “high-temperature red alert” was issued by Chinese National Meteorological Center. That meant four or more provinces recorded temperatures of more than 100 degrees over a 48-hour period and more than 10 provinces were expected to hit between 100 and 108 degrees. It remained in place for 12 days until Aug. 23.For Ho, this showed that extreme heat should be taken as seriously as other extreme weather. “There are drastic measures taken to prevent people from being at risk from typhoons or rainstorms, but we haven’t treated heat in the same way,” she said. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
LONDON -- Britain shattered its record for the highest temperature ever registered Tuesday amid a heat wave that has seized swaths of Europe -- and the national weather forecaster predicted it would get hotter still in a country ill-prepared for such extremes.The typically temperate nation was just the latest to be walloped by unusually hot, dry weather that has gripped the continent since last week, triggering wildfires from Portugal to the Balkans and leading to hundreds of heat-related deaths. Images of flames racing toward a French beach and Britons sweltering -- even at the seaside -- have driven home concerns about climate change.The U.K. Met Office registered a provisional reading of 40.2 degrees Celsius (104.4 degrees Fahrenheit) at Heathrow Airport -- breaking the record set just an hour earlier. Before Tuesday, the highest temperature recorded in Britain was 38.7 C (101.7 F), a record set in 2019.The nation watched the mercury rise with a combination of horror and fascination. With several hours of intense sunlight ahead, the record could go even higher."Temperatures are likely to rise further through today,'' the forecaster said after the first record fell.WATCH: How to survive a prolonged heat waveThe sweltering weather has disrupted travel, health care and schools in a country not prepared for such extremes. A huge chunk of England, from London in the south to Manchester and Leeds in the north, remained under the country's first "red" warning for extreme heat Tuesday, meaning there is danger of death even for healthy people.London streets saw less traffic, as many heeded advice to stay out of the sun, and trains ran at low speed out of concern rails could buckle, or did not run at all. The British Museum -- which has a glass-roofed atrium -- planned to shut its doors early. And the Supreme Court closed to visitors after a problem with the air conditioning forced it to move hearings online.Many public buildings, including hospitals, don't even have air conditioning, a reflection of how unusual such extreme heat is in the country better known for rain and mild temperatures.The capital's Hyde Park, normally busy with walkers, was eerily quiet -- except for the long lines to take a dip in the park's Serpentine lake."I'm going to my office because it is nice and cool,'' said geologist Tom Elliott, 31, after taking a swim. "I'm cycling around instead of taking the Tube.''MORE: How people who work outdoors in hot environments can protect themselves from heatLondon's King's Cross Station, one of the country's busiest rail hubs, was empty on Tuesday, with no trains on the typically bustling east coastline connecting the capital to the north and Scotland. London's Luton Airport closed its runway for several hours Monday because of heat damage.Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Britain's transport infrastructure, some of it dating from Victorian times, "just wasn't built to withstand this type of temperature -- and it will be many years before we can replace infrastructure with the kind of infrastructure that could."The dangers of extreme heat were on display in Britain and around Europe. At least six people were reported to have drowned across the U.K. in rivers, lakes and reservoirs while trying to cool off. Meanwhile, nearly 750 heat-related deaths have been reported in Spain and neighboring Portugal in the heat wave there.There have been more than 1,000 heat-related deaths in Spain and Portugal so far in July, according to the respective countries' ministries of health. https://t.co/M3l6Z8GV9z— ABC News (@ABC) July 19, 2022The highest temperature previously recorded in Britain was 38.7 C (101.7 F), a record set in 2019. Tuesday's reading was provisional, which means they are produced as near to real-time as possible with final readings issued after data quality--control, the Met Office said.Climate experts warn that global warming has increased the frequency of extreme weather events, with studies showing that the likelihood of temperatures in the U.K. reaching 40 C (104 F) is now 10 times higher than in the pre-industrial era. In fact, that once unthinkable mark looked possible -- even likely -- Tuesday."This record temperature is a harbinger of things to come,'' said Bob Ward of the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics. "The increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves and other extreme weather events is the result of climate change, and these impacts will continue to grow" unless the world drastically reduces emissions.Drought and heat waves tied to climate change have also made wildfires harder to fight.In the Gironde region of southwestern France, ferocious wildfires continued to spread through tinder-dry pines forests, frustrating firefighting efforts by more than 2,000 firefighters and water-bombing planes.More than 37,000 people have been evacuated from homes and summer vacation spots since the fires broke out July 12 and burned through 190 square kilometers (more than 70 square miles) of forests and vegetation, Gironde authorities said.A smaller third fire broke out late Monday in the Medoc wine region north of Bordeaux, further taxing firefighting resources. Five camping sites went up in flames in the Atlantic coast beach zone where blazes raged, around the Arcachon maritime basin famous for its oysters and resorts.But weather forecasts offered some consolation, with heat wave temperatures expected to ease along the Atlantic seaboard Tuesday and the possibility of rains rolling in late in the day.___Associated Press Writer John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, contributed to this story. Copyright © 2022 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Vangie Jacobo wipes her face with a wet rag while working outside in 106 degree heat in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. July 23, 2022. REUTERS/Rebecca NobleRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJuly 25 (Reuters) - Much of the United States will experience another heat wave this week, with above-normal temperatures forecast for the Pacific Northwest, Southern Plains and the Lower Mississippi Valley.The extreme heat is fueling a fast-moving California wildfire, just went of Yosemite National Park. The Oak Fire has destroyed 10 structures and is 10% contained. read more The U.S. heat wave followed record heat that killed hundreds if not thousands of people and sparked wildfires in Europe. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comFollowing is an explanation of what is causing the heat waves, according to scientists.WHAT IS A HEAT WAVE?A heat wave has no single scientific definition. Depending on the climate of a region, it can be determined by a certain number of days above a specific temperature or percentile of the norm.ARCTIC WARMING AND JET STREAM MIGRATIONThe Arctic is warming three to four times faster than the globe as a whole, meaning there is ever less difference between northern temperatures and those closer to the equator.That is resulting in swings in the North Atlantic jet stream, which in turn leads to extreme weather events like heat waves and floods, according to Jennifer Francis, senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center.HEAT DOMESWarmer oceans contribute to heat domes, which trap heat over large geographical areas.Scientists have found the main cause of heat domes is a strong change in ocean temperatures from west to east in the tropical Pacific Ocean during the preceding winter."As prevailing winds move the hot air east, the northern shifts of the jet stream trap the air and move it toward land, where it sinks, resulting in heat waves," the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says on its website.EL NINO AND LA NINAEvery few years, the climate patterns known as El Nino and, less frequently, La Nina occur. El Nino brings warm water from the equatorial Pacific Ocean up to the western coast of North America, and La Nina brings colder water.At present, La Nina is in effect. Because summer temperatures trend lower during La Nina, climate scientists are concerned about what a serious heat wave would look like during the next El Nino, when even hotter summer weather could be expected.HUMAN-INFLUENCED CLIMATE CHANGEClimate change caused by the burning of fossil fuels is a global phenomenon that is certainly playing a role in what the United States is experiencing, scientists say."Climate change is making extreme and unprecedented heat events both more intense and more common, pretty much universally throughout the world," said Daniel Swain, climate scientist at UCLA."Heat waves are probably the most underestimated type of potential disaster because they routinely kill a lot of people. And we just don't hear about it because it doesn't kill them in, to put it bluntly, sufficiently dramatic ways. There aren't bodies on the street."Francis, of the Woodwell Center, said with climate change the world is seeing changing wind patterns and weather systems "in ways that make these heat waves, like we're seeing right now, more intense, more persistent, and cover areas that just aren't used to having heat waves."Alex Ruane, researcher at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said as the world warms, "it takes less of a natural anomaly to push us into the extreme heat categories. Because we're closer to those thresholds, it's more likely that you'll get more than one heat wave at the same time. We're seeing this in the United States."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Donna Bryson, Rosalba O'Brien and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A firefighter works to extinguish a forest fire, during a heatwave, near Thiendorf, north of Dresden, Germany, July 19, 2022. REUTERS/Matthias RietschelRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBRUSSELS, July 18 (Reuters) - Europe is in the grip of a record-breaking heatwave and wildfires are raging across the Mediterranean. Here's how climate change drives these events.HOTTER, MORE FREQUENT HEATWAVESClimate change makes heatwaves hotter and more frequent. This is the case for most land regions, and has been confirmed by the U.N.'s global panel of climate scientists (IPCC).Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities have heated the planet by about 1.2 Celsius since pre-industrial times. That warmer baseline means higher temperatures can be reached during extreme heat events.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"Every heatwave that what we are experiencing today has been made hotter and more frequent because of climate change," said Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London who also co-leads the World Weather Attribution research collaboration.But other conditions affect heatwaves too. In Europe, atmospheric circulation is an important factor.A study in the journal Nature this month found that heatwaves in Europe have increased three-to-four times faster than in other northern mid-latitudes such as the United States. The authors linked this to changes in the jet stream - a fast west-to-east air current in the northern hemisphere.FINGERPRINTS OF CLIMATE CHANGETo find out exactly how much climate change affected a specific heatwave, scientists conduct "attribution studies". Since 2004, more than 400 such studies have been done for extreme weather events, including heat, floods and drought - calculating how much of a role climate change played in each.This involves simulating the modern climate hundreds of times and comparing it to simulations of a climate without human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.For example, scientists with World Weather Attribution determined that a record-breaking heatwave in western Europe in June 2019 was 100 times more likely to occur now in France and the Netherlands than if humans had not changed the climate.HEATWAVES WILL STILL GET WORSEThe global average temperature is around 1.2C warmer than in pre-industrial times. That is already driving extreme heat events."On average on land, heat extremes that would have happened once every 10 years without human influence on the climate are now three times more frequent," said ETH Zurich climate scientist Sonia Seneviratne.Temperatures will only cease rising if humans stop adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Until then, heatwaves are set to worsen. A failure to tackle climate change would see heat extremes escalate even more dangerously.Countries agreed under the global 2015 Paris Agreement to cut emissions fast enough to limit global warming to 2°C and aim for 1.5°C, to avoid its most dangerous impacts. Current policies would not cut emissions fast enough to meet either goal.A heatwave that occurred once per decade in the pre-industrial era would happen 4.1 times a decade at 1.5°C of warming, and 5.6 times at 2°C, the IPCC says.Letting warming pass 1.5°C means that most years "will be affected by hot extremes in the future," Seneviratne said.CLIMATE CHANGE DRIVES WILDFIRESClimate change increases hot and dry conditions that help fires spread faster, burn longer and rage more intensely.In the Mediterranean, that has contributed to the fire season starting earlier and burning more land. Last year more than half a million hectares burned in the European Union, making it the bloc’s second-worst forest fire season on record after 2017.Hotter weather also saps moisture from vegetation, turning it into dry fuel that helps fires to spread."The hotter, drier conditions right now, it just makes [fires] far more dangerous," Copernicus senior scientist Mark Parrington said.Countries such as Portugal and Greece experience fires most summers, and have infrastructure to try to manage them - though both have received emergency EU help this summer. But hotter temperatures are also pushing wildfires into regions not used to them, and thus less prepared to cope.CLIMATE CHANGE ISN'T THE ONLY FACTOR IN FIRESForest management and ignition sources are also important factors. In Europe, more than nine out of 10 fires are ignited by human activities, like arson, disposable barbeques, electricity lines, or littered glass, according to EU data.Countries, including Spain, face the challenge of shrinking populations in rural areas, as people move to cities, leaving smaller workforces to clear vegetation and avoid "fuel" for forest fires building up.Some actions can help to limit severe blazes, such as setting controlled fires that mimic the low-intensity fires in natural ecosystem cycles, or introducing gaps within forests to stop blazes rapidly spreading over large areas.But scientists concur that without steep cuts to the greenhouse gases causing climate change, heatwaves, wildfires, flooding and drought will significantly worsen."When we look back on the current fire season in one or two decades' time, it will probably seem mild by comparison," said Victor Resco de Dios, professor of forest engineering at Spain's Lleida University.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Kate Abnett; additional reporting by Gloria Dickie; editing by Katy Daigle and Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
World August 11, 2022 / 11:44 AM / CBS News Climate change boosts risk of extreme weather Climate change elevating risk of dangerous weather 04:31 London — The parks of England, usually lush with green grass, have turned yellow. Even the spot known as the source of the mighty River Thames has dried up for the first time in decades.The U.K. has experienced months of low rainfall and high temperatures. Last month was the driest July recorded in England in almost 90 years, since 1935.The British government's environmental agency has warned that if the dry conditions continue, "many parts of England will move into drought." The combination of low rainfall and successive heat waves has hit farmers hard. Some are already seeing their crop yields decline. Vegetables like broccoli and brussels sprouts should be planted now to harvest in the winter, but with much of their land parched, some farmers are delaying planting the new crop. Others are going ahead, unsure how much might survive. Cows eat straw and grass silage, which is normally a winter feed, at a farm in Harpole, near Northampton, England, August 10, 2022. The cows have been on the supplementary food from the start of August due to hot, dry weather and lack of fresh grass. ANDREW BOYERS/REUTERS The dry conditions are also affecting livestock farmers. Fields where cattle graze have dried the grass that should be feeding on now. Just like in the U.S., many British and European farmers are already using their winter feed, which could cause problems later in the year. Much of the European continent struggling under similar conditions, with dry spells and heat waves shrinking waterways, cracking farmland and allowing wild fires to rage.More than 60% of the EU and U.K.'s combined lands are now under drought warnings or alerts, according to the European Drought Observatory.One senior scientist with the European Commission warned that Europe is on course to suffer through its worst drought in 500 years. Extreme heat scorches parts of Europe, affecting infrastructure and food production 05:05 Wildfires are charring thousands of acres of tinder-dry brush and destroying homes in Spain, Portugal and France. French officials have already declared it the country's "most severe" drought on record. Authorities there say dozens of municipalities have seen their drinking water supplies run dry, leaving them to rely on water brought in by tanker trucks.In Germany, water levels of the Rhine River have dropped so far that it's making it harder for ships to transport goods, including coal and gasoline, which the country sorely needs amid soaring global energy prices. Historic drought in Italy threatens precious traditions 02:26 Some ships are being forced to carry only 25% of their usual cargo capacity to avoid running aground.Scientists have said heat waves are increasing in both frequency and intensity faster in Europe than almost anywhere else on Earth, and they say human-induced climate change is playing a critical role in those changing weather patterns. In: Climate Change Excessive Heat Warning Heat Wave European Union United Kingdom Drought Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. Create your free account or log in for more features. Please enter email address to continue Please enter valid email address to continue | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
LOS ANGELES -- California will face its highest chance of blackouts this year as a brutal heat wave continues to blanket the state with triple-digit temperatures, officials warned Monday.As people crank up their air conditioners, the state forecasted record levels of energy use that could exceed supply Monday evening, said Elliot Mainzer, president of California Independent System Operators, which runs the state's electrical grid.The state could fall 2,000 to 4,000 megawatts of electricity short of its power supply, which represents as much as 10% of normal demand, he said.State energy officials said the electrical load on Tuesday potentially could hit 51,000 megawatts, the highest demand ever seen in California.The scorching heat and low humidity were further drying out brush and adding to the challenges of battling wildfires, said Anale Burlew, a deputy chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.Some 4,400 firefighters were battling 14 large fires around the state, and there were 45 new blazes on Sunday alone, she said.In Southern California, two people were killed and one injured by the Fairview Fire, which started Monday near the city of Hemet, the Riverside County Fire Department said. Roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles, the fire had quickly spread to more than 2,000 acres by 11 p.m., prompting evacuations, and was only 5% contained. Multiple residential structures burned. CAISO on Monday evening requested the activation of temporary emergency power generators deployed by the Department of Water Resources in Roseville and Yuba City. The four generators, which were activated for the first time since they were installed last year, can provide up to 120 megawatts of electricity, enough to power up to 120,000 homes. Earlier in the day, CAISO issued a Flex Alert call for voluntary conservation between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Monday and for 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday, making seven alerts in as many days. Consumers were urged to keep air conditioners at 78 degrees (25.5 degrees C) or higher during the period and avoiding using major appliances such as ovens and dishwashers.The efforts have worked to keep the lights on “but we have now entered the most intense phase of this heat wave” that could last into the week, and two to three times the level of conservation will be needed from people and businesses, Mainzer said.During the day, California’s energy grid runs on a mix of mostly solar and natural gas, as well as some imports of power from other states. But solar power begins to fall off during the late afternoon and into the evening, which is the hottest time of day in some parts of the state. Meanwhile, some of the aging natural gas plants that California relies on for backup power aren’t as reliable in hot weather.CAISO also issued a Stage 2 Energy Emergency Alert from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday. The second of three emergency alert stages means taking emergency energy-saving measures “such as tapping backup generators, buying more power from other states and using so-called demand response programs," according to a CAISO website. Stage 3 would be rolling blackouts.Southern California Edison urged its customers to conserve energy through 10 p.m. tonight, the company said.The state has additional energy capacity for protection at the moment “but blackouts, rolling, rotating outages are a possibility today," Mainzer said, calling additional conservation "absolutely essential."Several hundred thousand Californians lost power in rolling blackouts in August 2020 amid hot weather. The state avoided a similar scenario last summer. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed legislation potentially allowing the state’s last remaining nuclear plant to stay open beyond its planned 2025 closure in order to ensure more power for the energy grid. The National Weather Service predicted highs between 100 and 115 degrees (37.7 C and 46.1 C) across inland areas of the state with 80s to 90s (above 26.6 C and below 37.2 C) closer to the coast. Nighttime won’t bring much relief, with many places seeing lows in the 80s or even 90s (above 26.6 C and below 37.2 C).Ironically, unsettled weather also brought the chance of thunderstorms over Southern California and into the Sierra Nevada, with a few isolated areas of rain but nothing widespread. The storms also could produce lightning, forecasters said, which can spark wildfires.South of the Oregon state line, the Mill Fire was 40% contained on Monday after killing two people, injuring others and destroying at least 88 homes and other buildings since it erupted last week, Burlew said.The fire killed two women, ages 66 and 73, who were found inside the city limits of Weed on Friday after the fire broke out, the Siskyou County Sheriff's Office announced Monday. Their names and details of their deaths weren't immediately released.Last week, seven firefighters were sent to the hospital for heat-related problems but Burlew said the extreme weather wasn’t likely to disrupt current firefighting efforts.The fire had burned 6.6 square miles (17.25 square kilometers) of grass, brush and timber but it wasn't expected to grow and many evacuations had been lifted.However a few miles away, the Mountain Fire was 16.6 square miles (43 square kilometers), only 10% contained and winds could renew its growth east in steep terrain, fire officials said at a Monday morning briefing. No buildings had burned.Scientists say climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Sydney residents were warned of a “long night ahead” and another day of devastating flooding on Monday after large parts of the New South Wales coast were lashed with torrential rainfall on Sunday.Thousands of people across the greater Sydney region were under evacuation orders on Sunday and more than 130 rescues took place as an east coast low, which is expected to persist until Tuesday, brought widespread rainfall, thunderstorms and flash flooding to parts of the state. Authorities warned the impact could be more severe than the past three major weather events.More than 40 evacuation orders and 44 evacuation warnings have been issued to communities in the greater Sydney region, while about 3,111 requests for assistance had been made to the State Emergency Service.Residents were warned to delay nonessential travel in affected areas, potentially throwing the school holiday plans of thousands into chaos.“If you were safe in 2021 do not assume you will be safe tonight,” the emergency services minister, Steph Cooke, said on Sunday evening, warning affected communities between Newcastle and Batemans Bay should reconsider travel plans.“This is a rapidly evolving situation and we could see areas impacted that we haven’t seen before.“It was a long night last night, it’s been a very long day today and tonight will be a long night for our emergency services [and] volunteers.”The SES commissioner, Carlene York, said the situation could get “significantly worse” over the course of Sunday evening, affecting “hundreds to thousands” of homes.“I don’t want to be reporting any loss of life,” she said.Amid the extreme weather, a man drowned in the Parramatta River after a kayak capsized on Sunday afternoon.Camden city council’s mayor, Therese Fedeli, spent Sunday afternoon looking at pictures of the rising flood waters on social media. She said it felt like watching a horror movie unfold.“I’m devastated … and you can’t get out there because you’re putting yourself in danger,” Fedeli said.Low-lying parts of Camden were issued with an evacuation warning early Sunday morning as flood waters continued to rise. An evacuation centre was quickly established at Narellan, 60km south west of Sydney.By 2.30pm, almost 20 roads were closed. Moderate flooding was continuing along the Nepean river at Camden Weir, sitting at 12.57m near its peak.Fedeli said her community was still reeling from two previous flood events this year, leaving the community feeling “numb”.“When it’s all subsided you get out and the recovery comes in … we’ve got to do it all again,” she said.“We have businesses from the first time who just got the place repainted, get on their feet, get all excited with grand openings … and now they’re back to square one.“It’s heartbreaking for them … how much can you take?”Fedeli said the community had been preparing to evacuate since Friday but warned Sunday evening and Monday “wasn’t looking good”, with more rain forecast to hit.“Sometimes you wish you could have a month’s warning,” she said. “We all thought, ‘oh my God, this is not happening’, but we got through it before and we’ll get through it again.“All we’re concentrating on is keeping the community safe, closing those bridges and roads, getting people out.”More than 30 evacuation orders were in place across the state covering parts of Camden, Menangle, Liverpool, Milperra, North Richmond, Wallacia, Penrith, Sackville, Upper Colo and Windsor.Widespread rainfall in excess of 200mm had been recorded in parts of metropolitan Sydney in the 24 hours to 9am Sunday, with the heaviest falls around Newcastle. All dams were above 100% capacity, while the Warragamba Dam was spilling at a rate of 500 gigalitres a day. Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Sign up to receive the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning.Patrick Conolly, a Hawkesbury city council councillor, said the Hawkesbury river was rising “quite quickly” on Sunday morning, much faster than previous estimates.“We’re predicting a peak of 12.2m at Windsor tomorrow [Monday] … subject to further rainfall,” he said.By 3pm, the situation had worsened. The Bureau of Meteorology warned major flooding at North Richmond risked exceeding the March 2021, March 2022 and April 2022 flood events. The Hawkesbury river was expected to reach up to 15m on Sunday evening.Major flooding continued along the Upper Nepean at Menangle, peaking just shy of the April 2022 flood height at 16.83m. At Penrith, the Nepean reached 9.2m, with further rises possible depending on rainfall.Spills from the rising Warragamba Dam, combined with inflows from the upper Nepean river, were expected to cause major flooding at Windsor well into Monday, also exceeding the past three major flood events.On Sunday afternoon, the Windsor and North Richmond bridges were closed, dividing the community between the east and west side of the river. Further evacuation warnings were issued for low-lying communities as the pelt continued.“There’s a mixture of preparation and fatigue,” Conolly said.“You’re frustrated and exhausted [that] it’s happening again but there’s also much greater awareness. People are more educated on what flood height will affect them and what won’t.”Conolly said the community had only finished dropping off flood waste from the April flooding event days ago. All recovery centres had been open until early June.“Private property owners still have work to do, we still have roads not prepared from prior floods,” he said. “It may take many months. We have to hope for the best.”A severe weather warning remained current for Sydney, Illawarra and parts of the Hunter and Central Tablelands on Sunday afternoon, with saturated soil at risk of flash flooding, riverine flooding and coastal erosion.The NSW State Emergency Service has responded to more than 1,800 requests for assistance and conducted 83 flood rescues.The Bureau of Meteorology’s Jane Golding said the east coast low was expected to cross the coast on Sunday evening, bringing the “rapid intensification” of rainfall in the Hunter, Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Illawarra districts.Six-hourly rainfall of up to 120mm was possible on Sunday evening for affected areas, with damaging winds in excess of 90km/h and peak wave heights.Heavy, hazardous surf driven by onshore winds were expected to continue until weather eased on Monday afternoon, with wave heights of more than 5m recorded at the Sydney wave buoy, and gusty winds expected to bring town trees and powerlines.Geoff Gardner, a retiree, was holed up in his home at Bawley Point on the Shoalhaven, where rainfall in excess of 300mm had been recorded in some parts.A popular holiday destination, the region was still reeling from the 2019/2020 bushfires that had swept along the coastline, burning half a million hectares.“Seven and a half inches of rain were detected here on Friday,” Gardner said. “Lake Willinga burst open into the sea. Water is cascading metres wide.” | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
LAACH, Germany (AP) — Half-destroyed bridges. Train tracks that end in the middle of nowhere. Abandoned ruins in one of the world’s richest countries.The scars of last year’s deadly floods are still starkly visible in the Ahr valley, a hilly region south of Cologne that suffered more than half the deaths recorded in the disaster across Germany and neighboring Belgium and the Netherlands.Official figures show 134 people died in the night from July 14-15, 2021, when heavy rains turned swollen streams into raging torrents that burst their banks and swept away cars, roads and houses. The total death toll across the three countries was at least 239.Experts say such extreme weather events are becoming more likely because of climate change. That’s because warmer air can store more water, leading to bigger cloudbursts when it’s released.German authorities agreed to provide 30 billion euros ($30 billion) to help rebuild regions hit by the floods, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in the country’s history.For many in the Ahr valley, the pain runs deeper than the loss of a home or business, however. Friends, family members and colleagues are still mourned.The oldest victim was 97; the youngest was 4. Most of those killed were over 60, but three children, 12 residents of an assisted living facility and a volunteer firefighter were also among the dead. More than 750 people were injured. At least two suicides have been recorded in connection with the floods.Prosecutors are still investigating whether officials made mistakes in their response to the disaster. Survivors said they received little notice from authorities that waters would rise so dramatically, even though meteorologists had warned of possible flooding for days.Scientists say the floods of 2021 highlight how no region of the world is safe from the impacts of climate change.Such warnings have some in the Ahr valley wondering whether disasters that were once thought to strike only every century could happen again soon. And whether it’s better to rebuild that broken bridge and clean those mud-caked belongings — or simply move away.German leaders including Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier are scheduled to attend a memorial event in the region’s main town, Ahrweiler, on Thursday.___Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.___Follow AP’s coverage of climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Residents in Wennington were evacuated from their homes and forced to leave behind cancer drugs, pets and more before an inferno took everything from them as wildfires erupted across Britain todayVideo LoadingVideo UnavailableDartford: Drone footage shows effect of wildfire as blaze continuesHeartboken residents have told how they have "lost everything" in a massive blaze that tore through homes in a sleepy village as Britain endured record-shattering temperatures today. Two “large-scale” incidents took place in Upminster and the village of Wennington, east London, where residents were being evacuated from their homes and people were taken to hospital. Britain is burning on its hottest day on record as temperatures reached 40C just before 1pm today. London Fire Brigade is fighting two separate wildfires started in the Shirley Hills near Croydon whilst a huge plume of smoke can be seen near the Dartford Crossing this afternoon in another suspected wildfire. Parts of the UK will see possible highs of 41C making the country hotter than Jamaica, the Maldives and Barbados - as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps conceded the UK's transport network cannot cope with the extreme heat. Most routes across England and Wales will be affected by the hot weather today, according to National Rail, with customers told only to travel if "absolutely necessary". Follow our live updates below... 22:14Matthew DreschWennington fire still raging as residents forced to stay at hotelsThe Wennington fire has continued into the night with residents prevented from returning to their homes.Residents have gathered at the local pub, which has been turned into an evacuation centre in the aftermath of the blaze. Sky News reports that many evacuees have now been taken to hotels in the area. 21:54Matthew DreschLondon Fire Brigade receives more than 1,600 calls for helpLondon Fire Brigade received more than 1,600 calls for help today.It comes after the brigade announced a major incident as it dealt with at least 10 massive fires.Meanwhile, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said people should not be having barbecues anywhere in the capital, including in parks, private gardens, patios and balconies.A firefighter at the scene of the blaze in Wennington today (Image:PA)21:49Matthew DreschAmbulance patients waited for more than 24 hours in scorching heatPatients inside ambulances waited for over 24 hours in a hospital car park in a "new first" over the weekend, it has been claimed in Parliament. Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Baroness Brinton told the House of Lords that there were record-breaking handover delays as the nation approached this week's heatwave. Lady Brinton said: "There is no doubt that our ambulance services are at breaking point. "Record-long ambulance waits are leaving vulnerable patients stuck in the heat outside hospitals waiting for the treatment they need. "And there was a new first over the weekend as temperatures rose when patients inside ambulances were in a hospital car park for over 24 hours because A&E was full and there were no beds in the hospital." She went on to say this is not a recent crisis, however, blaming the Government for "running ambulance services into the ground".21:43Matthew DreschHorse stable burnt out in WenningtonThe blaze in Wennington destroyed a horse stable. Briae Brazier, 75, who lives in Rainham and works with horses, said: “The fire has burnt my stables out.“It started as a little fire around the back of the houses and if someone had been there to put it out we wouldn’t have had all this trouble.“It was a little fire out the back garden."Click here to read the full story. 21:13Matthew DreschGrass fire sends plumes of black smoke across M25A huge grass fire has been raging nearly all day in Upminster, Havering, sending smoke across the M25.Around 175 firefighters and 30 fire engines descended on the scene to extinguish the blaze. About three hectares of cornfield and some scrubland caught fire.London Fire Brigade had more than 80 calls about the blaze in Upminster alone.The brigade was called at 11.23am to the fire, with crews from Hornchurch, Harold Hill, Wennington and Essex Fire and Rescue Service among those that attended.Smoke swept across the M25 during the fire in Upminster (Image:Ryan Morris / My London)20:59Joseph WilkesFire at golf course in TwickenhamA fire has broken out at a golfcourse in Twickenham20:30Matthew DreschPictures show homes gutted by flames in Barnsley.@syptweet and @SYFR South are at the scene in the Kingstone area of Barnsley, where several houses have caught fire. Please keep away from Woodland Drive area and let the professionals in this do their thing. pic.twitter.com/Ln3s8iCOBx— Kevin Osborne (@skinoverbone) July 19, 2022 20:22Matthew DreschUK needs to prepare for "a lot more" wildfires, expert saysA fire safety expert says the UK needs to prepare for "a lot more" wildfires in the future.Professor Ed Galea, Fire Safety Research Group Leader at the University of Greenwich, told Sky News: "I think we need to be prepared for experiencing a lot more of these wildfires as the climate changes, as it gets hotter and drier in the UK, we're likely to see more of these types of incidents."And we need to be prepared for them, not just in terms of the way the fire service responds, but also how we design our urban environment, especially what's known as the WUI - the wildland urban interface – as we're seeing in Wennington - an urban environment on the edge of wildland."A fire in Dartford Marshes has turned huge swathes of vegetation black (Image:Luke Channings / CC BY / SWNS)20:13Matthew DreschLondon Fire Brigade boss calls for ban on disposable barbecues in parksLondon Fire Brigade has called for a temporary ban on disposable barbecues in parks.Commissioner Andy Roe wrote to every council, seeking their support for a temporary ban on disposable barbecues in public parks and open spaces. He wrote: "With no end to the hot weather in sight, I am deeply concerned that the unprecedented scale of these fires is set to continue, putting lives at risk as well as devastating green spaces around the capital."London Fire Brigade has been issuing warnings and safety advice to Londoners throughout the summer, but people are continuing to behave carelessly and recklessly. "I am now calling for a temporary ban on the use of barbecues in all public parks and open spaces and I'm asking for your help to keep people safe."19:57Matthew DreschRaging fire engulfs homes in Barnsley as street evacuatedA raging fire has engulfed several homes on a street in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.Resident Sophie Wilson said that when she left the area at around 3.45pm there were four houses on fire. She told YorkshireLive: "I walked out the door and saw it going up at 3.45pm."I rang 999 and they were already aware but took one hour to get there, police arrived almost straight away to evacuate everyone"It’s still ongoing to try and get it put out, it's four houses at the front and two behind."Several houses are on fire in Barnsley (Image:Sophie Wilson)19:45KEY EVENTAt least 9 fire services in England declare major incidentsAt least nine fire services in England have declared major incidents today.It comes as crews battle grass fires across the country on the hottest day in Britain's history.Major incidents have been declared in London, Suffolk, Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Norfolk, Hertfordshire, Humberside, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.The aftermath of a devastating fire in Wennington, Essex (Image:Getty Images)19:18Matthew DreschDramatic footage shows devastation caused by fire in Dartford MarshesDramatic footage shows a fire raging in the Dartford Marshes - just metres from blocks of flats and buildings. Drone video shows how just a few tree trunks survived the raging flames. A lone person with a hose can be seen tackling the fringes of the fire on one side, while a line of emergency vehicles is lined up on the other side of the fire area.19:12Matthew DreschCancer patient forced to leave drugs behind as she fled fireA Wennington resident was forced to leave all her cancer drugs behind as she was evacuated. Janet Hickey, 70, who has terminal pancreatic cancer, said: "I've got all my cancer drugs in the fridge." Her husband Patrick Hickey, 71, said: "We had to leave everything. We're hoping against hope that our house is still there." Mrs Hickey said they are feeling "devastated", adding: "We've been living there 50 years. I'm terminally ill so it's not great to lose all that. I'm also an artist and all my paintings are there."18:54Matthew DreschWennington blaze conditions are "absolute hell", firefighter saysA firefighter has described conditions at the fire in Wennington as “absolute hell”.Jonathan Smith, assistant commissioner at LFB, told Sky News many of the fires are spread over wide areas and began because the ground is “tinderbox dry”.He continued: “So even a small fire will develop very, very quickly if it’s not tackled effectively and efficiently in its early stages.“We would also say to people that they don’t try and tackle fires themselves.“The situation that you can see is extremely dynamic and these fires can develop very very quickly and we would not want to see members of the public exposing themselves to unnecessary risk.”Sadiq Khan said LFB had received more than 1,600 calls for assistance by late Tuesday afternoon.Firefighters are spraying down homes as they continue to battle the blaze in Wennington (Image:Peter Macdiarmid/LNP)18:42Matthew DreschEd Miliband slams Tories for engaging in "fantasy climate denial" while Britain burnsEd Miliband has slammed the Tories for engaging in "fantasy climate denial" while Britain burns.He said the extreme hot weather witnessed across the UK today will become the “new normal” under climate change.Labour’s shadow secretary of state for climate change also warned that the Conservative Government has failed to prepare the UK for this type of weather.Mr Miliband said: “The frightening truth is that in time we will come to see today not as the hottest summer ever but the new normal. "Britain is in no way prepared for this new reality because of years of neglect by this Government.“And while Britain boils, the Conservative leadership candidates engage in fantasy climate denial that will lead to higher energy bills, damage our security, and leaves the burden of extreme weather events to future generations. "Britain needs a fresh start. Labour will put tackling the climate emergency at the centre of our offer to the British people, in order to create millions of good jobs in the UK’s industrial heartlands, bring down energy bills with home-grown clean power, and protect our children and grandchildren.”Ed Miliband has slammed the Tories for "fantasy climate denial" (Image:PA)18:32Matthew DreschFurious police tell off owners after smashing window to save dog left in 'oven' car
Furious police officers told off two dog owners after smashing a car window to rescue their pet left inside in the sweltering heat.Footage taken yesterday near Leicester Square, central London, shows a woman protesting that the animal had a bowl of water, with one cop replying: "It's an oven!"The dog had allegedly been trapped inside the electric Hyundai with the windows closed, on the same day that temperatures above 37C were recorded in the capital city.Max, who filmed the clip, told The Mirror that a passerby phoned the police after the dog was left inside "for around an hour".Click here to read the full story.Police told off the dog's owners after rescuing the pet (Image:max_love_my_self / Instagram)18:23Matthew DreschLocal dug trenches around his home after refusing to evacuateA Wennington resident reportedly dug trenches around his home as he refused to evacuate. One of his family members is now at the scene desperately trying to find out if he is safe.The relative said: “He’s refusing to leave his house, he doesn’t want to leave the property.“He’s got a digger and he’s digging trenches around the building to try to protect it. We haven’t been able to speak to him - we’ve no idea if he’s ok.”Meanwhile, one local, whose house has been destroyed in the blaze, said: “It’s horrific. I can’t believe it.“It’s been very badly damaged. It’s so sad. But I’m still alive. My children are still alive.“That’s more important than anything. I can’t believe what’s happened. It’s devastation.”Ray Smith, 55, who lives in The Green, believes his home is also seriously damaged.He said: “I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life.“I saw the flames emerge near the church and that’s when we evacuated. I got in my car and got out of there. People were scared.“It’s heartbreaking. I think I’ve lost everything.“The situation in terrible. I’ve lived here 14 years and it’s such a lovely area.“We’re told the church has been destroyed. How an earth did this all start?“I’m lost for words it’s unreal.”The blaze has caused extensive damage in Wennington (Image:Phil Harris)18:11KEY EVENTWennington resident "heartbroken" after his home "went up in flames"A Wennington resident has shared his heartbreak after his home "went up in flames" just two months after he paid off the mortgage. Lorry driver Gary Rouel, 64, raced back from work after his wife Debbie, 64, a dinner lady, called as flames lapped at the conservatory of their home.Debbie desperately tried to round up the couple’s three cats and one dog as firefighters rapped on their door to evacuate her.He said: “I had a call and she just said, ‘The house has gone up in flames.’“Its terrible. I’ve just finished paying off the mortgage two months ago. It’s heartbreaking. We’ve got insurance but nothing will ever be the same again.“My wife has COPD and the fireman was just telling her to ‘get out, get out’. I’ve no idea what we’ll do tonight.“We were told it was a compost fire that started it all but we don’t know.The couple’s son, William, 33, lives in nearby Halstead, Essex. He said: “My mum sent me a picture of the fire outside the home.“She was still in there when it was coming up to the house. It started in the field, then came into the garden, then it was up to the decking and the conservatory. We think the neighbour’s house has gone too.”He added: “It’s awful, I watched on TV as the house went up in flames.”Gary Rouel is "heartbroken" after his home "went up in flames" (Image:Phil Harris)18:05Matthew DreschPM pays tribute to frontline heroes just moments after they are awarded below-inflation pay risesThe Prime Minister paid tribute to frontline workers keeping the public safe today just moments after they were awarded below-inflation pay rises. Boris Johnson tweeted: "My thanks go to all the firefighters and frontline services who are working incredibly hard to keep us safe on this scorching day."I urge everyone to continue to follow the advice from emergency services - including @LondonFire as they respond to incidents."It comes as millions of public sector workers were awarded below-inflation pay rises today. 17:41Matthew DreschMajor incident declared as firefighters battle farm blazeNottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has declared a major incident amid a huge farm blaze.A spokesman for the service said: "A significant fire on a farm in Blidworth has been declared a major incident."Local residents are being evacuated by authorities as the forest fire continues."We received a call at 1.35pm today (19 July 2022) to reports of a fire in the open."Currently, we have 15 crews in attendance at this incident from around the county including support from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service."We are advising the public to avoid the area and if affected by the smoke to close their doors and windows."We thank the public for their cooperation in this difficult situation as we work to resolve the incident."Firefighters are battling a huge farm blaze in Blidworth, Nottinghamshire (Image:Tom Maddick / SWNS)17:36Matthew DreschWennington fire spread "very fast", evacuated resident saysThe fire in Wennington spread through the village "very fast", an evacuated resident told Sky News.The woman said: "We thought it was just one of the fields that caught alight. But then a neighbour rang me and said it was on the green, the green has caught fire."Then I saw all this black smoke and the helicopters started coming over. Police came into our neighbourhood and it spread very fast. "I think the wind caused it to go towards the village."A Wennington resident described how she was evacuated from the scene (Image:Sky News)17:32KEY EVENTScotland and Wales record highest ever temperaturesScotland and Wales have recorded their hottest days ever.The Met Office's provisional figures show temperatures reached 34.8C in Charterhall, in the Scottish Borders, today. Meanwhile, the mercury hit 36.2C at Hawarden Airport in Wales. 17:27Matthew DreschCharred landscape as huge blaze rips through homesA huge blaze has turned the area surrounding the village of Wennington into a charred landscape.Smoke is still billowing into the sky from the scene of one of today's most devastating fires.The emergency services have evacuated residents from the village and firefighters are now bringing the blaze under control. A row of houses are on fire in the village of Wennington (Image:Peter Macdiarmid/LNP)17:14Matthew DreschFootage shows black smoke flooding road in DagenhamDagenham fire pic.twitter.com/YHQMUFg5d2— James LDN (@JamesLDNphoto) July 19, 2022 17:11Matthew Dresch80 firefighters battle huge blaze in Wembley as smoke fills skyMore than 80 firefighters are battling an out of control blaze in north London as the country continues to struggle in record-breaking heat.Twelve fire engines are at the incident at an outbuilding alight on The Broadway in Wembley.Terrifying video footage from the scene shows black smoke billowing into the sky.A spokesman for London Fire Brigade (LFB) said the cause of the blaze is not yet known.They added: “Twelve fire engines and around 80 firefighters are tackling a fire on The Broadway in Wembley."An outbuilding at the rear of a range of shops with flats above is alight.“The Brigade's 999 Control Officers have taken more than 40 calls to the blaze."Click here for the full story.17:06Matthew DreschRecord-breaking temperatures in almost 30 places in EnglandAlmost 30 places in England have logged record-breaking temperatures, the Met Office said. At least 29 observation sites across England have provisionally broken 2019’s previous UK record temperature of 38.7C.The searing temperatures have been recorded from Bramham, in West Yorkshire, to Charlwood, in Surrey, the Met Office said.One group jumped into the water at New Brighton beach to cool off (Image:Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)16:59Matthew DreschThunderstorm warning issued for parts of England and ScotlandThe Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms across northeast England and part of southern Scotland. The warning is in place between 4pm and 8pm today.The yellow alert anticipates thunderstorms causing disruption this afternoon, with lightning strikes and strong, gusty winds.16:52KEY EVENTTemperature hits 40.3C in all-time high for UKA new provisional record for the UK's hottest day has been set after temperatures rose to 40.3C in Coningsby, Lincolnshire.It comes after London Heathrow provisionally recorded 40.2C at 12.50pm today, the Met Office said.The previous hottest day was recorded in 2019 when temperatures rose to 38.7C. 16:48Matthew DreschFire spreads through gardens in Dagenham, hospitalising twoA fire is spreading through people's gardens in Dagenham.London Fire Brigade said: "Three fire engines and around 15 firefighters are tackling a fire affecting a range of sheds and fencing on Basedale Road in Dagenham."The Brigade was called at 1425."Two people were taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation following the fire.Fire off Ballards Road, Dagenham. Police and Fire Service are on site. Huge plume of black thick smokes coming out. pic.twitter.com/bQI1iaMlNh— Muhammad Haque (@MuhammadHaque1) July 19, 2022 16:39Matthew DreschLondon Ambulance Service treating patients at fire scenesLondon Ambulance Service confirmed it is treating patients after responding to fires today.The service tweeted: "We are responding to a number of fire incidents across London including at Rainham and Wembley. "We have a number of resources on scene including ambulance crews and our Hazardous Response teams. We are treating patients on scene." | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
From left, Martim, Catarina, Claudia, and Mariana, are four of the six plaintiffs in the case.Courtesy of Glan This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
Cláudia Agostinho has been going to Pedrogao beach since she was a child. Back then it was a stretch of silver white sand sandwiched between pine trees and sea.
Today Pedrogão beach, in central Portugal, is an apocalyptic reminder of the carnage and violence that can be brought by global heating. This summer, as temperature warnings were again issued in the Leiria region—where the beach is situated—and several active wildfires raged, the charred remains of the deadliest fire in Portugal’s history were still evident.
When the wildfires of 2017 raged through the region devastating an area four times the size of Lisbon, 66 people were killed, more than 250 injured and almost 50,000 acres of forest were destroyed. The impact of rising global temperatures and the anxiety at the failure by countries to curb greenhouse gas emissions have led Agostinho, 23, a nurse, to a David and Goliath battle with powerful European governments.
As heat and drought plays out once more in her region and across the country, Agostinho, her siblings and her cousins are preparing to see a tenacious fight take center stage at the European court of human rights. After nearly five years, their case against 32 European countries—arguing their climate policies are inadequate—will be heard in front of 17 judges in the autumn. Gearóid Ó Cuinn, of Global Legal Action Network (Glan), the organization supporting Agostinho and her family, said: “The fact that the court has referred this case…to the grand chamber is an extremely significant development which shows how serious a human rights issue it considers climate change to be.”
Their case joins other climate litigation due to go before the court grand chamber in the coming months. A French mayor, Damien Carême, is taking action against his government’s failure to tackle climate breakdown. Carême, who is mayor of Grande-Synthe in northern France, says his town faces a long-term threat of submersion if sea levels rise. Another climate case involves a group of women, Senior Women for Climate Protection Switzerland, taking action against the Swiss government for failing to adopt an adequate climate protection policy.
Agostinho said the move to a hearing at the Strasbourg court was happening as her region and the rest of the country was suffering again from extreme weather: “I was driven to do this because of the anxiety I feel about what is happening, and what will happen if we don’t take any action. And now we are suffering again from the heat here, and I think to myself, ‘Do I want to bring children into this world if there is no good future for them?’, and I feel that something has to be done, the way we all live is not sustainable.”
The young people are crowdfunding the legal battle. They argue that the climate crisis interferes with their right to life, their right to respect for their private and family lives, and their right not to be discriminated against.
The six Portuguese claimants are represented by a team of 10 barristers from various UK-based chambers. They are bringing their case against the governments of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and Turkey.
Sofia Oliveira, another claimant, said: “We have been experiencing more very worrying and stifling heat extremes in Portugal this summer compared with last year, so it gives us an encouraging sense of hope to hear that the court has ruled our case so important it needs to be decided by 17 judges.
“Now we hope that these judges will hear our case as soon as possible and that they will make the European governments take the urgent measures necessary to protect us.”
If they are successful, the governments would be legally bound to ramp up their emissions cuts, but also to tackle their overseas contributions to the climate crisis, including the worldwide emissions of their multinational companies.
The group will argue to the judges that the forest fires that have occurred in Portugal each year since 2017 are a direct result of global heating. They allege a risk to their health on account of these fires, and assert they have already experienced disrupted sleep patterns, allergies and respiratory problems as a result, which are aggravated by the hot weather. The fifth and sixth applicants stress that climate disruption is causing very powerful storms in winter and maintain that their house, which is situated near the sea in Lisbon, could be at risk of damage from storms. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
This summer’s flight headaches, many of them caused by extreme weather, continue to wreak havoc at airports across the US and beyond, with 11,337 delays and 2,077 cancellations reported so far. And it's not likely to get much better any time soon.The hardest-hit airports on Monday, which saw the bulk of the cancellations, were Newark Liberty International, Dallas–Fort Worth International, and LaGuardia, according to FlightAware. The delays and cancellations at those airports were due to storms and staffing issues.The National Weather Service said Dallas–Fort Worth Airport saw record rainfall between Sunday and Monday with 9.19 inches of rain, making it the second-wettest 24-hour period.Travelers at Newark Liberty International reported being stuck for nearly nine hours on the tarmac, in some cases being asked to disembark the plane and later get back on, only to be ultimately told the flight was canceled because the crew had clocked out. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Lidl will start selling fruit and vegetables that have been “stunted” by UK drought conditions, as part of efforts to support farmers struggling with the driest summer for half a century.The discount supermarket said it had written to its British suppliers that may need extra support, and would try accommodate produce hit by extreme weather conditions, even if they were different to what shoppers were used to.Lidl said it wanted to ensure that perfectly good fruit and vegetables did not go to waste.“Farmers across the country are facing a big challenge this year due to the extreme weather conditions experienced over the summer months”, said Lidl GB’s chief executive, Ryan McDonnell.“Whilst the crop coming out may look and feel a bit different to what we’re all used to, it’s still the same great British quality,” he added.“We therefore want to show support for our suppliers by working with them to find solutions to help.”Several areas of the UK are still in drought despite heavy rain and thunderstorms over the past week. Drought was officially declared across eight regions of England on Friday 12 August, with a ninth – Yorkshire – added a few days later.Experts from the National Drought Group have since warned of widespread crop failures across England. According to leaked documents seen by the Guardian, the group has raised concerns that half of the potato crop could fail as it cannot be irrigated due to hosepipe bans, and that crops that are usually drought-tolerant, such as maize, have been failing.They are also expecting losses of 10-50% for crops including carrots, onions, sugar beet, apples and hops. Milk production has dropped nationally because of a lack of food for cows, and wildfires are putting large areas of farmland at risk. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The new health secretary has said new measures including extra working hours for ambulance crews are being put in place as the UK faces its first national heatwave emergency.Steve Barclay said the additional support, which also includes more call handlers, is being put in place on Monday and Tuesday.
Almost all of England is now covered by a Met Office amber heat warning, which will extend to Wales and southern Scotland from Monday until Tuesday.And temperatures are set to intensify, with the UK's first-ever red warning covering a large part of England from London to Manchester and York on Monday and Tuesday.Find out the five-day forecast for where you live Image: On Monday and Tuesday a large part of England will be covered by a red heat alert. Pic: Met Office Temperatures could soar as high as 40C (104F) in London on Tuesday as health officials warn of the dangers of extreme heat.
Mr Barclay said: "The clear message to the public is to take the sensible steps in terms of water, shade and cover, that many people are aware of. That's the best way of mitigating against the heat."We're asking people to keep an eye out for their neighbours and those who may be vulnerable."We're also putting in additional contingency support as well."Britons are being urged to do the "neighbourly thing" and check on people who may be more vulnerable as the UK braces for potentially record-breaking temperatures.The dangers posed by the rising temperatures were laid bare on Saturday when a body was found in Salford Quays after Greater Manchester Police received a report of a person getting into difficulty in the water.Meanwhile in West Yorkshire a search was under way after concerns were raised in relation to a person in the water at Ardsley Reservoir.Mr Barclay added: "We're putting in extra measures in terms of call handlers, support for fleet [and] extra hours of capacity within the ambulances."Each ambulance trust has well-developed contingency plans for extreme weather."We're also working with the hospitals to get the handovers from ambulances into hospitals, but also to ensure that where people can be moved on to the wards themselves, we're using the full capability of the hospital rather than people waiting longer than they need to in ambulances outside." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Unprecedented red heat warnings The government held an emergency COBRA meeting on Saturday after forecasters warned the potentially record-breaking temperatures could put lives at risk.Cabinet Office Minister Kit Malthouse, who chaired the meeting, said transport services will face "significant disruption" on Monday and Tuesday and urged people not to travel.He added schools were being issued with guidance to enable them to stay open.Read more:Schools close and hospitals cancel appointments as UK braces for record temperaturesWhy 'tropical nights' in UK could be deadlyAreas of England that are most vulnerable to hotter weatherWhat is a national heatwave emergency and how will it impact the UK? Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Protecting vulnerable people from heat Dr Nikos Christidis, climate attribution scientist at the Met Office, said the 40C prediction on Tuesday is a result of climate change."We hoped we wouldn't get to this situation, but for the first time ever we are forecasting greater than 40C in the UK," he said."In a recent study we found that the likelihood of extremely hot days in the UK has been increasing and will continue to do so during the course of the century, with the most extreme temperatures expected to be observed in the southeast of England." | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Britons are being urged to do the "neighbourly thing" and check on people who may be more vulnerable as the UK braces for potentially record-breaking temperatures.The advice comes after the government's COBRA meeting on Saturday - which was not attended by the outgoing prime minister - and less than 48 hours away from forecast highs that could nudge 40C (104F).
It's the second emergency summit held since the UK Health Security Agency increased its heat health warning from level three to level four - a national emergency.Cabinet Office minister Kit Malthouse, who chaired the meeting, said older people and babies were "particularly vulnerable groups, who will need us all to look out for them"."[People] should take precautions themselves - stay in the shade, drink lots of water, stay hydrated," he said. "But in particular, they should look out for those two groups and do the neighbourly thing… knock on an elderly neighbour's door, make sure they are okay, that they've got access to water.
"If you've got a tiny baby, make sure it's kept cool, possibly in a colder bath or chilled in some way." More on Uk Weather Heatwave disruption: Schools close, hospitals cancel appointments and events are scrapped as UK braces for record temperatures UK heatwave: COBRA meeting held as national emergency declared over soaring temperatures Extreme weather: Britain's cities need radical design overhaul - or they will become unliveable There's now an 80% chance that temperatures will top the UK's record of 38.7C (101.7F), set in Cambridge in 2019, according to forecasters, with a 50% chance of 40C on Tuesday.The hottest area - under a Met Office "extreme heat" alert on Monday and Tuesday - covers all the way from London in the south, through the Midlands and as far north as Greater Manchester and York.The rest of England and Wales is under an amber warning, while Scotland and Northern Ireland will be much cooler, with temperatures in the mid to late 20s.Find out the five-day forecast for where you live Image: Broadstairs, Kent, on Saturday People warned not to swim in lakes or riversFire and rescue services and water service companies that operate reservoirs have issued warnings to those wanting to swim outside during the heatwave.Avon Fire and Rescue has warned against swimming in lakes, ponds or rivers, while Bristol Water has warned about "strong underwater currents" at its Cheddar Reservoir.It comes as West Yorkshire Police were called to a report for a concern for safety on Saturday in relation to a person in the water at Ardsley Reservoir.The force said emergency services were currently at the scene and a search was under way.Elsewhere, a body has been located in Salford Quays after Greater Manchester Police received a report of a person getting into difficulty in the water on Saturday evening. Twitter Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options Railways and schools brace for extreme heatMeanwhile, train companies have warned of disruption and cancellations when the heat peaks due to factors such as reduced speed limits.Network Rail said people should only to travel if necessary."Services are going to be significantly affected. The heat will impact rails, for example, so the trains have to run slower. There may be fewer services. People need to be on their guard for disruption," said Mr Malthouse."If they don't have to travel, this may be a moment to work from home," he added.Drivers have also been advised to make their journeys out of the hottest periods of the day, particularly if they have older cars.Read more:Why 'tropical nights' in UK could be deadlyAreas of England that are most vulnerable to hotter weatherWhat is a national heatwave emergency and how will it impact the UK? Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player What is urban heat island effect? Some schools are also planning to shut due to risks such as dangerously hot classrooms. The NEU teaching union has said it will support headteachers taking this decision.The government is not imposing closures and has said it's up to school leaders to decide what action to take.Some schools have said they will arrange a skeleton staff to keep the buildings open for parents unable to find alternative childcare at short notice.Nurseries in some locations will also be restricting their hours following Public Health England's guidelines for supporting children in Early Years.The majority of UK schools are set to break up for the summer holidays later in the week. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A transmission tower is seen on July 11, 2022 in Houston, Texas. ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) is urging Texans to voluntarily conserve power today, due to extreme heat potentially causing rolling blackouts.Brandon Bell | Getty ImagesTexas' grid operator is warning residents to conserve energy for the second time this year, as fears mount over potential rolling blackouts amid scorching temperatures this week.The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages about 90% of the state's electricity load, said that residents and businesses should turn up thermostats by at least one degree Fahrenheit and not use any major appliances between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Central time on Monday.The Texas regulator also projected a shortage in energy reserves on Monday "with no market solution available," but said it does not expect systemwide outages. Less than 10% of wind power generation will be available on Monday, ERCOT said, further lowering the amount of available power in the state."The heat wave that has settled on Texas and much of the central United States is driving increased electric use," ERCOT said in a statement. "While solar power is generally reaching near full generation capacity, wind generation is currently generating significantly less than what it historically generated in this time period."Roughly 50 million people in the U.S. were under heat warnings or advisories over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Heat indexes reached over 110 degrees in southeast Texas on Sunday, leading to record high power demand that's put pressure on the grid.Record power usage caused by extreme weather has prompted concerns over the vulnerability of the state's grid system, following a deadly winter storm in February 2021 that left millions of residents without power for days.Climate change has triggered more frequent and intense disasters like heat waves, drought and wildfires, which have forced more blackouts and overwhelmed some of the country's infrastructure. Extreme weather has caused 67% more major power outages in the U.S. since 2000, according to an analysis by research group Climate Central.ERCOT forecast that electricity demand in Texas will peak at 79,671 megawatts, slightly below the available 80,083 megawatts on Monday. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Climate change is making extreme weather events more commonplace, people's daily lives may change in unexpected ways. Prime example: Parts of the US and UK are currently experiencing merciless heatwaves, with highs in London exceeding 100 degrees (38 degrees celsius) on Tuesday. A warning from Nintendo states that playing a Switch console in that weather can cause it to overheat."If you use the Nintendo Switch in a hot place, the temperature of the main unit may become high," a July 11 tweet from Nintendo reads. The company recommends using the Nintendo Switch in areas between 40 and 95 degrees (5 to 35 degrees celsius). "The main unit may become hot during charging or when the main unit is operating," reads a support page linked to in the tweet, which can lead to "low-temperature burns... if your skin is in direct contact with a hot part for a long time." The warning on Nintendo's Japanese website says the Switch, Switch Lite and Switch OLED are all vulnerable to overheating. The warning is only available on Nintendo's Japanese website. Nintendo US and UK have been contacted but did not immediately respond. The tweet was sent out in Japanese, coming amid Japan's worst heatwave since 1875. It's taken on new meaning in the past week with temperatures in the UK rising to swealtering levels. As wildfires spread in France and Spain, Britain is bracing for its hottest summer on record. The heatwave has already caused train delays and a brief airport closure in London. In the US, 55 million people live in areas that are expected to reach dangerous levels of heat in the coming weeks and months, according to the New York Times' heat index. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Flooded homes following Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas, August 30, 2017.Photo: Win McNamee (Getty Images)Five years ago this month, category 4 Hurricane Harvey hovered over Louisiana and Texas, stalling for more than four days, killing at least 70 people, and causing over $125 billion in estimated damages.OffEnglishA study published this week in Nature Connections found that, had it not been for climate change, almost half of the residences that flooded in Harris County, Texas, which encompasses Houston and was badly impacted by the storm, would not have been inundated during the hurricane. The study also found that the destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey was not felt equally across the area.Researchers at Louisiana State University analyzed already published climate change attribution studies, which use computer models to see how the climate crisis is affecting naturally occurring weather events. They found that about 50,000 homes in the Houston area likely would not have been damaged had climate change not contributed to conditions that made Hurricane Harvey a more powerful storm. Rainfall for the hurricane, which was the largest rainfall event in U.S. history, was up to 38% higher than it would have been without climate change, they found.The team also looked at both household income and race, finding that the social effects during and after the hurricane were noticeably worse for Latino communities. Latino households made up 48% of homes that flooded due to climate change, while White households made up 33% of flooded homes. Flooded homes in Port Arthur, Texas, September 1, 2017Photo: EMILY KASK/AFP (Getty Images)G/O Media may get a commissionUp to 90% offHumble Bundle's Summer SaleGame and SaveGreat news for PC gamers out there looking to save money and add more games to your backlog which you’ll eventually get to. Humble Bundle has kicked off its Summer Sale in which you can save up to 90% on games.Kevin Smiley, the study’s lead author and a sociology professor at Louisiana State University, said this occurred because many low income communities of color in Houston were developed along waterways near petrochemical companies. He said this could further widen inequality over time.“The main way people often build wealth in the middle class is through their home. When your home floods, it’s very hard to recover from that flooding,” he told Earther. “The cascading implications go well beyond just that floodwaters in your home, because these things can really bear on larger social issues, like racial economic inequalities.”Smiley speculated that the long-term aftermath of events like Hurricane Harvey may eventually include gentrification, which could further displace already vulnerable communities. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the damage predominantly displaced Black families, many of whom had lived in the city for generations. Those neighborhoods were more likely to be gentrified, making it harder for those people to come back to their old communities. Native communities in the Gulf along Louisiana’s coast felt neglected in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida last year, claiming that the damage they suffered didn’t receive the same attention or aid. When the storm later pummeled New York City, many of the deaths were immigrants who were trapped in their flooded basement apartments, NBC reported.Smiley wants this study to inspire more analysis of the real-time impacts of extreme weather on long-term stability for communities of color and other vulnerable areas in the U.S. “[This] framework could theoretically be applied to other extreme weather events, could be applied to other cities,” he said. “I think social scientists are starting to get after some really hard questions about understanding how people are going to cope and adapt in these changing environments.” | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comHOSTENS, France, Aug 11 (Reuters) - A "monster" wildfire raged for a third day near France's wine-growing heartland of Bordeaux on Thursday, with no let-up in blistering temperatures likely before the weekend.More than 1,000 firefighters backed by water-bombing aircraft battled to contain the blaze in the southwestern Gironde region that has forced thousands of people from their homes and scorched 6,800 hectares of forest."It's an ogre, it's a monster," Gregory Allione from the French firefighters body FNSPF told RTL radio.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWildfires have broken out across Europe this summer as successive heatwaves bake the continent, bring record temperatures and renew focus on climate change risks to industry and livelihoods.In Spain firefighters were tackling blazes across six regions after lightning storms sparked new blazes. In Portugal emergency services struggled to beat back a forest fire that broke out six days ago.French Prime Minister Elisabeth visited the Gironde.Overnight the darkened skies had glowed orange above the burning forests, leaving local residents to face another anxiety-wracked night as the fire advanced.Firefighters said they had managed to save the village of Belin-Beliet, transformed into a ghost village after police told residents to evacuate as the flames approached.In nearby Hostens, Allisson Fayol and her father stayed in their home, their bags packed in case they needed to make a hasty departure."There is still a lot of smoke but for now it's not coming this way," Fayol said after watching many of her neighbours leave their homes overnight.HEATWAVES, FLOODS, MELTING GLACIERSHeatwaves, floods and crumbling glaciers have heightened concerns over climate change and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather across the globe.General view of smoke and flames from the fire in Belin-Beliet, as wildfires continue to spread in the Gironde region of southwestern France, August 10, 2022. REUTERS/Stephane MaheThe head of the European Space Agency, Josef Aschbacher, said successive heatwaves, shrinking rivers and rising land temperatures as measured from space left no doubt about the toll on agriculture and other industries from climate change."It's pretty bad. We have seen extremes that have not been observed before," Aschbacher told Reuters. read more ESA's Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite series has measured "extreme" land surface temperatures of more than 45C in Britain, 50C in France and 60C in Spain in recent weeks.Britain's Met Office on Thursday issued a four-day "extreme heat" warning for parts of England and Wales.In Portugal, more than 1,500 firefighters spent a sixth day fighting a wildfire in the central Covilha region that has burned 10,500 hectares, including parts of the Serra da Estrela national park.In Spain, electrical storms triggered wildfires in half a dozen regions. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the path of one blaze in the province of Caceres.More than 57,200 hectares have gone up in flames so far in France this year, nearly six times the full-year average for 2006-2021, data from the European Forest Fire Information System shows.French authorities said temperatures in the Gironde region would reach 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Thursday and stay high until Saturday.Firefighters warned of an "explosive cocktail" of weather conditions with wind and the tinder-box conditions helping fan the flames.The Gironde was hit by big wildfires in July which destroyed more than 20,000 hectares of forest and temporarily forced almost 40,000 people from their homes.Hostens mayor Jean-Louis Dartiailh described the past weeks as a disaster."The area is totally disfigured. We're heartbroken, we're exhausted," he told Radio Classique. "(This fire) is the final straw.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Manuel Ausloos and Stephane Mahe in Hostens, Layli Foroudi in Paris, Christina Thykjaer in Madrid and Catarina Demony in Lisbon; writing by Richard Lough; editing by Jason Neely and Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A 28-year-old reveller has been killed and another 20 are injured after heavy 40mph winds brought down part of the stage at a Spanish music festival - as wildfires and droughts sweep Europe in the Continent's worst climate crisis in 500 years.Organisers have suspended the Medusa Festival, a huge five-day electronic music festival held over six days in the east coast town of Cullera south of Valencia whose headline acts this year included French DJ David Guetta, in the aftermath of the horrific 4am sandstorm.The gusts brought down several heavy metallic structures, including the entrance billboard, and killed one man and several revellers.Of the injured, at least three suffered serious trauma injuries and the rest had more minor injuries, regional emergency services tweeted.DJ Miguel Serna was on the main stage for his 3am set when the sandstorm blew through the festival, writing in an Instagram story: 'It was a tense few minutes, I've never experienced anything like it before. The tragedy happened just at the end of my session on the main stage, just below it, which was the most affected (area). It was a few moments of horror, I am still in shock.'It comes as the worst drought to hit Europe in half a millennium wreaks havoc across the mainland, leaving rivers and lakes dusty and dry and causing huge wildfires. CULLERA: A horrific sandstorm swept through the Medusa Festival, killing one reveller and injuring several others CULLERA: The main stage of the Medusa Music Festival after part of it collapsed today due to strong winds CULLERA: The back of the main stage of the Medusa Music Festival after gusts blew part of it down FRANCE: Firefighters battling a wildfire near Hostens yesterday, as wildfires continue to spread in the Gironde region FRANCE: Firefighter trucks drive by burning pine trees near Saint-Magne on Thursday FRANCE: A view shows trees and vegetation burnt by a major fire in Hostens yesterday FRANCE: Firefighters working to contain a fire in Hostens yesterday FRANCE: A firefighting truck works to contain a fire in Saint-Magne on Thursday FRANCE: German firefighters working to contain a fire in Hostens yesterday NETHERLANDS: Reservoir drought along the Rhine in Spijk NETHERLANDS: Reservoir drought along the Rhine in Spijk FRANCE: The water level in the Loire is at its lowest in one of the river's branches FRANCE: Restrictions on the use of drinking water have been put in place as water levels in the Loire plunge FRANCE: The water level in the Loire is at its lowest in one of the river's branches GERMANY: The river Rhine is pictured with low water in Cologne UK: Members of the public stand on what was an ancient packhorse bridge exposed by low water levels at Baitings Reservoir UK: Dry grass covers a parched Primrose Hill as a drought is declared in parts of England FRANCE: The Tille River in the village of Lux has completely dried out, leaving behind a path of white dust FRANCE: The sun beats down on the dried-up bed of the river Tille in Lux FRANCE: A sign on a fence near the dried-up river Tille says 'Swimming is Forbidden' in Lux PORTUGAL: Aerial view of a previously submerged village revealed by low water levels in Cabril dam reservoir in Pedrogao Grande Europe's weather crisis, country by country FranceWildfires burning in at least four locations - the worst of which is in Gironde, where 10,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.Country is also going through the worst drought in its history, with 100 villages now without drinking water.Germany Widespread drought has dropped the level of the Rhine river so far that it will soon become impassable to barges carrying coal, oil and goods.Should the river become blocked it will cause huge economic damage. The last time that happened - in 2018 - the country narrowly avoided falling into recession.Italy The River Po, which runs across the affluent north, is dangerously low - threatening farms that rely on it to water their crops.Stretches are so low that sunken ships are reemerging, and an old WW2 bomb was even uncovered and had to be defused.SpainHaving suffered through a record heatwave in July, crucial reservoirs in Spain are now running close to empty - with weeks of summer left to go.The Cijara reservoir, near Madrid, is around 84 per cent empty while the Vinuela reservoir in the arid south - near Malaga - is 87 per cent empty Portugal A large wildfire is burning out of control in central Portugal, just weeks after dozens of blazes tore through the country during a 40C heatwave.Switzerland A glacial mountain pass, covered in ice for the last 2,000 years, will become ice-free in the next few days - the first time since the Romans were conquering Europe that it will have been fully exposed. Europe's western, central and southern regions have experienced no significant rainfall in two months and it's showing. Major arteries like the Danube, the Rhine and the Po rivers have seen falling water levels and reservoirs in Spain, once filled with water, are now dry and cracked. In France, which is enduring its worst drought on record, flames raged through pine forests overnight, illuminating the sky with an intense orange light in the Gironde region, which was already ravaged by flames last month, and in neighboring Landes. More than 26 square miles have burned since Tuesday.Along the Oder River, which flows from Czechia north into the Baltic Sea, volunteers have been collecting dead fish that have washed ashore in Poland and Germany. Piotr Nieznanski, the conservation policy director at WWF Poland, said it appears that a toxic chemical was released into the water by an industry and the low water levels caused by the drought has made conditions far more dangerous for the fish.'A tragic event is happening along the Oder River, an international river, and there is no transparent information about what is going on,' he said, calling on government authorities to investigate.People living along the river have been warned not to swim in the water or even touch it.Poland's state water management body said the drought and high temperatures can cause even small amounts of pollution to lead to an ecological disaster but it has not identified the source of the pollution.In northern Serbia, the dry bed of the Conopljankso reservoir is now littered with dead fish that were unable to survive the drought.The water level along Germany's Rhine River was at risk of falling so low that it could become difficult to transport goods - including critical energy items like coal and gasoline.Italy's worst drought in decades has reduced Lake Garda, the country's largest lake, to near its lowest level ever recorded, exposing swaths of previously underwater rocks and warming the water to temperatures that approach the average in the Caribbean Sea.Tourists flocking to the popular northern lake Friday for the start of Italy's key summer long weekend found a vastly different landscape than in past years. An expansive stretch of bleached rock extended far from the normal shoreline, ringing the southern Sirmione Peninsula with a yellow halo between the green hues of the water and the trees on the shore.'We came last year, we liked it, and we came back this year,' tourist Beatrice Masi said as she sat on the rocks. 'We found the landscape had changed a lot. We were a bit shocked when we arrived because we had our usual walk around, and the water wasn't there.'Northern Italy hasn't seen significant rainfall for months, and snowfall this year was down 70%, drying up important rivers like the Po, which flows across Italy's agricultural and industrial heartland. Many European countries, including Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, the Netherlands and Britain, are enduring droughts this summer that have hurt farmers and shippers and promoted authorities to restrict water use.The parched condition of the Po, Italy's longest river, has already caused billions of euros in losses to farmers who normally rely on it to irrigate fields and rice paddies.To compensate, authorities allowed more water from Lake Garda to flow out to local rivers - 70 cubic meters (2,472 cubic feet) of water per second. But in late July, they reduced the amount to protect the lake and the financially important tourism tied to it.With 45 cubic meters (1,589 cubic feet) of water per second being diverted to rivers, the lake on Friday was 32 centimeters (12.6 inches) above the water table, near the record lows in 2003 and 2007.Garda Mayor Davide Bedinelli said he had to protect both farmers and the tourist industry. He insisted that the summer tourist season was going better than expected, despite cancellations, mostly from German tourists, during Italy's latest heat wave in late July.'Drought is a fact that we have to deal with this year, but the tourist season is in no danger,' Bendinelli wrote in a July 20 Facebook post.He confirmed the lake was losing two centimeters (.78 inches) of water a day.The lake's temperature, meanwhile, has been above average for August, according to seatemperature.org. On Friday, the Garda's water was nearly 26 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit), several degrees warmer than the average August temperature of 22 C (71.6 F) and nearing the Caribbean Sea's average of around 27 C (80 F).For Mario Treccani, who owns a lakefront concession of beach chairs and umbrellas, the lake's expanded shoreline means fewer people are renting his chairs since there are now plenty of rocks on which to sunbathe.'The lake is usually a meter or more than a meter higher,' he said from the rocks. GERMANY: An inland vessel navigates on the Rhine as the partially dried-up river bed is seen in the foreground in Duesseldorf GERMANY: Birds stand on the long shore and the partially dried-up river bed of the Rhine in Duesseldorf ITALY: Members of the Italian army remove a World War Two bomb that was discovered in the dried-up River Po SPAIN: Tires lie on the cracked ground of La Vinuela reservoir during a severe drought in La Vinuela ITALY: A person sits at a Po's dry riverbed in Carmagnola near Turin HUNGARY: Disused row boats are tied to a dried-out pier of Lake Velence at Pakozd HUNGARY: A boat lays on the dried lake bed in a port in Velence, Hungary ITALY: A woman takes pictures in the peninsula of Sirmione, on Garda lake ITALY: A woman takes a roll on the peninsula of Sirmione, on Garda lakeFRANCE: A fire tornado is seen barrelling towards French firemen FRANCE: A firefighting aircraft sprays fire retardant over trees during a wildfire near Saint-Magne on Thursday FRANCE: Burning pine trees near Saint-Magne, southwestern France on Thursday FRANCE: The ruins of a house destroyed by the fire which erupted in Belin-Beliet FRANCE: The ruins of a house destroyed by the fire which erupted in Belin-Beliet, near Hostens Europe is in the grips of sweltering heat, severe drought and raging wildfires that are tearing through Spain, France and Portugal, while key waterways such as the Rhine and the Po are running dry How does a drought being declared affect Britons? What does an official drought mean for the public?A drought might not mean much in practical terms for people's day-to-day lives immediately, but it gives water companies the freedom to implement certain stages of their emergency plans.Level one of most drought plans might be as simple as asking the public to voluntarily cut down on their water use, followed by restricting non-essential usage via a hosepipe ban.As the dry weather drags on, this can be extended to a non-essential use ban on activities such as filing a pond, cleaning non-domestic premises and vehicles such as boats, aircraft or trains.In extreme scenarios, water firms can ask permission from the Environment Agency to abstract water from lakes and rivers, and disused boreholes.How does climate change cause both drought and flooding in summer?In 2021, bursts of heavy rain saw localised flooding, particularly in London, where some tube stations had to be evacuated.Scientists warn that while climate change is likely to increase the intensity of summer rainfall, it won't save us from future water shortages.Prof Arnell sad: 'As the atmosphere warms, it can hold more water, so if the conditions are triggered to generate a storm, that storm will have more water in it.'So the chance of having the intense sort of rainfall that we saw in London last year increases with climate change, but that's sort of short duration one-off events which can happen during the dry period.'He continued: 'So the total rainfall will be less but it might be concentrated in short duration intense bursts, which will be problematic for all sorts of reasons – for short-term flooding risks and also for water resources as well.'Will the taps run dry this year?While rivers and reservoirs in some areas have plunged to some of the lowest levels on record, relatively high levels of ground water have so far prevented the need for tighter water restrictions.Mr Hannaford said there had been a 'pulse of replenishment' of groundwater late last year, but warned in places, particularly the chalky ground of the South East, levels were declining sharply.'The important point is groundwater makes a very large part of the drinking water supply across south-east England,' he said.Professor Arnell said that in England and Wales, communities are unlikely to see the same levels of water restrictions seen during the heatwave of 1976.He added: '(The water industry) is in a much better position than it was in 1976 because it has prepared drought plans there are measures that are organised and thought about in advance.'What does the drought mean for the natural world?The drought can have a devastating impact on wildlife, not just those trying to survive on tinder-dry land, but also those in freshwater and marine ecosystems as well.Mr Hannaford said lower river flows and stagnant water leads to higher concentrations of pollutants, while dried up waterways means animals can lose access to their usual range of habitat.'You can get a lack of connection between those areas and that can have an impact on the life cycles of lots of aquatic organisms,' he said.Stagnant water also increases the likelihood of algal blooms that suck oxygen from the water, leaving fish and other fauna struggling to survive.What will it take to get back to normal?'Thundery breakdown and showers' are forecast for the early part of next week, but it is not yet clear how much rain we can expect, or where it will fall.But scientists agree that it will take a lot more than average rainfall to rehydrate the nation.A burst of heavy rain will often run straight off very dry ground, potentially causing flash flooding and not necessarily replenishing soil moisture in a meaningful way.Mr Hannaford said it would require 'exceptional' rainfall over the next one to three months to bring river, reservoir and groundwater levels back up to normal.Pointing to a small wall that usually blocks the water from the beach chairs, he recalled that on windy days, sometimes waves from the lake would splash up onto the tourists.Not anymore.'It is a bit sad. Before, you could hear the noise of the waves breaking up here. Now, you don't hear anything,' he said.In France's Burgundy region, in what was once the Tille River in the village of Lux, thousands of dead fish can be seen covering a wide trench of white dust. Yesterday the UK officially declared a drought across southern and central England amid one of the hottest and driest summers on record. Experts say the dry period will continue in what they describe as the worst drought in 500 years. Similar drought conditions are being reported in east Africa, the western US and northern Mexico amid climate change. This week, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre warned that drought conditions will worsen and potentially impact 47 per cent of the continent. Andrea Toreti, a senior research at the European Drought Observatory said this year's drought is 'really worse' than that of 2018. 'We see still a very high risk of dry conditions over Western and Central Europe, as well as the UK,' Toreti added, saying that this will continue for the next three months. Back in France, Jean-Philippe Couasne, chief technician at the local Federation for Fishing and Protection of the Aquatic Environment said the Tille River, which sees 8,000 litres (2,100 gallons) of water per second flow, is now bone dry. 'It's heartbreaking,' he said. 'All fish will die. They are trapped upstream and downstream, there's no water coming in, so the oxygen level will keep decreasing as the [water] volume goes down. These are species that will gradually disappear.' Jean-Pierre Sonvico, regional head of the federation, said diverting the fish to other rivers is not an option because those waterways are also affected by the ongoing drought.'Yes, it's dramatic because what can we do? Nothing,' he said. 'We're waiting, hoping for storms with rain, but storms are very local so we can't count on it.'Elsewhere, shipping on Germany's biggest waterway, the Rhine, is endangered as it is forecast to reach critically low levels in just days. Authorities say it could become difficult for large ships to navigate the river at the city of Kaub. The picture is similar on the Danube river, with authorities have started dredging in a bid to keep boats moving. In Switzerland, a drought and high temperatures have endangered fish populations and authorities have begun moving fish out of some creeks that were running dry.In Hausen, in the canton of Zurich, officials caught hundreds of fish, many of them brown trout, in the almost dried-up Heischerbach, Juchbach and Muehlebach creeks this week by anesthetizing them with electric shocks and then immediately placing them in a water tank enriched with oxygen, local media reported. Later, the fish were taken to creeks that still carry enough water.Despite all the harm caused by the extreme weather, Swiss authorities see one morbid upside: they believe there's hope of finding some people who went missing in the mountains in the last few years because their bodies are being released as glaciers melt.In the Swiss canton of Valais, melting glaciers have recently revealed parts of a crashed airplane and, at separate locations, at least two skeletons. The bodies have not yet been identified, news website 20Minuten reported Thursday.In Hungary, parts of Lake Velence near Budapest have become unrecognisable patches of dried mud, leaving some small boats stranded.Aeration and water circulation equipment was installed in a bid to protect the wildlife, but the water quality has deteriorated. And on one beach in the region, a weekend swimming ban has been put in place. Meanwhile on the Po, Italy's longest river, barges and boats that sank decades ago are beginning to resurface. Lake Garda, a hotspot for tourism in the country, has fallen to its lowest levels ever. Authorities recently released more water from the lake to help with irrigation, but soon stopped to protect the tourist season. In England, the country experienced its driest July since 1935 last month, according to the Met Office. The lack of rain has depleted reservoirs, rivers and groundwater and left grasslands brown across the UK. Millions across the country were already forced to stop watering their lawns, and 15 million more around the capital in London will face a similar ban soon. The situation is most dire for farmers in the UK, who face running out of irrigation water and having to use winter feed for their animals because of a lack of grass. The Rivers Trust charity has said that England's chalk streams, which allow underground springs to bubble up through a spongy layer of rock, are drying up, endangering the likes of kingfishers and trout. Even countries such as Spain and Portugal, which are prepared for long periods without rain, have seen major consequences as a result of the drought. In Andalucia, Spain, some avocado farmers have been forced to sacrifice hundreds of trees to save others from wilting as the Vinuela reservoir in Malaga dropped to 13 per cent capacity. Some European farmers have had to resort to using water from the tap for their livestock, using up to 100 litres (26 gallons) a day per cow. PORTUGAL: View of a burning area during a wildfire in Videmonte, Celorico da Beira on Thursday PORTUGAL: View inside a burned house during a wildfire in Videmonte, Celorico da Beira PORTUGAL: A firefighter looks at the aftermath of a wildfire in Videmonte, Celorico da Beira PORTUGAL: A resident watches the progression of a wildfire in Linhares, Celorico da Beira PORTUGAL: A tree burning on the inside is seen in front of a wildfire in Videmonte, Celorico da Beira SWITZERLAND: The thick layer of ice that has covered a Swiss mountain pass between Scex Rouge glacier and Tsanfleuron glacier since at least the Roman era will have melted away completely within a few weeks, Glacier 3000 officials SERBIA: A view of a dry lake bed near the village of Conoplja, 150 kilometers north-west of Belgrade, Serbia SERBIA: A dead fish skeleton laying on the cracking earth of a dry lake bed near the village of Conoplja POLAND: Dead fish float on the surface of the Oder river, as water has been contaminated and is causing the mass extinction of fish in the river, in BielinekIn Burgundy, images show yellow-brown grass while tractors churn up clouds of dust as the source of water for the region, the Seine River, has depleted. Baptiste Colson, who owns dairy cows and grows feed crops in the village of Moloy, eastern France, said the quality and quantity of his cows milk is decreasing. He said he expects at least a 30 per cent drop in corn yields, as experts predict that EU corn production will be 12.5 million tonnes below last year. Sunflower production is projected to be 1.6 million tonnes lower, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. 'We know we'll have to buy food so the cows can continue producing milk,' Baptise Colson said. 'From an economic point of view, the cost will be high.' The dry conditions are a result of long periods of dry weather caused by changes in world weather systems, according to meteorologist Peter Hoffmann of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. He said drought builds up across the year, but is felt the most during the summer months. Climate change has lessened the temperature differences between regions, sapping the forces that drive the jet stream, which usually brings wet Atlantic weather to Europe. A weaker or unstable jet stream can bring unusually hot air to Europe from north Africa, which leads to prolonged periods of heat. The same can be said for freezing conditions, when a vortex of cold air from the Artic can cause unusually cold weather far south of where it would normally reach. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Boris Johnson today warned that 'time is running out' to prevent climate change destroying humanity today - as Conservative Party members suggested they don't care. The outgoing Prime Minister urged action to mitigate 'the carbon tea cosy that is heating our planet to destruction' as Britain braced for its hottest summer day in recorded history. He spoke as he addressed aviation leaders at the Farnborough Air Show and urged them to find greener ways of powering transatlantic flight.But it came as a new poll found that just four per cent of Conservative Party members rate the 2050 Net Zero emissions target one of their top three priorities for the new leader who replaces him.The survey by YouGov for the Times found that winning the next election, controlling immigration and easing the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on families came top of the list. Mr Johnson told guests at the Hampshire aviation showpiece: 'On this scorching day, with the thermometer about to blow and temperatures here apparently higher than the Sahara, there is the next great technological challenge, which is how to send a plane across the Atlantic without burning thousands of tons of kerosene and adding to the carbon tea cosy that is heating our planet to destruction.'We know that we must fix it. We know that time is running out.'That's why one of the first things I initiated three years ago was a project called Jet Zero, which I think many of you are participating in, thanks very much for what you are doing. A zero-carbon flight.' The outgoing Prime Minister urged action to mitigate 'the carbon tea cosy that is heating our planet to destruction' as Britain braced for its hottest summer day in recorded history. A sign at London Bridge station about the heat The Met Office is warning temperatures could climb to 41CAs the country prepares to grind to a halt thanks to temperatures that could hit 41C (106F), Kit Malthouse insisted the Government was ready.However he admitted that lessons would be learnt - as he advised people to 'take it easy' over the next few days. It came after the Cabinet minister who led last year's landmark UN climate change summit in Glasgow has indicated he could resign if the next prime minister is not fully committed to the Net Zero agenda.Cop26 president Alok Sharma said some of the remaining candidates in the Tory leadership race had been only 'lukewarm' towards climate commitments.Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Mr Malthouse today defended Boris Johnson's decision not to attend a Cobra meeting on the heatwave and instead spend the weekend having a party at Chequers. He told Sky News: 'It's my job to chair Cobra meetings. I briefed him yesterday morning at about 8am personally.'As the country prepares to grind to a halt thanks to temperatures that could hot 41C (105F), Kit Malthouse insisted the Government was ready. Heavy traffic on the M4 near Bristol, people are urged not to travel unless they have to as most of the UK has an amber warning with some places have a red warning for high temperatures.'If you are lucky enough not to be working today and you are going to the beach, obviously I know you will take lots of sun cream and water and an umbrella and all those kinds of things and be sensible.'But we need to recognise that there are some people who will not cope well in the heat and what we want is for everybody to look out for them.'Lots of people will go about their lives perfectly normally, for example we have said that schools should stay open and kids should go to school, very often they are safer in schools and kids need to learn and schools can look after them and hydrate them and keep them nice and cool.But he also told the BBC: 'We definitely need to adapt the way we build buildings, the way we operate and look at some of our infrastructure in the light of what seems to be an increasing frequency of these kinds of events,' he told BBC Radio.He urged people to 'look out for those groups who are most vulnerable to the heat' - particularly small children and the elderly.In an interview with The Observer yesterday, Mr Sharma urged the new PM to 'proactively' set out their support for the net zero agenda and 'green' growth. Leaders at Glasgow's Cop26 agreed to try and limit global warming to 1.5C - and the UK has pledged to become net zero by 2050.It comes as climate experts warn of increasingly frequent extreme weather, such as that being seen across Europe and in the UK, and emphasise that the effects of climate change are not coming, they are already here.'Anyone aspiring to lead our country needs to demonstrate that they take this issue incredibly seriously, that they're willing to continue to lead and take up the mantle that Boris Johnson started off,' he said.Asked if he could resign if candidates were weak on net zero, Mr Sharma said: 'Let's see, shall we? I think we need to see where the candidates are. And we need to see who actually ends up in No 10.'I hope every candidate realises why this is so important for voters generally and why it's important for Conservative supporters. And I hope that we will see, particularly with the final two, a very clear statement that this is an agenda that they do support.'Pressed a second time, he added: 'I don't rule anything out and I don't rule anything in.'Of the five remaining candidates in the contest, only Kemi Badenoch has said she does not support the UK target of getting to net zero emissions by 2050, describing it as 'unilateral economic disarmament'.The others have indicated varying degrees of enthusiasm for the policy, which is unpopular with some sections of the party amid concerns about the impact on the economy. This fire in Gironde, France, this week led to the evacuation of more than 12,000 local residents for their safety The Cop 26 president Alok Sharma said: 'I hope every candidate realises why this is so important for voters generally and why it's important for Conservative supporters'The Met Office has warned that temperatures could rise even further to 43C (109F) tomorrow - with trains already cancelled, hospital appointments axed and schools closed amid warnings that healthy people could die.Its chief executive Penny Endersby confirmed 'we may well see the hottest day in the UK in history' today - beating the record of 38.7C (101.7F) set in Cambridge in July 2019 - but tomorrow is now expected to be even warmer.With the UK set to be hotter than the Sahara Desert today, transport links in London were already grinding to a halt due to train cancellations - while roads could melt and bosses have urged employees to work from home.Health chiefs told patients to stay away unless it is an emergency amid fears hospitals will be overwhelmed, while emergency services urged swimmers to stay away from lakes and rivers in case they face difficulties.Some schools in Nottinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire have shut while others will close early - and water providers have also warned of shortages after the hottest day of 2022 so far yesterday with 33C (91F) highs.Other schools were cancelling detentions and sports days because of the heatwave. Northwood Community Primary School in Kirkby, Merseyside, said that sports day had been axed today; while King Charles I School, a secondary school in Worcestershire, has cancelled all on-site detentions both today and tomorrow.Professor Endersby told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning: 'We think today we may well see the hottest day in the UK in history, with the hottest temperatures in the South East, but actually the highest temperatures we expect tomorrow, and those temperatures will be further north as that warm air pushes north.'It's tomorrow that we're really seeing the higher chance of 40C and temperatures above that. Even possibly above that... 41C isn't off the cards. We've even got some 43Cs in the model but we're hoping it won't be as high as that.'One GP surgery in Hertfordshire had to close a site today because it has no air conditioning; others in London have texted patients to warn them of reduced services with limited clinic rooms in operation; and Milton Keynes University Hospital said it was 'standing down routine outpatient appointments and surgery' today and tomorrow.In Cardiff, a children's hospital's cancer ward at Noah's Ark Children's Hospital was left without air conditioning after the unit failed in hot weather. Engineers were working to fix the fault affecting the chemotherapy area - and health chiefs said that if the problem cannot be solved, patients will be moved to a different ward to keep cool.As health officials declared a 'national emergency', rail chaos was already affecting parts of London this morning - with the Overground suspended between Willesden Junction and Richmond, and Romford and Upminster.On the Underground, the District, Central, Bakerloo and Jubilee lines all had severe delays while the Hammersmith & City Line was completely axed due to 'heat related restrictions' and there was no Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate. Transport for London told all passengers in the capital to avoid non-essential travel.The scorching heat means the UK will be warmer than Nassau in the Bahamas (32C), Kingston in Jamaica (33C), Malaga in Spain (28C), Athens in Greece (35C), Albufeira in Portugal (28C) and Dakhla in the Western Sahara (24C).Temperatures had already hit 33C (92F) at London City Airport before noon today. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The UK is expected to see its hottest day on record today as the wave of heat reaches its peak with temperatures hitting 41C - the Met Office says last night was the warmest on record in the UKVideo LoadingVideo UnavailableWeather: Red alert persists as Met Office warns of 'extreme heat'Brits are set to sizzle on the hottest UK day on record as temperatures are predicted to hit 41C amid growing travel chaos today. Parts of the UK will see possible highs of 41C making the country hotter than Jamaica, the Maldives and Barbados - with rail users warned of delays, cancellations and changes to train services. The UK has experienced its warmest night on record last night , according to provisional Met Office figures. Rachel Ayers, a Met Office forecaster, said: "The temperature will be very hot throughout the day, before rising as high as 40C, maybe even 41C in isolated spots across England during the afternoon. "This will make it the hottest day on record and the first time we have seen temperatures as high as 40C." Scotland and Wales could also see their hottest days on record. Most routes across England and Wales will be affected by the hot weather today, according to National Rail, with customers told only to travel if "absolutely necessary". The UK Health Security Agency has issued a level 4 heat-health alert - described as an "emergency" - and the UK is under its first red extreme heat warning for a large part of England, issued by the Met Office. Follow our live updates below... 08:13KEY EVENTUK has warmest night on record, Met Office provisional figures sayThe UK has experienced its warmest night on record, according to provisional Met Office figures.Temperatures didn't fall below 25C in places.— Met Office (@metoffice) July 19, 2022 08:07KEY EVENTUK's transport network cannot cope with the extreme heat, transport secretary saysTransport Secretary Grant Shapps conceded the UK's transport network cannot cope with the extreme heat.He told people to "apply common sense" and "depending on the nature of your journey and reason for it you might want to consider rearranging your day around it".He told BBC Breakfast: "We've seen a considerable amount of travel disruption, we're probably going to see the hottest day ever in the UK recorded today and infrastructure, much of it built in Victorian times, just wasn't built to withstand this type of temperature - and it will be many years before we can replace infrastructure with the kind of infrastructure that could, because the temperatures are so extreme."Asked if the transport system can cope with the weather, he said: "The simple answer at the moment is no."Where those tracks are 40 degrees in the air, on the ground that could be 50, 60, 70 and more. So you get a severe danger of tracks buckling, what we can't have is trains running over those and a terrible derailing."We've got to be very cautious and conscious of that, which is why there's reduced speeds on large parts of the network."07:56Danya BazaraaAmbulances see increase in calls for fainting and heat exposureBrian Jordan, director of 999 operations for London Ambulance Service, said the service saw a slight increase in calls for fainting and heat exposure on Monday.The service received 6,600 emergency calls yesterday, which was slightly lower than predicted."We really hope that's because the public really have been listened to the messages about how they can look after themselves and only call 999 if it's a genuine emergency," Mr Jordan told BBC Radio 4's Today programme."People have been through a very long day yesterday and there's been high temperatures overnight and with the even hotter temperatures today, I cannot really emphasise enough that people need to continue to do what we were asking them yesterday - to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, keep hydrated, look after more vulnerable friends, families, neighbours and use sun cream etc."He added: "As yesterday afternoon progressed we saw a slight increase in the rates of fainting and heat exposure".Mr Jordan said that the service expected to see a "build-up of illness due to the continued heat overnight and even higher temperatures coming today... it's just about making sure that even after the peak temperatures, everyone continues to follow that advice".Ambulances were not waiting outside of hospitals any longer than usual on Monday, he added.07:39Danya BazaraaIssues on rails and roads will continue for decades during extreme heatwaves, Transport Secretary warnsTransport Secretary Grant Shapps said issues on the rails and roads will continue for decades during extreme heatwaves.Asked how long it will take to upgrade existing rail infrastructure to be more resilient, he told Sky News: "Decades, actually, to replace it all."Ditto with Tarmac on the roads."There's a long process of replacing it and upgrading it to withstand temperatures, either very hot or sometimes much colder than we've been used to, and these are the impacts of global warming."He said there was no Cobra meeting planned for Tuesday, with the Prime Minister instead chairing Cabinet.A road 'melted' due to record temperatures. (Image:MEN MEDIA)07:27Danya BazaraaWeather map for Tuesday's forecastHere's the weather map for today's forecast by the Met Office.The mercury will sizzle at possible highs of 41C in isolated areas on Tuesday, making the country hotter than Jamaica, the Maldives and Barbados – with rail users warned of delays, cancellations and changes to train services.Here's all the details for Tuesday's weather in the #4cast below #heatwave2022 #heatwave pic.twitter.com/TU9Frj3pIR— Met Office (@metoffice) July 18, 2022 06:58Tim HanlonBrits urged to stay indoors today from 11am until 4pmBrits have been urged to stay inside during the hottest period of the day between 11am and 4pm today.The UK Health Security Agency has issued a level 4 heat-health alert – described as an “emergency” – and the UK is under its first red extreme heat warning for a large part of England, issued by the Met Office.Temperatures are expected to rise into the 40Cs today which would bring a new record high for the UK.As well as staying indoors where possible during the hottest part of the day, people are being advised to wear sun cream, a hat, stay in the shade and keep hydrated with water – and there are warnings about swimming in lakes, rivers and reservoirs.There are also warnings of wildfires, with people asked not to use barbecues or leave litter that could spark fires in the countryside – while zoos and wildlife parks have been closed to protect animals, staff and visitors.Water companies have been experiencing “unprecedented peak demand”, with people encouraged to “carefully consider” their water usage and urged not to waste it.06:26Tim HanlonShould you drink hot or cold drinks to cool down during the heatwave?Brits are set to reach for cold drinks and maybe an ice cream today with the sizzling temperatures but a study has found that warm drinks can also keep people cool.Temperatures could rise into the 40Cs today and set a new all-time high record for the UK.At the same time there are warnings over health and plenty of advice on how to keep cool in the oppressive heat.While the natural instinct is to drink ice-cold beverages when it is roasting, could hot drinks be better for lowering the body temperature?One study thinks it could have its benefits.Research has suggested that hot drinks such as teas and coffees may surprisingly be more effective at keeping your body temperature down.A study from the University of Ottawa looked at the effect of drinking hot drinks on body temperature and it found that they can cool you down - but only in dry conditions.Dr Ollie Jay, one of the authors of the study, reportedly said: “If you drink a hot drink, it does result in a lower amount of heat stored inside your body, provided the additional sweat that’s produced when you drink the hot drink can evaporate.”Read more here.05:40Tim HanlonDozens evacuated and 100 firefighters tackle huge blaze at block of flatsAround 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines are tackling a massive blaze at a block of flats in east London.Emergency services have evacuated around 60 people from the building on Mavis Grove, Hornchurch, after they were called just before 1am this morning. The fire brigade has asked nearby residents to keep their doors and windows closed - despite the hot night - due to the “thick black smoke”. Fire crews have been battling a blaze that started in a flat on the second floor of the building and the London Fire Service has said that part of the roof is also in flames. The London Fire Service stated: "Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters are tackling a flat fire on Mavis Grove in Hornchurch."Read more here. (Image:London Fire Brigade)05:03Tim HanlonBrits told to only use trains if "absolutely necessary" todayTravellers have been told to expect train disruption up and down the country and only travel when "absolutely necessary".Most routes across England and Wales will be affected by the hot weather today, according to National Rail.It stated: "There will be delays, cancellations and last-minute changes to train services due to the unprecedented record heat on those days."There will be no Thameslink or Great Northern trains running in any location north of London, from London Blackfriars via St Pancras, or from London King's Cross or London Moorgate today.Merseyrail said the number of trains running and journey times will be "seriously affected", with some routes closed completely. LNER will run no trains from south of York and south of Leeds to London King's Cross. Southern, South Eastern, South Western Railway and Great Western Railway are among the dozens of train companies running significantly reduced services across the country. Transport for London (TfL) said London's rail network would also be running a reduced service on Tuesday due to safety restrictions put into place to deal with the heat.03:40KEY EVENTUK set for it hottest temperatures ever today as they hit 40CBrits are set for the hottest UK day on record as temperatures are predicted to hit 40C amid growing travel chaos. It comes after the mercury peaked at 38.1C in Santon Downham, Suffolk on Monday, making it the hottest day of the year and the third hottest day on record, after 38.7C in Cambridge in 2019 and 38.5C in Faversham, Kent, in August 2003. The mercury will sizzle at possible highs of 41C in isolated areas on Tuesday, making the country hotter than Jamaica, the Maldives and Barbados - with rail users warned of delays, cancellations and changes to train services. Rachel Ayers, a Met Office forecaster, said: "Overnight it's going to stay very warm so expect a difficult night of sleeping. "We then have a pretty unprecedented day tomorrow, the temperature will be very hot throughout the day, before rising as high as 40C, maybe even 41C in isolated spots across England during the afternoon. "This will make it the hottest day on record and the first time we have seen temperatures as high as 40C." Scotland and Wales could also see their hottest days on record.02:42Tim HanlonMassive blaze at London block of flats with 100 firefighters battling the flamesAround 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines are tackling a massive blaze at a block of flats in London.Emergency services have evacuated around 60 people from the building on Mavis Grove, Hornchurch, and the fire brigade has asked nearby residents to keep their doors and windows closed - despite the hot night - due to the “thick black smoke”.Currently a flat on the second floor of the building is on fire.The London Fire Service stated: "Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters are tackling a flat fire on Mavis Grove in Hornchurch."Part of a flat on the second floor is alight."Around 60 people evacuated the building before the Brigade arrived."The Brigade was called at 0055. Fire crews from Hornchurch and surrounding fire stations are at the scene. The cause of the fire is not known at this stage."01:43KEY EVENTTourist, in his 70s, dies after being pulled from the sea on the Isle of WightAn elderly tourist found unresponsive on an Isle of Wight beach is the latest to die as the UK tackles sweltering temperatures.The man, aged in his 70s, was taken unconscious from the sea at a beach in Sandown on Monday.Emergency services rushed to the incident and worked for 40 minutes to try and resuscitate him but he was declared dead at the scene.Ryde Beach Lifeguards posted on Facebook: "This afternoon our Beach Lifeguard team at Sandown responded to an unconscious non breathing casualty to the west of Sandown pier."The casualty, a tourist in his 70s, was pulled from the water, with the team performing CPR as well as using the AED. Shortly backed up by Paramedics, Coastguards, the Air Ambulance and the Police. "The team and emergency services worked on the casualty for approximately 40 minutes, before he was declared dead at the scene. "We cannot thank everyone enough for the support and fantastic team work from all emergency services involved in the incident. Everyone worked seamlessly together, and gave their all to try and save the gentleman’s life, but it was not to be on this occasion sadly. "Our sincerest condolences go out to the gentleman’s family and friends."Read more here.00:39Tim HanlonFire breaks out at hazardous waste plant in CheshireA major fire has broken out at a hazardous waste plant on a busy day for Cheshire fire fighters.The blaze began just after 8.30pm on Monday at industrial premises on Brooks Lane in Middlewich, according to emergency services. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service has urged nearby residents to keep their windows and doors shut. The service tweeted: "Members of the public are advised to avoid the area and nearby residents are urged to keep their windows and doors shut given the large smoke plume. "Bystanders should clear the area." No casualties have been reported, the service said. Footage on social media shows columns of thick black smoke billowing out from the site of BIP Environmental, a waste management and transfer station which specialises in the disposal of hazardous waste, chemicals and more. Cheshire Fire and Rescue said 10 fire engines were sent to the scene, along with an aerial ladder platform and high volume pump. It added that the fire involves several palletised containers. Several roads have been closed around Middlewich town centre.00:06Tim HanlonNorthern Ireland records hottest day of the year with 31.2CNorthern Ireland has recorded its hottest day of the year, with temperatures soaring above 30C in some areas. People have been advised to stay out of the sun, despite there being no heat warning in place in the region. In the Republic of Ireland, a yellow weather warning is in place and red and amber weather alerts for extreme heat have been issued across Great Britain. The Met Office recorded a temperature of 31.2C in Derrylin in Co Fermanagh at 3.55pm on Monday. The next highest temperatures recorded were 30.8C in Armagh and Aldergrove, Co Antrim, 30.4C in Thomastown, Co Fermanagh and 29.8C in Castlederg, Co Tyrone. The highest temperature ever recorded in Northern Ireland was 31.3C (88.3F) in Castlederg in County Tyrone last July. As people flocked to beaches across Northern Ireland, public transport operator Translink announced that train tickets to the popular Helen's Bay in Co Down were being suspended. Dr Brid Farrell, deputy director of public health at the Public Health Agency (PHA), urged people to stay out of the sun during the warmest hours. She told the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme: "What we are recommending is that people try to stay in cool areas or else stay cool by drinking plenty of fluids. "In particular, we would be keen that people avoid being outside between the hours of 11am and 3pm. "Stay out of the sun, use sunscreen."23:28Tim HanlonTory leadership contenders commit to net zero by 2050 as UK faces record temperaturesAll five of the remaining Conservative leadership contenders have committed to meeting net zero by 2050.At a well-attended hustings organised by the Conservative Environment Network (CEN) and chaired by Cop26 President Alok Sharma, the candidates confirmed their commitment to the UK's net zero target. Prior to the hustings, all the candidates except Kemi Badenoch had signed the CEN's pledge to maintain the 2050 target. As recently as July 12, the former equalities minister had described net zero policies as "unilateral economic disarmament", while she has previously called the 2050 target "arbitrary". But as Britain saw its hottest day of the year on Monday and temperatures approached 40C, Ms Badenoch joined her fellow candidates in committing to the 2050 target.Chris Skidmore, former energy minister and chairman of the Net Zero Support Group of Conservative MPs, said he was "delighted" all five candidates have now signed up to the pledge. He said: "Since the beginning of the Conservative leadership contest, there has been a question mark over the future of net zero and our climate commitments, especially with a few candidates speaking against the idea of a target to deliver emissions reductions.22:44Matthew DreschTwelve killed in UK heatwave horrors as Brits warned not to cool off in open watersAt least 12 people have died in heat-related incidents since the temperature started to climb to dangerous levels.Today was not the hottest on record despite hitting a high of 38.1C in Santon Downham - but the Met Office has warned that the worst is yet to come tomorrow.Sadly, at least 12 people have died in heat-related accidents since July 7.Click here to read the full story. Robert Hattersley drowned in the River Tyne near Ovingham in Northumberland (Image:North News & Pictures Ltd northnews.co.uk)22:25KEY EVENTWildfire rips through Birmingham beauty spotA wildfire is ripping through a beauty spot in Birmingham.A 50,000 square-metre area is on fire at Lickey Hills, in Birmingham, reports say. Columns of tall smoke can be seen from miles away.The emergency services have evacuated 15 people from their homes.A 'disposable BBQ' is believed to have started the blaze.A huge area at the Birmingham beauty spot is on fire (Image:PA)22:16Matthew DreschSunset turns sky red as Brits prepare for a sweltering nightAn awe-inspiring sunset marked the end of the UK's hottest day of the year so far.Pictures show how the sky above London turned a reddish hue as the sun dipped below the horizon.However, high temperatures are expected to continue overnight.This evening's sunset turned the sky above London a reddish hue (Image:REUTERS)21:27KEY EVENTPrince Charles says hot weather shows "climate crisis really is a genuine emergency"Prince Charles said the extreme weather in the UK shows that the climite crisis is a "genuine emergency".During a visit to Cornwall, he said: "Those commitments around net zero have never been more vitally important as we all swelter under today's alarming, record temperatures across Britain and Europe," he said. "As I have tried to indicate for quite some time, the climate crisis really is a genuine emergency and tackling it is utterly essential."21:04Matthew DreschRoad turns to black goo as it melts and sticks to car tyresA road in Stockport has turned into black goo after melting in the sweltering heat.One onlooker said it sounded like cars were 'driving through water' in Broadstone Road.He added: "It sounded like it had just rained and the cars were driving through the puddles."It was that soft your feet got stuck in it if you walked across. The tarmac was all stuck in the treads of my tyres."Broadstone Road melted in today's heat (Image:Manchester Evening News)20:53Matthew DreschHow much does it cost to keep a fan on all night?Auto energy switching service Migrate estimates almost half the population use electric fans to help them stay cool during the hot summer nights.But using a fan overnight can seriously rack up your energy bills.The typical 120w pedestal fan using costs around 3.4p an hour to run on average, according to Uswitch.That might not sound like much, but it soon adds up.Leaving the fan on between 10pm and 8am would cost you around 33p in energy.Click here to read the full story. A group cool off by dipping their feet in the fountain at Trafalgar Square (Image:AFP via Getty Images)20:47KEY EVENTBoy, 14, is missing believed drowned in River ThamesA 14-year-old boy is believed to have drowned in the River Thames.The Met Police said the teen got into difficulty in the water in Richmond this afternoon.A spokesman for the force said an extensive search was carried out, however the boy was not found. Superintendent Richard Smith, from the South West Command Unit, said: “Despite the very best efforts of all involved, we must now sadly conclude that this young boy has died.“His death is a tragedy and I cannot begin to imagine what his family will be going through. All our thoughts are with them.“I know that on days like today when temperatures are at a record high, it might look appealing to jump in and cool off in rivers, reservoirs, lakes or other open water.“Please don’t. The dangers are real and this evening in Richmond we have seen the terrible consequences of what happens when it goes wrong.“To young people in particular, I would urge you to be the person in your group of friends who says no and reminds others about the dangers."Your intervention could save a life and save another family from experiencing such an awful loss.”19:33Matthew DreschMet Office warns of warmest night on record this eveningThe Met Office has warned Brits are facing what looks likely to be the warmest night on record this evening.Forecasters said temperatures overnight into Tuesday are holding up in the low 20s and possible mid-20s in isolated places.Hot air from Europe is contributing to the extreme heat in Britain, with a searing heatwave baking much of the continent.19:06Matthew DreschFears major wildfires could tear through British countrysideExperts are worried about the possibility of major wildfires tearing through the countryside as temperatures threaten to soar as high as 40C. Wildlife would be "devastated" by such a blaze, with one expert suggesting Britain could face conditions similar to those taking hold in southern Europe. Patches of England were at "exceptional risk" of wildfires on Monday, the Met Office said, with an alert spreading to most of the country for Tuesday. Kathryn Brown, the Wildlife Trust's director for climate action, said: "I haven't even seen the exceptional category being used in the times I've looked at the Wildfire Index before."In southern Europe, we're seeing these stories of these horrendous wildfires taking hold all over the place and these are the conditions that we're going to be more prone to. "We need to be much more aware, and the public needs to be much more aware, of the wildfire risk."A fire engulfs a forest in Louchats, France, yesterday (Image:AFP via Getty Images)18:40Matthew DreschScotland on track to enjoy hottest day on record Scotland is on track to enjoy its hottest day on record tomorrow, forecasters say.Weatherman Sean Batty wrote on the STV site: "This is a dangerous level of heat coming to the UK and here in Scotland I now feel fairly confident to say that our 19 year old all-time record of 32.9C will fall on Tuesday."Families flocked to Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to soak up the sunshine and cool off in the sea today.Three friends soaked up the sun at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh (Image:Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS)18:32Matthew DreschBrits jumping into rivers to cool off in sweltering heatYoungsters are jumping into rivers to cool off in the sweltering heat. Dr Michael Marsh previously warned Brits to be careful about plunging into rivers.He said: "In the rivers you've got to be careful of the currents and the hidden hazards such as weeds."He added: "If you're young fit and healthy, don't jump off cliffs into freezing cold water and think you're going to be alright. It's dangerous." Ronya Assady jumps into the River Cam, in Cambridge, to cool off (Image:Getty Images)18:26KEY EVENTFlights halted at RAF airbase after runway "melted"Flights at RAF Brize Norton have been halted after the runway began to melt in the scorching heat, Sky News reports. Temperatures hit as high as 37C today at the Oxfordshire airfield, which is the largest RAF station in the UK.Writing on Twitter, Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor at Sky News, said: "The Royal Air Force has halted flights in and out of its largest air base in the UK because the runway has melted in the hot weather, according to a military source. The decision to shut the runway at RAF Brize Norton was taken on Monday morning."Plans have been implemented to ensure there’s no impact on operations, a second RAF source said. The second source confirmed the runway had been impacted by the heat but didn’t say it had physically melted. Runways can be deemed unsafe when the tarmac becomes sticky under the sun."18:18Matthew DreschLondon Luton Airport reopens after "surface defect" on runwayLondon Luton Airport has reopened after a "surface defect" was spotted on the runway. The airport tweeted: "The runway reopened to departing flights at 5.40pm. Arrivals remain suspended until further notice."We apologise for the inconvenience."18:13Matthew DreschReservoir tributary dry as temperatures soarWater levels have dropped at the Dowry reservoir near Oldham due to the soaring temperatures (Image:PA)18:01KEY EVENTHottest day of the year so far at 38.1C but not new recordAt 4pm it was 38.1C in Santon Downham, Suffolk, making this the hottest day of the year so far after temperatures rose through the day.But not the hottest day ever, still set at 38.7C - which the Met Office warns is likely to be exceeded tomorrow as the mercury hits 40C+. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Cars stop before a flooded area, after Cyclone Batsirai made landfall, on a road in Vohiparara, Madagascar, February 6, 2022. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Christophe Van Der Perre/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLONDON, June 28 (Reuters) - Extreme weather events – from scorching heatwaves to unusually heavy downpours – have caused widespread upheaval across the globe this year, with thousands of people killed and millions more displaced.In the last three months, monsoon rains unleashed disastrous flooding in Bangladesh, and brutal heatwaves seared parts of South Asia and Europe. Meanwhile, prolonged drought has left millions on the brink of famine in East Africa.Much of this, scientists say, is what's expected from climate change.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comOn Tuesday, a team of climate scientists published a study in the journal Environmental Research: Climate. The researchers scrutinized the role climate change has played in individual weather events over the past two decades.The findings confirm warnings of how global warming will change our world - and also make clear what information is missing.For heatwaves and extreme rainfall, "we find we have a much better understanding of how the intensity of these events is changing due to climate change," said study co-author Luke Harrington, a climate scientist at Victoria University of Wellington.Less understood, however, is how climate change influences wildfires and drought.For their review paper, scientists drew upon hundreds of "attribution" studies, or research that aims to calculate how climate change affected an extreme event using computer simulations and weather observations.There are also large data gaps in many low- and middle-income countries, making it harder to understand what's happening in those regions, said co-author Friederike Otto, one of the climatologists leading the international research collaboration World Weather Attribution (WWA).HEATWAVESWith heatwaves, it's highly probable that climate change is making things worse."Pretty much all heatwaves across the world have been made more intense and more likely by climate change," said study co-author Ben Clarke, an environmental scientist at the University of Oxford.In general, a heatwave that previously had a 1 in 10 chance of occurring is now nearly three times as likely — and peaking at temperatures around 1 degree Celsius higher – than it would have been without climate change.An April heatwave that saw the mercury climb above 50C (122 Fahrenheit) in India and Pakistan, for example, was made 30 times more likely by climate change, according to WWA. read more Heatwaves across the Northern Hemisphere in June - from Europe to the United States - highlight "exactly what our review paper shows … the frequency of heatwaves has gone up so much," Otto said.RAINFALL AND FLOODINGLast week, China saw extensive flooding, following heavy rains. At the same time, Bangladesh was hit with a flood-triggering deluge. read more Overall, episodes of heavy rainfall are becoming more common and more intense. That's because warmer air holds more moisture, so storm clouds are "heavier" before they eventually break.Still, the impact varies by region, with some areas not receiving enough rain, the study said.DROUGHTScientists have a harder time figuring out how climate change affects drought.Some regions have suffered ongoing dryness. Warmer temperatures in the U.S. West, for example, are melting the snowpack faster and driving evaporation, the study said.And while East African droughts have yet to be linked directly to climate change, scientists say the decline in the spring rainy season is tied to warmer waters in the Indian Ocean. This causes rains to fall rapidly over the ocean before reaching the Horn. read more WILDFIREHeatwaves and drought conditions are also worsening wildfires, particularly megafires - those that burn more than 100,000 acres.Fire raged across the U.S. state of New Mexico in April, after a controlled burn set under "much drier conditions than recognized" got out of control, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fires burned 341,000 acres. read more TROPICAL CYCLONESOn a global scale, the frequency of storms hasn't increased. However, cyclones are now more common in the central Pacific and North Atlantic, and less so in the Bay of Bengal, western North Pacific and southern Indian Ocean, the study said.There is also evidence that tropical storms are becoming more intense and even stalling overland, where they can deliver more rain on a single area.So while climate change might not have made Cyclone Batsirai any more likely to have formed in February, it probably made it more intense, capable of destroying more than 120,000 homes when it hit Madagascar. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Gloria Dickie; Editing by Katy Daigle and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
As searing Texas heat drives power demand to record highs, the state’s grid operator is ordering plants to run at a historic pace, often forcing them to put off maintenance to keep cranking out electricity. That’s helped keep the lights on, for now, but the short-term focus is putting even more stress on a system that’s already stretched near the limit.Twice in the past week, officials have called on Texans to limit electricity use during scorching afternoons as demand inched perilously close to overwhelming supply. Now, there are growing concerns over how long power plants can maintain the grueling pace as they run nonstop, according to Michele Richmond, executive director of Texas Competitive Power Advocates, a generator industry group.“Things are going to break,” she said. “We have an aging fleet that’s being run harder than it’s ever been run.”To meet the surge in power demand, ERCOT, the grid operator, is leaning heavily on a mechanism called reliability unit commitments to ensure there’s enough supply. Plants are being regularly ordered to go into service, or remain in operation, and skip any scheduled maintenance. The measure also overrides shutdowns for economic factors or any other issues. And ERCOT is using the rule more than ever before as the state battles bout after bout of extreme weather.The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, as the operator is formally known, called for 2,890 hours of RUCs system-wide in the first half of this year. That’s more than triple the 801 hours in the first half of 2021, according to data from ERCOT’s independent market monitor provided by Richmond. For all of 2020, there were 224 RUC hours.The problem is that deferring repairs now will likely come back to haunt power-plant owners, Richmond said.“If you put off preventative maintenance because it’s needed for reliability, it increases the chances you’ll need a more comprehensive outage” later on as plants start to malfunction, she said.The situation underscores that the Texas grid is relying on short-term solutions for what’s poised to be a long-term problem. The state is contending with a population boom that’s driven demand higher. Crypto mining has also taken off in the past year, bringing with it the industry’s power-intensive operations. Meanwhile climate change has made extreme weather events that drive up electricity use more likely to occur and more severe - creating situations like a deadly February 2021 freeze that caused blackouts across the state.Brad Jones, ERCOT’s interim chief executive officer, is aware he’s walking a fine line. On one hand, there have been six times in the past year that using RUCs have enabled the operator to avoid declaring grid emergencies. Or as Peter Lake, chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, said at a June 22 hearing: Six times when the grid otherwise would’ve been “on the brink of rolling blackouts.”However, Jones says he knows that forcing plants to stay in service is raising the risk of breakdowns. For example, a key concern at this time of year is boiler-tube leaks, especially at older plants. These leaks don’t always mean a plant must shut down immediately, but if they’re not closely monitored they can lead to bigger, more costly repairs.“Typically, a generator can run for a while with the water leaking,” Jones said in an interview. “The question is, how long is that.”The grid operator is in constant contact with generators and works to give them time to make needed repairs when conditions allow, Jones said. Ultimately, the state needs more power plants, and regulators are working on ways to make that happen, he said.ERCOT and other operators are facing dual challenges, said Michael Webber, an energy-resources professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Most companies schedule maintenance during the spring and fall, when the weather is mild and power use is typically lower.But climate change means these windows of temperate weather are getting shorter. This year, for instance, an early May heat wave forced some generators to skip tune-ups. And periods of high heat are also lasting longer, putting more stress on power plants that are running all-out for weeks at a time.Maintenance for power plants - especially older ones - can be time consuming and complicated, said Webber, who also serves as chief technology officer of Energy Impact Partners, a clean tech venture fund“You kind of have to dismantle the plant,” he said. “It’s not something you can do in a couple of hours.”All of this is exacerbated by the state’s aging fleet. The average age of coal-powered plants in Texas is about 50 years, and natural-gas plants average about 30 years.“It’s kind of like humans - we need to rest and recover,” Webber said. “If we run full speed for a long time, we can collapse.”Will Wade, Mark Chediak and Naureen Malik, Bloomberg | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The risk of fires from tinderbox dry conditions across parts of England and Wales has been raised to "exceptional" - the highest it can be - as a four-day amber weather warning comes into force.The top level on the Fire Severity Index applies to much of southern England, and reaches as far west as Abergavenny in Wales, for this coming Sunday.
The Met Office has issued an amber heat warning running between Thursday and Sunday, which could see temperatures peak at 36C across this stretch.South East, Southern and Welsh Water have all announced hosepipe bans for customers in areas they supply.And Thames Water has signalled it will also introduce a ban in the coming weeks as the hot, parched summer continues to take its toll. There have also been repeated warnings about the impact on agriculture, rivers and wildlife. Image: Fire Severity index is set to peak on Sunday Pic: Met Office Read more: What are the rules on hosepipe bans, what are the exemptions and what do they mean? More on Extreme Weather Hosepipe bans: What are the rules, what are the exemptions and what do they mean? Hundreds stranded in Death Valley after record rainfall triggers flash floods People told to grass on neighbours who flout hosepipe ban Amber warning, what to expect: Adverse health effects are likely to be experienced by those vulnerable to extreme heat The wider population is likely to experience some adverse health effects including sunburn or heat exhaustion (dehydration, nausea, fatigue) and other heat related illnesses Some changes in working practices and daily routines, likely to be required An increased chance that some heat-sensitive systems and equipment may fail More people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes, rivers and other beauty spots, leading to an increased risk of water safety and fire-related incidents Some delays to road, rail and air travel are possible, with potential for welfare issues for those who experience prolonged delays Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said: "The risk (of fires) is very high across much of central, southern and eastern England."Going into Friday and the weekend, it starts to increase further, going into the highest category of exceptional risk." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player The UK braces for the next stifling few days Worst summer for fires in three decadesMark Hardingham, the chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council, told The Telegraph he "can't remember a summer like this" in his entire 32-year career.He said: "We're not going to see temperatures as hot as we saw three weeks ago, but that doesn't matter because the ground couldn't get any drier than it already is." SHARE WITH SKY NEWS You can share your story, pictures or video with us using our app, private messaging or email. :: Your Report on Sky News apps :: WhatsApp :: Email By sending us your video footage/ photographs/ audio you agree we can broadcast, publish and edit the material. There is also a heat health alert in place from the UK Health Security Agency, with experts advising people to look out for those who are older or with existing health conditions, as well as young children.The latest analysis from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology has warned low or even exceptionally low river flows and groundwater levels are likely to continue for the next three months in southern England and Wales. Image: A man stands in the basin of Grafham Water near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, where water is severely receding Rain relief?But, Mr Petagna said rain could be on the horizon early next week."There are signs that we could get some rain next week, but details at the moment are uncertain," he said.He added the UK needs "a few weeks" of light rain to water the ground."What we really need is a few weeks of light rain to soak into the ground," he said."Thunderstorms are more likely to cause some flooding issues because the ground is hard, the water can't sink in." | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
By Helen BriggsEnvironment correspondentImage source, Getty ImagesFrom all the pictures of parched fields, dusty soil and dried-up reservoirs, it might appear obvious there's a drought.But from a scientific point of view, it's more complicated than that.There's no one definition of drought - it's different depending on whether you look at weather, agriculture or water flow in rivers and streams.And when it comes to declaring an "official" drought, government agencies look at how the long dry spell is affecting food production, water supplies and the environment. That includes how much rivers and streams are shrinking, which puts wildlife and water supplies at risk. They also look at threats to crops and livestock if fields are turned into dust bowls.How water supply is affectedOne big indicator for drought is hydrology - the flow of water through rivers and the state of the water stored underground in permeable rocks beneath the soil.These are crucial for supplying the drinking water that reaches our taps. Rivers are running at exceptionally low levels in much of southern England and Wales, including the River Yscir, Colne and Wye. There are reports of streams drying up and rivers shifting downstream. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The source of the River Thames has dried-up and moved 5 miles downstreamThe amount of water stored in aquifers - the layer of spongy rock that soaks up water - is below normal for this time of the year.Reservoirs are also running empty. At the end of July reservoirs were at their lowest levels in England and Wales since records began in 1990, according to the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Reservoir levels are running low as water use soars during the hot summerA north-south divideBut it should be noted that there's something of a north-south divide. Because of the UK's geological make-up and the influence of weather patterns, some parts of northern England and Scotland are escaping the worst of the parched conditions. Rivers in the north are generally at higher levels and also respond much more quickly when rain falls.That said, the drought in much of southern England and parts of Wales is likely to persist for some time. Even if it does rain, it'll take a long time for river levels to fill up enough to return to normal flows.How drought affects food and wildlifeExperts warn the extreme weather will likely lead to smaller harvests, which will make the food we buy in the supermarkets even more expensive.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Farmers say the soil is too dry for seeds to germinateScientists will be monitoring the impacts of the drought on wildlife. As water courses dry up or run low, habitats for fish and invertebrates start to shrink, with knock-on effects for animals higher up the food chain.And pollutants in rivers become more concentrated, amplifying their impact on wildlife.How climate is linked to droughtExperts will also be looking at the wider question of the links between heatwaves, drought and climate change.The UK has experienced regular periods of drought in the past, including the last official drought in 2018-19. And to a certain extent, drought is normal and part of natural weather cycles across the world.But dry conditions are also expected to become more frequent and intense as Earth moves beyond the 1.2°C of climate change we have seen to date.The ten warmest years on record in the UK have occurred in the 21st century, with data stretching back to 1884.Climate scientists say that the UK's extreme heat in July would have been "almost impossible" without human-induced climate change.July was the driest in England since 1935, with many areas seeing far less rainfall than average. The latest set of simulations for the UK project hotter and drier summers, plus warmer and wetter winters, with larger changes in summer compared to winter rainfall.That means water companies and farmers will have to plan how to harvest and store rain in winter to address shortages in the summer.Follow Helen on Twitter @hbriggs. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Hundreds of people remain unaccounted for following the catastrophic flash flooding which hit the US state of Kentucky last week. Governor Andy Beshear made the announcement as he revealed that the number of people known to have died has risen to 35.
"We've now lost 35 people and there's flooding there again right now. This is not right. I was at a breaking point the other night because that happens to all of us. It's okay not to be okay," he said at a news conference. Commenting on the hundreds who are missing, he wouldn't be drawn on whether they are presumed dead or may be found alive."We just don't have a firm grasp on that. I wish we did -- there are a lot of reasons why it's nearly impossible," he said. "But I want to make sure we're not giving either false hope or faulty information."
The rural landscape of creeks and valleys has made access to remote communities extremely difficult. More on Kentucky Memories and lives swept away as aftermath of Kentucky floods revealed In the small city of Hazard, the debris of destroyed homes shows just how powerful flash floods were Kentucky floods: Four children among at least 25 dead in 'devastating' series of storms Roads have been damaged and bridges are down. Communications have also been cut, making it impossible to contact people caught up in the flooding.The receding waters have allowed rescuers to travel down creeks by boat and recover bodies.The governor made his comments while visiting another part of the state hit by extreme weather seven months ago.Mayfield, Kentucky, was devastated by a series of record-breaking unseasonal tornadoes which swept across the Midwest in December.The community of Mayfield is still rebuilding, and Mr Beshear revealed the astonishing cost of the reconstruction. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 'This flood has taken everything' "Based on our estimates of US or Federal, state and Red Cross disaster assistance, we spent $193.4bn into the areas hit by the tornadoes," he said."So I know we're going to need a lot more. But I don't think we have ever seen anything like that."Read more:Memories and lives swept away as aftermath of Kentucky floods revealed - eyewitness On Sunday, Mr Beshear, a Democratic Party governor of a state that is bitterly politically divided, told Sky News that he worried nothing could withstand such extreme weather."Whether it was a tornado or this flood, it's gonna be hard to build infrastructure that withstands it," he said. Podcast Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and SpreakerOn climate change, global warming and the human impact on the planet, he said now was not the time for a wider debate."Listen, I believe in climate change, I believe it causes more devastating weather. But my job right now is to get families back together, get a roof over their head and make sure they have enough to eat and that's what I'm focused on."Right now, they just want help. They just want to find the relatives, and they don't want their experience to be co-opted in a larger debate." | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Britain isn't built for this heat.Our rail network is only engineered for temperatures up to 30C (86F). Only half our strategic roads are surfaced in heat-resistant material.
And in the five years to 2021, 570,000 homes were constructed in England that are completely unsuited to the high temperatures baked into our future.Heatwaves are already costing us dear.It's not just the lives lost - roughly 2,000 people a year die as a result of the heat. There's an economic cost too.
Read more: Schools close, hospitals cancel appointments and events scrapped as UK braces for record temperatures More on Climate Change French firefighters battle huge forest blaze and pilot dies in crash in Portugal as wildfires rage across Europe Extreme weather: Britain's cities need radical design overhaul - or they will become unliveable UK heatwave: Revealed - the areas of England that are most vulnerable to hotter weather Road repairs following the 2003 heatwave cost £41m; damage and delays on the railways cost another £2.5m.Then factor in the productivity loss.In the summer of 2010, five million staff days were lost to high temperatures, with a £770m hit to businesses and the public sector. In today's money that's almost £1bn.Find out the five-day forecast for where you live Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player What is the urban heat island effect? The temperatures we're enduring now would be unremarkable in some countries.But they've designed their towns and cities to cope - think of the shaded squares, window shutters and whitewashed houses of the Mediterranean.It's also been worth their while to invest in heat-tolerant rail-tracks, more resilient power grids and road surfaces that don't melt.Britain is now going to have to do the same.The London of 2050 is expected to have the climate that Barcelona has today. By the end of the century temperatures will top 40C (104F) every decade or so under current predictions of future greenhouse gas emissions.It would mean an expensive national retrofit. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player The shipping container fighting climate change Network Rail has already begun painting tracks white in the hope of reflecting some of the sun's energy. But more expensive engineering may also be needed.Our houses and workplaces will need much better shading and ventilation to stop people overheating.And town planners will have to set aside more tree-shaded greenspaces to provide natural air conditioning.Lifestyle and behaviour change would also help. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Why is retrofitting so important? We need to learn to live as they do in hot countries. Be active early or late and stay in the shade during the furnace of the day. People who've grown up in the heat take it seriously.Noel Coward said only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.As one physiologist put it to me, in future it should only be the dogs.Watch the Daily Climate Show at 3.30pm Monday to Friday, and The Climate Show with Tom Heap on Saturday and Sunday at 3.30pm and 7.30pm.All on Sky News, on the Sky News website and app, on YouTube and Twitter.The show investigates how global warming is changing our landscape and highlights solutions to the crisis. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Climate scientists have expressed shock at the UK’s smashed temperature record, with the heat soaring above 40C for the first time on Tuesday.Researchers are also increasingly concerned that extreme heatwaves in Europe are occurring more rapidly than models had suggested, indicating that the climate crisis on the continent may be even worse than feared.Temperature records are usually broken by fractions of a degree, but the 40.2C recorded at Heathrow is 1.5C higher than the previous record of 38.7C recorded in 2019 in Cambridge.About two thousand heatwave deaths a year have occurred on average in the UK over the last decade, as well as widespread disruption to work, schools and travel. Scientists said the new record showed that slashing carbon emissions, and rapidly upgrading the UK’s overheating homes and buildings, was now more urgent than ever.Prof Peter Stott, at the Met Office, said: “I find it shocking that we’ve reached these temperatures today in 2022, smashing the previous record set only in 2019.”Primary school children keep cool. Photograph: TwitterHis research in 2020 showed there was a chance of the UK hitting 40C due to global heating. “But we calculated it as a relatively low likelihood – a roughly one in a hundred chance – albeit that those chances are increasing rapidly all the time with continued warming,” Stott told the Guardian. “Breaking 40C today is very worrying; we’ve never seen anything like this in the UK and it could be that the risk of such extreme heat is even greater than our previous calculation showed.”The risk was certainly rising rapidly, said Dr Nikos Christidis, who also worked on the 2020 study: “The main message is that this event is becoming more and more common and by the end of the century it will no longer be an extreme.”The role of human-caused global heating appears clear, as the scientists estimated that chances of breaking 40C in the UK without it would be less than 0.1%. “40C would have been extremely unlikely or virtually impossible without human-caused climate change,” said Dr Friederike Otto at Imperial College London. “While still rare, 40C is now a reality of British summers.”“Climate change is driving this heatwave, just as it is driving every heatwave now,” she said. “Greenhouse gas emissions, from burning fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil, are making heatwaves hotter, longer-lasting and more frequent.”Prof Hannah Cloke, at the University of Reading, said: “The all-time temperature record for the UK has not just been broken, it has been absolutely obliterated.“Even as a climate scientist who studies this stuff, this is scary.”“I wasn’t expecting to see this [40C] in my career,” said Prof Stephen Belcher, at the Met Office.Climate scientists are concerned that the rise in extreme weather may be occurring faster than expected. “In Europe, climate models do underestimate the change in heat extremes compared to observations,” said Otto. “There are still problems with climate models that we don’t quite understand yet.”Prof Michael Mann, at Pennsylvania State University in the US, said his research suggested that climate models failed to adequately link many extreme summer weather events to climate change.“This is because of processes that are not well-captured in the models but are playing out in the real word – eg the impact of warming on the behaviour of the summer jet stream that gives us many of the extreme heat waves, floods, droughts, wildfires we’re seeing,” he said. “It suggests that models, if anything, are underestimating the potential for future increases in various types of extreme events.”Tourists in south-western France on Monday look at the plume of dark smoke over the Dune of Pilat due to a wildfire. Photograph: Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty ImagesThere were explanations for “crazy heat” extremes happening after only just over 1C of global average warming, said Prof Stefan Rahmstorf, at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. First, land is heating much faster than the oceans, which cover 70% of the planet and dominate the global average.Second, changing weather patterns could deliver greater extremes in temperature, he said. “Europe is a heatwave hotspot, exhibiting upward trends that are three to four times faster compared to the rest of the northern midlatitudes. The reason? Changes in the jet stream.” Third, the slowdown of a key Atlantic Ocean current tends to increase summer heat and drought in Europe.While 40C broke a benchmark in the UK, researchers in continental Europe, which is also in the grip of the heatwave, are now considering 50C. “In France, one cannot rule out 50C being reached in the coming decades,” said Prof Robert Vautard at Sorbonne University. “For France, Spain, and many other countries, the current historical record is within 5 degrees of 50C, and we know such a jump is possible.”Climate action remained vital, said Otto: “Whether [40C in the UK] will become a very common occurrence or remains relatively infrequent is in our hands and is determined by when and at what global mean temperature we reach net zero. Heatwaves will keep getting worse until greenhouse gas emissions are halted.”“It is also in our hands whether every future heatwave will continue to be extremely deadly and disruptive,” she said. “We have the agency to make us less vulnerable and redesign our cities, homes, schools and hospitals and educate us on how to keep safe.” | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
With communities around the country suffering from extreme temperatures, just months after some of those same locations saw unbearable cold snaps, some state leaders are taking the initiative with proposals to help people navigate the consequences of climate change.In California, state leaders have been pushing a legislative package that they say plans around the new normal of consistent 100-degree weather. Proposals like an extreme heat ranking system, similar to ones used in hurricanes, mandate cooling during high heat days and the creation of a chief heat officer are crucial for the wellbeing of residents, according to the bills' supporters."We cannot wait for the federal government to do something," state Assemblywoman Luz Rivas, who co-introduced the bills, told ABC News. "People are dying of extreme heat every day."Environmental experts agreed and said that more states and localities need to focus on extreme weather policies that are tailor made for their regions and do so soon."We don't have any national adaption plan and as far as I know there is no talk about it," Sarah Pralle, an associate professor of political science at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University who specializes in environmental policy, told ABC News. "That's going to hurt us as more and more states experience these climate induced disasters."A woman pours water on her face to cool off in a fountain in Domino Park, Brooklyn with the Manhattan skyline in the background as the sun sets during a heat wave in the Brooklyn borough of New York, July 24, 2022.Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty ImagesCalifornia legislators work to beat the heatIn May, the California state Assembly passed a series of bills that provide safeguards and protections for residents during high heatwaves, and are currently awaiting hearings in the state senate.Under Rivas' extreme heat ranking bill, the state's Environmental Protection Agency would issue alerts with either a letter, number or color indicator that would warn a specific community about the heat threats to their area.The assemblywoman noted that different parts of the state experience worse effects from heat waves, such as communities closer to the desert that are experiencing drought or neighborhoods that are higher risk for wildfires, and need different disaster preparations."The alert would provide recommendations to people with adequate time and how to compare and when it's best to remain indoors," Rivas said.If passed, the warning system would make California the first state in the nation to have an extreme heat alert system, according to the assemblywoman.The sun sinks behind a smoky sky and burned forest at the Oak Fire on near Mariposa, Calif.,July 24, 2022.David Mcnew/AFP via Getty ImagesRivas said her heat related bill would create a chief heat officer, an extreme heat advisory council and interagency heat task force under the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. That officer and agencies would be tasked with preparing local governments with short- and long-term efforts to safeguard people from the heat and would provide grants for projects such as cooling centers in rural areas.Rivas noted that several cities around the world, such as Athens and Miami, have recently created chief heat officer roles to streamline the process for getting mitigation efforts done and to have a dedicated staff focused on the high heat."In California we have multiple programs that can be spread over many agencies, but the idea of having this centralized position and office is crucial," the assemblywoman said. "I think our local governments need the support from a statewide officer."Other approved heat related bills that are making their way through the state include assembly bill 2243 that would get a "ultraheat heat standard" for people working outdoors and require access to cool water and frequent rest periods, and assembly bill 2597 which would change building codes to require "safe maximum indoor air temperature" in newly constructed and existing dwelling units.A good start that others can followEnvironmental experts tell ABC News that California's bills could inspire other states and even the federal government to adopt similar measures.Pralle said that the bill to create an extreme heat office will be beneficial, if approved, because it would keep the momentum for solutions to heat related problems consistent."The problem with disaster policy is there is a lot of attention during and after the disaster, we move onto different things," she said. "The bad news about climate change is that these disasters keep happening so the conversations about policy have to keep going. So having an office whose job is to stay focused on this problem is a good thing."Daniel Kammen, a professor of energy at the University of California, Berkeley, who has advised lawmakers in state legislators across the country on policies, told ABC News that it is difficult to gauge the success of environmental policies because of the rapidly worsening climate change effects."All of these adaption strategies are hard to do, because you're spending money today and you're not getting credit or results until years later," he told ABC News. "Even climate scientists don't understand the number of disruptions that are coming and how much we have to adapt."Charles Clark pours cold water on himself after practicing his boxing during a heat advisory due to scorching weather in Dallas, Texas, July 12, 2022.Shelby Tauber/ReutersBut when one state comes up with successful programs, Kammen said others are quick to follow suit. He cited California's 2018 adoption of the zero carbon emissions as an example.The executive order mandated state agencies to meet a goal of 100% carbon free electricity by 2045 and called on various state agencies to work on proposals to achieve the goal.As of today, 20 other states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have adapted similar zero carbon goals, according to the Clean Energy States Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of state energy organizations."State actions are invariably the way we test drive policies," Kammen said.Kammen said the latest California heat policies would be beneficial to other parts of the region, even those with completely different environments. He emphasized that the bills aimed at identifying which populations are most vulnerable to extreme heat is a topic that every state is dealing with."We need to be able to protect the most vulnerable. Those local and state efforts that invest in cooling are critical," he said.Kammen said other states have considered similar bills in the past for requiring workplace and housing safety during high heat and extreme cold weather, including New York. Policy makers will be keeping tabs on the progress of California's bill and take any successful components that will apply to their states' vulnerable neighborhoods, he predicted.A worker snowplows sidewalks at after major Pacific storm dumps a foot of in snow in Yosemite Valley and 8-10 feet of powder in the higher elevations of the Park and along the Sierra Nevada crest in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Dec. 16, 2021.George Rose/Getty Images, FILEKammen added that even states that haven't made past investments or policies in combatting extreme weather are now facing the reality of climate change and taking legislative action.He noted that Texas's energy company began rolling out funding and proposals to improve its energy efficiency with new energy storage units which can provide clean fuel during outages after the stage was rocked by the cold winter storms in 2021."Texas to this day actually has the most energy storage that is now scheduled to be built. There are more energy storage projects in the build queue than the rest of the country combined," Kammen said.More work neededPralle said the California bills and other state initiatives are a good start to mitigating extreme temperatures but emphasized that those actions alone won't be enough to help people.She said many of the proposals issued by states call for more studies and aren't changing the laws fast enough to deal with the problem."There are lot of good ideas out there, but my concern is that they're not regulatory enough," she said.Long icicles hang from a house where nearly a foot of snow fell over the weekend, Dec. 27, 2021, in Bellingham, Wash.Elaine Thompson/AP, FILEPralle also emphasized that while hyperlocal environmental policies help to remedy communities specific extreme heat problems, they also come with hinderances. For example, state environmental policies may conflict with ones issued at the national level and lead to confusion among local officials."Having some innovation and ideas and having people do different things isn't a bad thing," she said. "However there comes a time when you have a patchwork of programs and that can be confusing."Pralle said that the best outcome for a state specific climate policy would be one that is successful enough to prompt the federal government to copy and implement nationally.She contended that it's going to take the entire country has to band together and move quickly, and any small step from local governments works."A national approach is better, but it's been difficult to get that done. States do need to step in," she said. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comJuly 29 (Reuters) - The death toll in eastern Kentucky rose to 16 on Friday as floodwaters swept through homes, washed out roads and pushed waterways over their banks, Governor Andy Beshear said, warning that more fatalities were expected.The National Guard and the State Police used helicopters and boats to rescue dozens of people from homes and vehicles in Kentucky's eastern coal-mining region. Video footage from local media showed floodwaters reaching the roofs of houses and turning roads into rivers."This isn't over. While we're doing search and rescue, there are still real dangers out there. The water hasn't crested in some areas and won't until tomorrow," Beshear said during a morning news conference. "We get through this and we will get through this together."Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comClimate change is making extreme rainfalls and inland flooding more likely in many parts of the United States, climatologists say. Warmer air temperatures, driven in part of greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere, has created more extreme weather patterns such as the system that has inundated Kentucky this week, they say.In Garrett, Kentucky, a coal-mining town about 125 miles (201 km) east of Lexington, brown floodwaters swirled through a commercial street and backed up against storefronts, video clips showed. Rescue boats carried people wearing life jackets along the submerged street, past the tops of vehicles poking through the high water."Everything is gone," Garrett resident Rachel Patton told WCHS-TV as she cried. “We had to swim out and it was cold. It was over my head. It was scary."At least 300 people in Kentucky have been reported rescued by emergency crews, Beshear said. That number will likely climb, he said, considering that more than 100 people alone have been saved in National Guard airlifts.Authorities went door-to-door on Thursday in a low-lying area in Jackson, Kentucky, a town of 2,200 people, ordering them to evacuate after inspectors noticed a discharge from the nearby Panbowl Lake Dam."Late last night and early this morning, we thought that a real breach was imminent; we are hoping that's not the case. We were actually a little bit more optimistic but still concerned," Beshear said on Friday.A car is submerged in flood waters along Right Beaver Creek, following a day of heavy rain in in Garrett, Kentucky, U.S. July 28, 2022. Pat McDonogh/USA TODAY NETWORK via REUTERSFLOOD WARNINGSOn Friday afternoon, some 22,000 homes and businesses in Kentucky and 2,200 in West Virginia were without power, according to Poweroutage.us.Flood warnings and watches remained in effect throughout the day for the eastern half of the state, as well as northeastern Tennessee and western West Virginia, where more rainfall was expected to swell waterways already well above their flood stages, the National Weather Service said.Rivers across the region were expected to crest on Friday and throughout the weekend, while a risk of more dangerous flash flooding remained possible again throughout the day, the weather service said.As much as a foot of rain (30 cm) has fallen in parts of the region over the last week, according to the service, which forecast another half an inch (1.3 cm) would fall on Friday.President Joe Biden called Beshear on Thursday night to offer federal help, the governor said. On Friday, Biden declared a major disaster in Kentucky, allowing federal funding to be allocated to the state.Also on Thursday, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for six counties in his state, where heavy rains caused flooding that disrupted drinking water systems and blocked roads.In the U.S. West, heavy rains battered Las Vegas, where floodwater washed over streets and rushed onto several casino floors and into parking garages along the famed Las Vegas Strip, video posted on local media and social media showed.At Circa Casino, workers tried to sweep the water away from the flooded floor, while at Planet Hollywood, water rained down on a casino table from what appeared to be a hole in the ceiling.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Frank McGurtyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Deaths from widespread flooding in Pakistan topped 1,000 since mid-June, officials said Sunday, as the country’s climate minister called the deadly monsoon season “a serious climate catastrophe.”Flash flooding from the heavy rains has washed away villages and crops as soldiers and rescue workers evacuated stranded residents to the safety of relief camps and provided food to thousands of displaced Pakistanis.Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority reported the death toll since the monsoon season began earlier than normal this year — in mid- June — reached 1,033 people after new fatalities were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern Sindh provinces.Sherry Rehman, a Pakistani senator and the country's top climate official, said in a video posted on Twitter that Pakistan is experiencing a “serious climate catastrophe, one of the hardest in the decade.”“We are at the moment at the ground zero of the front line of extreme weather events, in an unrelenting cascade of heatwaves, forest fires, flash floods, multiple glacial lake outbursts, flood events and now the monster monsoon of the decade is wreaking non-stop havoc throughout the country," she said. The on-camera statement was retweeted by the country’s ambassador to the European Union.Flooding from the Swat River overnight affected northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where tens of thousands of people — especially in the Charsadda and Nowshehra districts — have been evacuated from their homes to relief camps set up in government buildings. Many have also taken shelter on roadsides, said Kamran Bangash, a spokesperson for the provincial government.Bangash said some 180,000 people have been evacuated from Charsadda and 150,000 from Nowshehra district villages.Khaista Rehman, 55, no relation to the climate minister, took shelter with his wife and three children on the side of the Islamabad-Peshawar highway after his home in Charsadda was submerged overnight.“Thank God we are safe now on this road quite high from the flooded area," he said. "Our crops are gone and our home is destroyed but I am grateful to Allah that we are alive and I will restart life with my sons.”The unprecedented monsoon season has affected all four of the country's provinces. Nearly 300,000 homes have been destroyed, numerous roads rendered impassable and electricity outages have been widespread, affecting millions of people.Pope Francis on Sunday said he wanted to assure his “closeness to the populations of Pakistan struck by flooding of disastrous proportions.’’ Speaking during a pilgrimage to the Italian town of L’Aquila, which was hit by a deadly earthquake in 2009, Francis said he was praying “for the many victims, for the injured and the evacuated, and so that international solidarity will be prompt and generous.”Rehman told Turkish news outlet TRT World that by the time the rains recede, "we could well have one fourth or one third of Pakistan under water.”“This is something that is a global crisis and of course we will need better planning and sustainable development on the ground. ... We’ll need to have climate resilient crops as well as structures,” she said.In May, Rehman told BBC Newshour that both the country’s north and south were witnessing extreme weather events because of rising temperatures. “So in north actually just now we are ... experiencing what is known as glacial lake outburst floods which we have many of because Pakistan is home to the highest number of glaciers outside the polar region."The government has deployed soldiers to help civilian authorities in rescue and relief operations across the country. The Pakistani army also said in a statement it airlifted a 22 tourists trapped in a valley in the country's north to safety.Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif visited flooding victims in city of Jafferabad in Baluchistan. He vowed the government would provide housing to all those who lost their homes.___Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, and Frances D’Emilio in Rome contributed. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
London Fire Brigade has 'never seen anything like the sheer scale of yesterday's wildfires' London Fire Brigade's assistant commissioner says he has not seen anything like the fires that unfolded yesterday in terms of the "sheer scale across the whole of London".Speaking in Wennington where a significant fire broke out in yesterday’s heatwave, Jonathan Smith said: "We've never asked firefighters to operate in 40C heat before outside of dealing with a fire inside a building."To have 15 significant fires requiring multiple pumping appliances, sometimes over 100 firefighters needing to be deployed…Those are incidents that we would normally expect to see one or two of at any one time."He added tackling yesterday's wildfires "on top of all the other incidents that we were dealing with is something I've never seen in my 23-year career."The London Fire Brigade are considering how to prepare for incidents of this scale in the future as "climate change is going to continue to pose challenges for us". Hertfordshire steps down major incident The major incident declared in Hertfordshire yesterday has been stepped down. Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service earlier said the number of incidents had doubled against usual figures during the extreme heat. Crews attended more than 240 emergency incidents yesterday alone. East London flat fire under control as residents describe 'real inferno' Some good news to bring you - a fire at a block of flats in North Woolwich, east London, is now under control.There have been no reports of injuries and all people are accounted for. Pete Sanders, press liaison officer for the London Fire Brigade, said a large number of possessions in the flat are making it "very challenging for crews to completely get the fire out", although he said it is under control.He added there will be a "thorough investigation" to find out the cause of the fire. Rolly Apao, 45, who lives a few metres from the block of flats, described the scene as a "real inferno". He said he was "scared" but confirmed the fire appears to be out now. "I noticed the fire because of the thick smoke," he said. "When the fire started our neighbours were also curious and we saw peoples outside the burning building, the smoke was on the top floor."It looked like a real inferno... but I am glad as well because firefighters were able to tackle the fire quickly. [I was] scared, but I have to pay attention of my surroundings for my safety."We just had the heatwave yesterday which we (have had) to deal with mentally and physically.. the heat is too much to bear." Aerial images of Norfolk fires These striking images reveal the scale of huge fires in Norfolk yesterday. The blazes destroyed homes and led to a major incident yesterday, with more than 100 incidents reported. It is believed five homes were destroyed in Brancaster Staithe, while people were also evacuated from buildings in Poringland and Ashill. Why France is cutting down trees to save a forest It seems counterintuitive cutting down trees to save a forest, but that's exactly what's happening in France, writes our Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins.Crews tackling two massive fires in la Gironde have been clearing huge strips of land to create fire breaks.Teams with chainsaws cut down trees and clear bush to leave a gap the width of a motorway between both sides of the forest.The hope is if the flames were to reach one side it would be harder for sparks to jump across the divide and spread the fire further.It also acts to protect properties in the area. It's not bulletproof - some fires have jumped 400 metres - but it's a quick way of trying to deny these blazes fuel. What to expect this weekend weatherwise If you've got plans this weekend and you're wondering whether there will be more extreme weather, you'll be pleased to know the worst of the heat is over for now.Dan Suri, Met Office chief forecaster, said we can "look forward to more typical conditions" now. Moister air from the Atlantic is triggering the risk of thunderstorms and heavy showers for parts of the UK today, but things should be better by the weekend. "There's a further risk of thunderstorms on Friday but by the weekend it'll turn drier, brighter and increasingly warm in the south and east of England," Mr Suri said."Northern and western parts of the UK are set to experience relatively fresher conditions as it turns breezier and wetter here over the weekend." Another fire has broken out near site of huge blaze in Wennington A waste fire is burning just three miles from where a large blaze broke out in Wennington yesterday.A road has been completely closed off and thick black smoke is filling the air. In images: Wildfires across Europe today As the UK faces extreme weather conditions, wildfires have also swept across Europe as blazes continue burning in Italy, Greece, Spain and France. 22-year-old woman arrested after protest on M25 A woman has been arrested after a protest by Just Stop Oil caused nine-mile tailbacks. Protesters climbed on motorway signs on the M25 and caused disruption to call for more action on climate change from the government. Surrey Police said the female protester was seen sitting on top of a gantry over the motorway and three lanes had to be closed so she could be removed. A specialist team had to be used that was trained in dealing with incidents at height. The 22-year-old was arrested on suspicion of causing a danger to road users, causing a public nuisance and being a pedestrian on the motorway.All lanes have since been reopened on the M25. Death of Madrid street sweeper leads to contractors suspending work in heatwaves A 60-year-old street sweeper died in Madrid, Spain, on Saturday after collapsing at work in the extreme heat.Jose Antonio Gonzalez had a body temperature close to 42C and died from heat stroke in hospital, emergency services said. His son, Miguel Angel Gonzalez, told El Pais newspaper that his father was hoping to have a one-month contract extended and was working that afternoon because he swapped shifts with a colleague."I am convinced that he did not stop cleaning that street until he fainted. He thought his contract was not going to be renewed and he was giving his all to prove himself," he said.The death prompted unions to call for a change in working conditions, and now the unions and contractors have signed an agreement that suspends street sweeping on afternoons where average temperatures go above 39C.Over certain temperatures, the companies must also provide sun cream and caps and use only air conditioned vehicles. However, the agreement came too late for another street sweeper who collapsed with heat stroke yesterday. He remains in hospital in a "very serious" condition. Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Vermont farmer Brian Kemp is used to seeing the pastures at Mountain Meadows Farm grow slower in the hot, late summer, but this year the grass is at a standstill.That's “very nerve-wracking” when you're grazing 600 to 700 cattle, said Kemp, who manages an organic beef farm in Sudbury. He describes the weather lately as inconsistent and impactful, which he attributes to a changing climate.“I don’t think there is any normal anymore," Kemp said.The impacts of climate change have been felt throughout the Northeastern U.S. with rising sea levels, heavy precipitation and storm surges causing flooding and coastal erosion. But this summer has brought another extreme: a severe drought that is making lawns crispy and has farmers begging for steady rain. The heavy, short rainfall brought by the occasional thunderstorm tends to run off, not soak into the ground.Water supplies are low or dry, and many communities are restricting nonessential outdoor water use. Fire departments are combatting more brush fires and crops are growing poorly.Providence, Rhode Island had less than half an inch of rainfall in the third driest July on record, and Boston had six-tenths of an inch in the fourth driest July on record, according to the National Weather Service office in Norton, Massachusetts. Rhode Island's governor issued a statewide drought advisory Tuesday with recommendations to reduce water use. The north end of the Hoppin Hill Reservoir in Massachusetts is dry, forcing local water restrictions.Officials in Maine said drought conditions really began there in 2020, with occasional improvements in areas since. In Auburn, Maine, local firefighters helped a dairy farmer fill a water tank for his cows when his well went too low in late July and temperatures hit 90. About 50 dry wells have been reported to the state since 2021, according to the state's dry well survey.The continuing trend toward drier summers in the Northeast can certainly be attributed to the impact of climate change, since warmer temperatures lead to greater evaporation and drying of soils, climate scientist Michael Mann said. But, he said, the dry weather can be punctuated by extreme rainfall events since a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture — when conditions are conducive to rainfall, there's more of it in short bursts.Mann said there's evidence shown by his research at Penn State University that climate change is leading to a “stuck jet stream” pattern. That means huge meanders of the jet stream, or air current, get stuck in place, locking in extreme weather events that can alternately be associated with extreme heat and drought in one location and extreme rainfall in another, a pattern that has played out this summer with the heat and drought in the Northeast and extreme flooding in parts of the Midwest, Mann added.Most of New England is experiencing drought. The U.S. Drought Monitor issued a new map Thursday that shows areas of eastern Massachusetts outside Cape Cod and much of southern and eastern Rhode Island now in extreme, instead of severe, drought.New England has experienced severe summer droughts before, but experts say it is unusual to have droughts in fairly quick succession since 2016. Massachusetts experienced droughts in 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022, which is very likely due to climate change, said Vandana Rao, director of water policy in Massachusetts.“We hope this is maybe one period of peaking of drought and we get back to many more years of normal precipitation,” she said. "But it could just be the beginning of a longer trend.”Rao and other water experts in New England expect the current drought to last for several more months.“I think we’re probably going to be in this for a while and it’s going to take a lot,” said Ted Diers, assistant director of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services water division. “What we really are hoping for is a wet fall followed by a very snowy winter to really recharge the aquifers and the groundwater.”Rhode Island’s principal forest ranger, Ben Arnold, is worried about the drought extending into the fall. That's when people do more yardwork, burn brush, use fireplaces and spend time in the woods, increasing the risk of forest fires. The fires this summer have been relatively small, but it takes a lot of time and effort to extinguish them because they are burning into the dry ground, Arnold said.Hay farmer Milan Adams said one of the fields he's tilling in Exeter, Rhode Island, is powder a foot down. In prior years it rained in the spring. This year, he said, the dryness started in March, and April was so dry he was nervous about his first cut of hay.“The height of the hay was there, but there was no volume to it. From there, we got a little bit of rain in the beginning of May that kind of shot it up,” he said. “We haven’t seen anything since.”Farmers are fighting more than the drought — inflation is driving up the cost of everything, from diesel and equipment parts to fertilizer and pesticides, Adams added.“It's all through the roof right now," he said. “This is just throwing salt on a wound.”The yield and quality of hay is down in Vermont too, which means there won’t be as much for cows in the winter, said Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts. The state has roughly 600 dairy farms, a $2 billion per year industry. Like Adams, Tebbetts said inflation is driving up prices, which will hurt the farmers who will have to buy feed.Kemp, the president of the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition, is thankful to have supplemental feed from last year, but he knows other farmers who don't have land to put together a reserve and aren't well-stocked. The coalition is trying to help farmers evolve and learn new practices. They added “climate-smart farming” to their mission statement in the spring.“Farming is challenging,” Kemp said, “and it’s becoming even more challenging as climate change takes place.” | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Government officials are warning Britons to brace themselves for the hottest day in the country's history on Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures set to hit a record 106F (40C) and dire government warnings being issued after the Met Office issued an unprecedented 'red alert'. The Met Office has said people's lives could be at risk as it indicated it is likely that a new UK record temperature could be set on Monday and Tuesday.However despite government health officials briefing that there is no public health reason to close schools or offices, a raft of drastic measures and closures are being introduced in schools, in hospitals and there will be severe disruption on trains.Meteorologists gave an 80 per cent chance of the mercury topping the UK's record temperature of 38.7C (101.7F) set in Cambridge in 2019, with the current heatwave set to peak on Tuesday.Temperatures will climb over the weekend, and the Met Office has issued an unprecedented red warning for the south of England on Monday and Tuesday , and an amber warning for heat covering much of England and Wales from Sunday until Tuesday.The Cabinet Office Minister Kit Malthouse is to chair a meeting of the Government's Cobra civil contingencies committee today to discuss the impending heatwave, a Government spokesman said.It will be the second Cobra meeting Mr Malthouse has led on the issue.Thousands of people could die in the searing heat if the proper precautions aren't taken, experts warned ahead of the heatwave.Climate researches have said the country could see as many as 2,000 deaths from just one period of heat. Two lesser heatwaves last year resulted in an estimated 1,600 excess deaths, according to official figures. The 'danger to life' red warning for heat was issued for the first time but Government health officials yesterday insisted there was no reason for schools or workplaces to close.Bosses have also shot down the idea of Britons working from home to protect themselves - but many will face major disruption on their commute, with Network Rail advising passengers to 'only travel if absolutely necessary'.Expected extreme temperatures have prompted Londoners to be urged against travelling on Monday and Tuesday.Transport for London (TfL) is advising passengers to only travel for 'essential journeys'.The firm's chief operating officer Andy Lord said: 'Due to the exceptionally hot weather that is expected next week, customers should only use London's transport network for essential journeys.'If customers do need to travel, they should check before they travel as we are expecting there to be some impact to Tube and rail services as a result of temporary speed restrictions we will need to introduce to keep everyone safe,' he added.'It is also vital that customers always carry water at all times with them when travelling.'Very hot temperatures can affect rails, overhead power lines and signalling equipment, with TfL saying it will work hard to keep as many services running as possible using 'enhanced' inspections to mitigate the impact of the extreme weather.Track temperature checks will continue to be carried out regularly across the Tube and rail networks to ensure they remain safe and that the track is not at risk of bending or buckling, TfL said in a statement.It added it was also inspecting the air conditioning units on the trains that cover 40% of the Tube network, the trains on the Elizabeth Line and London Overground as well as the air cooling units on double-deck buses to ensure they are functioning well.TfL also has response teams standing by on its rail and road network to deal with any issues as they occur, with a particular focus on stalled trains and times, crowding and customer advice. TUESDAY: The Met Office expects temperatures to hit 40C (104F) in London next Tuesday, which would be unprecedented Britain is set to bask in sunshine today with temperatures hitting relatively mild 80F as the country braces for record-breaking heat next week which authorities have warned could be dangerous. Pictured: People in the London heat on Saturday Pictured: Women cool off in front of a large fan in Kings Cross tube station, central London, during the heatwave A matrix sign over the A19 road towards Teesside displays an extreme weather advisory as the UK braces for the heatwave Pictured: Scorched earth at Thrusscross Reservoir in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, with low levels of water in the heat NEXT WEEK: The Met Office has issued this forecast map to accompany the extreme heat warning next Monday and Tuesday What are the potential impacts of extreme heat?RAIL TRAVELThe Met Office says that delays and cancellations to rail travel are possible with 'potential for significant welfare issues for those who experience even moderate delays'. And Network Rail has warned people to travel only if absolutely necessary amid the high temperatures, with speed restrictions and disruption likely.Jake Kelly, Network Rail's System Operator group director, said: 'Rail passengers in England and Wales should only travel if necessary on Monday and Tuesday as there will be delays and cancellations to train services due to the unprecedented heat we're expecting.'The wellbeing of our passengers is our first priority so we're asking all passengers who decide to travel to take time to prepare before leaving the house.'Network Rail has warned that services across the UK may be subject to the speed restrictions to avoid tracks buckling, with Avanti West Coast, South Western Railway and Heathrow Express among the operators warning of potential disruption. West Midlands Trains and London Northwestern Railway have already imposed limits on sections of their network this week.ROADS The Met Office says that delays on roads and road closures are possible during the heat alert period. The RAC has urged motorists to 'think carefully before they drive, and do everything they can to avoid a breakdown'. It says motorists should check the coolant and oil levels under the bonnet when the engine is cold. It added: 'If temperatures were to go as high as around 40C as some are predicting, then people should question their decision to drive in the first place.'Hampshire County Council is preparing to deploy gritters in response to melting roads, saying that the machines will be spreading light dustings of sand which 'acts like a sponge to soak up excess bitumen'.Motorists who find tar stuck to their tyres are advised to wash it off with warm soapy water.AIRPORTSThe Met Office has warned that air travel could also be disruption during the heat. This is because planes can become too heavy to take off in very hot weather due to reduced air density resulting in a lack of lift.This happened during a heatwave in summer 2018 at London City Airport when some passengers had to be removed so the services become light enough to take off on the relatively short runway.UTILITIESThe Met Office has warned that a failure of 'heat-sensitive systems and equipment' is possible. This could result in a loss of power and other essential services, such as water, electricity and gas. Hot weather can lead to high demand on the power network because people are turning on fans and air conditioning - and the heat can also lead to a drop in the efficiency of overhead power cables and transformers.WORKPLACESThe Met Office says that 'changes in working practices and daily routines will be required' in the extreme heat. There is no specific law for a maximum working temperature, or when it is too hot to work.But employers are expected to ensure that in offices or similar environments, the temperature in workplaces must be 'reasonable'. Companies must follow follow health and safety laws which include keeping the temperature at a comfortable level, known as 'thermal comfort'; and providing clean and fresh air.The Trades Union Congress says that during heatwaves staff should be allowed to start work earlier, or stay later, leave jackets and ties in the wardrobe and have regular breaks. It is also calling for an absolute maximum indoor temperature of 30C (86F) - or 27C (81F) for strenuous jobs - to legally indicate when work should stop.HEALTH The Met Office has said that adverse health effects could be 'experienced by all, not just limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to serious illness or danger to life' during the warning period. In addition, charity Asthma and Lung UK has warned up to three million asthma sufferers could be affected by high pollen levels, so should use their inhalers. SCHOOLS Plans to cope with the heat, created by the NHS and UKHSA, say children should not do 'vigorous physical activity' when temperatures rise above 30C (86F).Some sports days have been cancelled this week, while official advice suggests moving school start, end and break times to avoid the hottest points in the day.Ambulance trusts – already struggling to cope with demand – face a further 20 per cent rise in call-outs for heat-related illnesses.NHS chiefs even warned ambulances may catch fire due to the 'build-up of oxygen' as they queue outside hospitals in sweltering heat.Some hospitals have stood down routine outpatient appointments and surgery to reduce the risk to 'frail' patients travelling into hospital – and to free up capacity for extra emergency patients.Health chiefs fear the NHS will be overwhelmed by a number of heat-related casualties if the mercury does indeed rise to levels only usually seen at Death Valley in California, which is the world's hottest place.The chief executive of Milton Keynes University Hospital said routine outpatient appointments and surgery would not go ahead on Monday and Tuesday following the warning over extreme heat.Joe Harrison said on Twitter: 'It has been extremely busy @MKHospital over the past week, with more patients than usual needing emergency care and significant pressure on our staff. As we go into the weekend, temperatures are forecast to rise up to 39C on Monday and Tuesday.'We have taken the decision to stand down routine outpatient appointments and surgery on Monday and Tuesday because many of patients travelling to these appointments are frail and at increased risk, and due to the unpredictable nature of very high temperatures on demand for emergency care and on care environment.'We will do all we can to keep wards and departments as cool as possible, but we know this will be a challenge given the very high outside temperature.' Climate experts have warned that the heatwave could result in thousands of excess deaths next week.Bob Ward, the policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, told the Guardian: 'We could see 1,500 to 2,000 deaths just from this one period of heat.'Prof Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, told the newspaper: 'I think that, assuming the weather forecasts are roughly correct, it's very likely that there will be hundreds or thousands of excess deaths from the heat in the next few days.'It's possible that, because there have been so many warnings about the coming high temperatures, people and businesses will be taking more precautions than usually happen in a heatwave, which could lower the numbers of excess deaths. I hope that happens, but I fear there will still be excess death on quite a scale.'Meanwhile, a number of schools have said they will close at the start of next week while others have altered the times of their school day and told pupils to come in wearing PE kit in a bid to make them more comfortable. Saturday is set to start with overcast skies and scattered showers in northern areas, before turning dry across the nation as the extreme heat moves in.Daytime temperatures on Saturday are predicted to be around 27C in London, 26C in Cardiff, 23C in Belfast and 21C in Edinburgh.On Sunday, the mercury will rise to 30C in the capital, 27C in Cardiff, 24C in Belfast and 23C in Edinburgh.Temperatures are forecast to increase by several more degrees across the nation on Tuesday - up to the mid-thirties for much of England and Wales.There is a 50 per cent chance of temperatures reaching 40C somewhere in the UK, likely along the A1 corridor, with the Met Office issuing its first ever red warning for extreme heat.The UK Health Security Agency has increased its heat health warning from level three to level four - a 'national emergency'.Level four is reached 'when a heatwave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system... At this level, illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups,' it said.A Met Office red warning, for Monday and Tuesday, covers an area from London up to Manchester, and up to the Vale of York.Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: 'If people have vulnerable relatives or neighbours, now is the time to make sure they're putting suitable measures in place to be able to cope with the heat because if the forecast is as we think it will be in the red warning area, then people's lives are at risk.'This is a very serious situation.'A No 10 spokesman said railway speed restrictions may be needed on 'some parts of the network next week to manage the hot weather and to avoid any potential damage'.Jake Kelly, of Network Rail, warned that journeys will take 'significantly longer and delays are likely as speed restrictions are introduced to keep passengers and railway staff safe'. Temperature forecast for the coming heat anomoly which is due to blast Europe with record temperatures on July 18 and 19 Getting away: Passengers queue for ferries at the Port of Dover in Kent during the hot weather on Saturday, July 16 The Met Office indicated it is likely that a new UK record temperature could be set on Monday and Tuesday. Pictured: Dover Pictured: Packed Bournemouth beach as the weather gets better by the day and the temperatures soar this weekend Pictured: People flock to the coast at Bournemouth Beach on Saturday morning before temperatures rocket on Sunday The Cabinet Office Minister Kit Malthouse is to chair a meeting of the Government's Cobra civil contingencies committee to discuss the impending heatwave. Pictured: Families enjoy cooling down in the sea at Bournemouth Beach on Saturday Met Office described incoming heatwave as 'absolutely unprecedented'. Pictured: People enjoying early sun in Bournemouth Record night-time temperatures of more than 25C (77F) in London are also forecast. Pictured: Sunbathers in Bournemouth Saturday is set to start with overcast skies and scattered showers in northern areas. Pictured: A sunbather in Bournemouth Temperatures are forecast to increase by several more degrees across the nation on Tuesday. Pictured: Bournemouth Prepared: Sunbathers at Bournemouth beach get there early to enjoy sunshine on Saturday morning and set up their campTrain operators have warned passengers to avoid travelling on Monday and Tuesday unless their journey is 'absolutely necessary'. NHS faces 'surge' in demand during heatwaveThe NHS is facing a 'surge' in demand from the heatwave, amid warnings extreme temperatures next week could cause death, illness and disruption.An extreme heat warning for much of England and Wales is in place for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures likely to peak in excess of 35C (95F) across southern, central and eastern areas of England.The Met Office warning says the extreme heat could cause health problems across the population, not just among people vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to potential serious illness or danger to life.People are being urged to stay out of the sun in the middle of the day, stay hydrated, look out for vulnerable people, never leave children or pets in a parked car, and keep curtains closed to keep out the sun.Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, urged people to check on older relatives, friends and neighbours to see if they needed anything during the high heat.'Any older person who is already coping with significant health issues, especially if they impact their heart or their lungs, is going to find the coming heatwave a challenge,' she warned.The Cabinet Office minister Kit Malthouse has said the Government is preparing for a 'surge' in demand on the NHS and other services due to the expected heatwave.After chairing a meeting of the Cobra civil contingencies committee in Whitehall, Mr Malthouse urged the public to look out for people who were particularly vulnerable in the heat.'The key thing we can do is prepare the Government services for what may be a surge in demand - not least the health service and elsewhere - but also critically communicate that the first line of defence is actually individual behavioural change,' he told BBC Radio 4's The World At One.'People need to take care, do all the stuff they would do when it is very hot - wear a hat, drink water - but critically also (with) the most vulnerable groups - the elderly, those with cardiovascular problems and the very young - that people look out for them and take care.'The Gatwick Express will not be in service on Monday and Tuesday, while Thameslink and Great Northern will be running a 'significantly reduced service across all routes'.A statement from Thameslink added: 'Trains that do run will be busy and travel is expected to be disrupted with a high chance of incidents that cause cancellations.'Even if you are able to travel in the morning on Monday and Tuesday, you may find there is significant disruption to return journeys in the evening so if you are travelling you should consider alternative ways to get home.'A blanket speed limit is expected to be imposed on all trains across South East England including London, with main line and high-speed services expected be allowed to run at only 60mph on Monday and Tuesday. Avanti West Coast has suspended ticket sales on its London-Glasgow route for Monday and Tuesday 'to minimise the number of people disrupted' while c2c, which runs from Essex to London, is 'advising customers not to travel'. Downing Street has said speed restrictions on rail lines may be required under contingency plans as temperatures soar next week.A No 10 spokesman said discussions with sectors including the NHS will 'continue to work closely with all of those sectors over today, through the weekend and into early next week'.'Specialist teams from Network Rail and TfL (Transport for London) will continue to monitor the impact of high temperatures to try and make sure they can keep services running safely and reliably for customers,' he added.'It may be the case that speed restrictions are likely to be put in place on some parts of the network next week to manage the hot weather and to avoid any potential damage.'DfT (Department for Transport) are engaging with port operators and highways agencies, as well as the police, to make sure plans are in place particularly in places where you may see queuing.'It comes as schools are preparing to send pupils home early or close altogether, scrapping PE lessons and banning children from playing outside in a series of measures being considered as the UK braces for the heat.Some southern schools are also considering closing on these days - and the NEU teaching union issued a statement saying it would support headteachers taking this decision.Downing Street said that Cobra met on Thursday amid the heatwave, and discussions with sectors including the NHS will 'continue to work closely with all of those sectors over today, through the weekend and into early next week'.Meanwhile, motorists have been advised to try to make their journeys outside of the hottest periods of the day, particularly if they have older cars. Poictured: People take to a beach by the river Thames where there is low tide in London, Britain, on Saturday, July 16 Pictured: People out in the warm sunny weather in Potters fields next to Tower Bridge as the heatwave continues in the UK Pictured: People out in the warm sunny weather in Potters fields next to Tower Bridge as the heatwave continues in the UK Expected extreme temperatures have prompted Londoners to be urged against travellin. Pictured: Dunsden, Oxfordshire Pictured: Early morning walkers and runners make the most of shaded woodlands before the temperatures rise in Dunsden Pictured: Cyclists take advantage of the cooler temperatures early on Saturday morning before temperatures heat upNorth Wales Police said a paddleboarder died after getting into difficulty in the water off Conwy Morfa beach on Thursday evening.Officers were called at 10.14pm and attended alongside the coastguard, RNLI and ambulance service, with two casualties taken to hospital in Bangor, where one of them, a 24-year-old woman, died.In Wiltshire, Salisbury Plain caught fire again just 24 hours after an initial fire had been extinguished.The military confirmed that four huge wildfires had been extinguished on Thursday but by last night, the fire was raging again and has now moved to a location where it cannot be tackled.In a statement, the military said: 'The impact area has reignited.'Unfortunately, it seems to be moving deeper into the range which means that we will be unable to tackle it.'It is being monitored to ensure it doesn't make it out of the boundary.'So far, approximately 2,000 acres (800 hectares) have been left severely charred by the fire.In Surrey, those staying at home daring to bare all in the heatwave were warned today to knock on their next-door neighbour's door first and ask if they mind.Surrey Police shared a post about the issue after a row between neighbours in Reigate and said you should let your neighbours know in advance if you plan to sunbathe naked.The law states it's not illegal to strip off in public but it can be a criminal offence if the sight of you parading in the altogether causes 'distress or alarm to others'.The Surrey Police post advised 'If you want to wander around your garden naked and you are overlooked by neighbours then you have to be careful - an Englishman's home is not quite his castle and your garden is not exempt from the law.'In an ideal world, your relationship with your neighbours would be such that they would not object to you gardening in the buff and they would never dream of calling the police.'In the real world, however, you would be well advised to take some simple precautions.'They suggested nude sunbathing in a part of the garden that's screened from view.'You will have to decide whether your desire to be naked in your garden is more important to you than being on friendly terms with those around you.'No-one has the right to spy on you and if you find that your neighbour is leaning out of an upstairs window or standing on the top of a step ladder in order to see you then he or she may well be committing an offence.'British Naturism said: 'There is no law against being naked in public, and so stripping off and enjoying the sun on your skin in your own garden cannot lead to arrest nor can your neighbours make you cover up.'Being neighbourly might mean you tell your neighbours that you plan to sunbathe naked but there is no obligation to do so, so don't hesitate.'Studies have shown that spending time naked is good for you and so we encourage everyone to take advantage of the wonderful weather and celebrate their uniqueness.'The Crown Prosecution Service said: 'In the case of naturism a balance needs to be struck between the naturist's right to freedom of expression and the right of the wider public to be protected from harassment, alarm and distress.''Beautiful, happy go lucky' woman, 24, drowns as emergency services rush to try to rescue her and two other paddleboarders in beach tragedyEmma Louise Powell died at a Welsh beach while paddleboarding on ThursdayThe 24-year-old drowned after she got into difficulty with two of her friendsDevastated family have paid tribute to Emma describing her as 'happy go lucky' By Katie Feehan For Mailonline Published: 02:44 EDT, 16 July 2022 | Updated: 09:50 EDT, 16 July 2022 Advertisement A 'beautiful and happy go lucky' woman who lost her life in a paddleboard tragedy has been named by her heartbroken loved ones.The family of Emma Louise Powell, 24, have told of their devastation after she died, following the incident at Conwy Morfa in North Wales.Emma was one of three paddleboarders who got into difficulties at the beauty spot on Thursday night.A major rescue operation, involving police, the coastguard, ambulance crews, an RNLI crew and the coastguard helicopter, was launched and the three were rescued from the water.Sadly, Emma passed away at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, in the early hours of Friday morning.The Llandudno woman's family have thanked everyone for the messages of support they have received. The family of Emma Louise Powell, 24, (pictured above) have told of their devastation over her death after she got into difficulties while paddleboarding at Conwy Morfa in North Wales Emergency services at the scene of paddleboarding at Conwy Morfa beach incidentIn a post on the GoFundMe site, they wrote: 'We have sadly lost our beloved Emma Louise. Emma was involved in a tragic accident where she sadly drowned at Conwy Morfa beach.'Emma was like no other, everyone who was lucky enough to cross paths with her had no choice but to love her. She was a huge happy go lucky personality.'She was such a vibrant soul with a huge heart, but could also be a stroppy cow when she wanted to be, but that's just our Emma.'We are creating this GoFundMe in hopes that Emma's loved family and friends will help give Emma the big send off she deserves.'With no plans set ahead yet, what we do know is that Emma is going to have the greatest send off that we possibly can do for her, in Emma's words 'Go Big or Go Home'.In a statement released through North Wales Police later they added: 'Emma was a beautiful young lady, who was adventurous and had a free spirit. She will remain in our hearts for the rest of our lives.' Emma (above) was one of three paddleboarders who got into difficulty on Thursday eveningEarlier today a North Wales Police spokesman said: 'We received a call at 10.14pm last night reporting a group of paddleboarders in difficulty in the water off Conwy Morfa.'Officers attended alongside colleagues from HM Coastguard and Welsh Ambulance, who attended to three casualties.'Two of the casualties were taken by ambulance to Ysbyty Gwynedd but sadly, despite the best efforts of all involved, one person passed away in hospital.'The local coroner has been informed, and specialist officers will be supporting the family of the deceased.'A spokeswoman for the coastguard said: 'An extensive search and rescue was carried out after three people got into difficulty at Beacons Jetty, Conwy last night.'Coastguard rescue teams from Bangor and Llandudno were sent, along with Conwy RNLI lifeboat, the coastguard helicopter from Caernarfon, the Welsh Ambulance Service and North Wales Police.'Want to beat the heat? Put your lippy in the fridge, tuck into cold soup, freeze a sock full of rice and sleep in a jumper (really!)By Sarah Rainey for The Daily MailThe heatwave has got us all feeling hot, bothered and craving the most effective ways to keep cool.And while we might think we know all the obvious strategies to staying chilled, it turns out there are still a few scientifically proven tricks to try.From rubbing raw onion on your skin to gargling toothpaste and rolling your tongue, SARAH RAINEY discovers some extraordinary ways to beat the heat . . .WEAR WOOLLIES IN BED Wearing marino wool in bed apparently draws sweat away from your skin, leaving you cooler than sleeping nakedPutting on anything woollen in a heatwave might seem like madness, but Dr Nicolas Berger, senior lecturer in exercise physiology at Teesside University, believes it could hold the secret to staying cool at night.While sleeping in the nude might seem logical during extreme temperatures, scientists say it could make you hotter. As you're not moving much at night, sweat collects on the body and stays there.Dr Berger argues instead for merino wool.'It sounds warm,' he says, 'but it's actually incredibly cooling.'The fine, lightweight fibres in the fabric are layered; the inner layer draws sweat away from the skin and transfers it to the outer layer, where it can evaporate off into the air.RUB ONIONS ON YOUR SKIN Onions can help take heat and sweat away from your skin - and red onions can also help with sunstroke or sunburnThis isn't because stinking of onions is an effective way to repel other people and their unwelcome body heat. Actually, onions have a long-running association with hot weather.'In rural India, they will cut an onion in half and rub the juice on the skin,' explains Oxford professor Russell Foster.Onions contain volatile oils (mainly sulphur-based) which evaporate when exposed to the air. Cutting into the onion exposes the oil — and, if this is then rubbed on the skin, it will help wick heat and sweat from the body and consequently lower your temperature.Red onions also contain a compound called quercetin, which acts as an antihistamine; meaning the juice is effective in treating both sunstroke and sunburn.GARGLE WITH TOOTHPASTE Menthol is also used by top athletes, as it sends a signal to the brain telling it you feel cooler - and it smells much more refreshing than onions!Dr Berger says menthol — from menthol drinks to chewing gum and toothpaste — can make us feel cooler in hot weather.'In extreme heat, athletes swill menthol around their mouths and spit it out,' he explains. 'Anything minty works, like gargling toothpaste and water.'It doesn't change your temperature but it sends a signal to your brain — called a thermal sensation — telling it that you feel colder. It's incredibly refreshing.'You can also apply it topically to the body, he adds but high-concentration menthol (such as Olbas oil) can irritate the skin in the sunshine and smearing yourself in toothpaste doesn't sound appealing. Though it might counter the smell of onions!BAKE BANANA BREAD Not only are bananas made up of 74 per cent water, which keeps you hydrated, they're rich in potassium.Now's the time to revisit those banana bread baking skills you honed during lockdown.Not only are bananas made up of 74 per cent water, which keeps you hydrated, they're rich in potassium.Sweat contains electrolytes, including potassium, so eating banana will help replenish bodily fluids and potassium.Better still, put some poppy seeds in your banana bread. These are packed full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, which have been shown to quench thirst and cool the body.CHILL YOUR MAKE-UPTry chilling the contents of your make-up bag for a heat-proof beauty regime.Much like splashing cold water on your face, cool cosmetics can improve circulation, help reduce redness by shrinking blood vessels and tighten pores (which in turn makes bacteria build-up — and break-outs — less likely).ROLL YOUR TONGUE If you can roll your tongue, then this trick is for you - but if you can't you'll have to forgo this particular tipTongue-rolling originates in yoga and meditation, and advocates say it's like an air conditioner for the head and neck.To try it, curl both sides of your tongue upwards to make a 'U' shape. Stick the end out between pursed lips and inhale slowly through the tube formed by your tongue, as if you were sucking air through a straw. If it helps, pinch your nose. Hold your breath in for a few seconds, close your mouth and exhale slowly through your nose.Do this five to ten times and you'll notice an immediate cooling effect. Although it's not grounded in science, it is a form of what's known as 'nasal breathing' — and a study in the journal Evolutionary Psychology found this to be effective in regulating the temperature of the brain.The downside? Not everyone can roll their tongue.FREEZE A 'RICE SOCK' Unlike ice packs, which can melt very quickly, rice and other grains can hold their temperature for longer once frozenAs the mercury rises, ordinary ice packs simply can't handle the heat and will quickly turn to mush.Instead, try freezing rice or other uncooked grains inside a sock, pair of tights or pillowcase.The rice will hold its temperature for 30-40 minutes. Experts suggest sleeping with one on the back of your neck, or putting a few DIY ice packs between your sheet and mattress to cool the bed.SPRAY ON GREEN TEAForget expensive facial mists: stew a green tea bag in some lukewarm water for a few minutes, transfer it to a spray bottle and spritz it on your face every two to three hours.Green tea contains vitamin E which hydrates and stimulates your circulation: both will st | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Recent natural disasters, ranging from flooding to wildfires, have made clear the effects of climate change in the present moment.As the climate crisis worsens, a massive amount of people may be forced to move from their homes. The international think-tank Institute for Economics & Peace estimates that 1.2 billion people could be displaced globally by 2050.Gaia Vince, a science journalist and author of the recent book “Nomad Century: How Climate Migration Will Reshape Our World,” spoke with ABC News Prime about the argument she makes in her books that nations have to start planning now for future climate refugees, and that there may be silver linings in that process.PRIME: Gaia, thank you so much for joining us tonight.VINCE: Huge pleasure, Mona.PRIME: Your book lays out that rather disturbing scenario that wide swaths of planet Earth will become completely uninhabitable, but it also focuses on solutions. How can we all feel less helpless right now?VINCE: Yeah, we need to look differently at the problem. Migration is inevitable now. I wrote “Nomad Century” because nobody is talking about the huge upheaval that is coming as climate change makes large parts of the world unlivable. People will not be able to adapt in certain places, they will have to move.A firefighting aircraft sprays fire retardant over trees during a wildfire near Belin-Beliet in Gironde, southwestern France, on Aug. 10, 2022.Philippe Lopez/AFP via Getty ImagesBut migration is not the problem. Migration is the solution. If we manage this, if we plan it, we can actually build thriving cities that save people from some of the worst devastation in some of the poorest parts of the world while also solving demographic issues that we have in the wealthier, northern parts of the world. So it actually could be a win-win if we do it properly and if we actually plan.But nobody is talking about this issue, it's very frustrating.PRIME: Apart from being a climate journalist, as a resident of London, you too experienced the effects of climate change firsthand, during this summer's heat waves. Infrastructure began to collapse in one of the wealthiest areas of the world, and now conversations are being had surrounding climate adaptation. Is this a situation where humans don't adjust until the effects of climate change are literally in their backyards?VINCE: I mean, it's amazing, isn't it? We've been warned for decades by scientists that climate change is happening. It's going to increasingly affect our lives. But it's only when these extreme weather events… we've all had this terrible summer of huge heatwaves, my kids couldn't go to school, it was too hot for them. Our infrastructure is not set up for that.In the U.S. you've also had extreme weather, Kentucky was completely inundated with water, you had the whole of the West Coast of the U.S. on fire more or less with the terrible forest fires. You've also had heat waves, drought that has killed thousands of cattle… This is going to become, unfortunately, a matter of life and death, even in the richest nations.PRIME: Gaia, considering the current stigma surrounding asylum seekers, migration on this scale is sort of hard to fathom. Yet you paint a very humane and optimistic image of what this mass migration could look like if properly facilitated. With that, how do we begin to unpack this political hostility and come to terms with climate displacement?VINCE: Well, migration is inevitable. And in Nomad Century, what I do is I try to make people realize that what we've done is we've allowed the narrative around migrants, around refugees, asylum-seekers to become truly toxic. And migration, it’s not a security issue, it’s actually an economic issue.People fish along a shoreline with very a low water level at Grant Lake, which is fed by now-nearly snowless mountains in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, near Lee Vining, Calif., Aug. 11, 2022.David Mcnew/Getty ImagesIt turns out that most countries around the world, their economies could not survive without migrants… Who were going to do the everyday jobs that cities rely on? We all rely on migrants. We're not having enough babies in most nations in the Northern Hemisphere and so as our populations age, we're going to face huge labor shortages, it's a demographic crisis. The only way to solve it is through immigration. Let's make it work. Let's actually plan it.PRIME: And in your book, you argue that it doesn't have to be as scary as it sounds. It could be a win-win for the Global North, who, as you mentioned, has a demographic crisis. But it is sort of crazy to think about what you propose that cities may one day exist in Antarctica. We have a segment on our show called "It's Not Too Late," focusing on climate solutions. Do you believe it’s not too late to prepare for this?VINCE: It's absolutely not too late. You know, every degree of temperature rise, every tenth of a degree of temperature rise makes a difference, and we have to fight for that.This is a serious economic and humanitarian issue. We can solve it. We need to mitigate. We need to reduce our emissions. We need to get to net zero. And then we need to cut below that. We need to withdraw the carbon that we've already emitted from our atmosphere.We need to change the way human systems work to make them sustainable with natural systems, because natural systems are much harder to change.PRIME: And you propose some promising solutions. We appreciate you joining us. “Nomad Century: How Climate Migration Will Reshape Our World” is now available wherever books are sold. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The dead included a family who were trapped underground in their "banjiha" home, leading to a national outcry and calls for government action on glaring social inequalities. A worker clears a waterlogged, mud-covered basement apartment in Seoul on Thursday.Anthony Wallace / AFP - Getty ImagesAug. 12, 2022, 2:14 PM UTCSEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s capital has vowed to move people out of dangerous basement apartments made famous by the movie "Parasite," after three members of a family who lived in the low-income housing died in record flooding this week.The rains inundated Seoul and the country’s north from Monday to Wednesday, leaving at least 11 people dead, with eight still missing as of Thursday.The dead included a family who were trapped underground in their home, leading to a national outcry and calls for government action on glaring social inequalities. Now, officials say they will no longer grant permits for the small apartments — often cramped and dingy homes known as "banjiha," which were featured in Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning film — and work to convert existing homes. “Homes in the basements and half-basement or banjiha are backward housing models that threaten the vulnerable group of people and they must go,” Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's office told NBC News on Friday.The family of three were a 12-year-old girl, her mother and the mother's sister, who had Down syndrome. They all drowned in their basement home in the southern Gwanak district of Seoul on Monday, on the first day of a fierce rainfall that caused flooding up to 15 inches deep in the area. All but two families in the area were evacuated by emergency services, according to city officials.The mother, identified as Hong by her labor union, worked as a sales associate at a duty-free store an hour from her home.South Korea's capital has moved to ban the cramped basement flats made famous by the Oscar-winning movie "Parasite."Anthony Wallace / AFP - Getty Images“Her name was Ms. Hong and she was the breadwinner and the head of her household,” an official from the Korean Federation of Service Workers Unions said. “She lived with a strong sense of responsibilities for her disabled sister, elderly mother as well as her 12-year-old daughter.”Hong had lived at the apartment with her sister and daughter for seven years, after spending almost 20 years of savings to move closer to her sister's care center, the public broadcaster Korean Broadcasting System reported. She left behind her 72-year-old mother, who was in a hospital at the time of the flooding.South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and the Seoul mayor visited the family's home Tuesday, where plates and dolls belonging to the girl floated on muddy water, according to footage provided by the presidential office.The dire storms affected the entire city, including extensive water damage to the wealthy and glitzy Gangnam district, which was particularly affected as it lies lower than its surrounding areas “like a bowl,” according to Oh, the mayor. The flooding left more than 3,032 people without homes in total, his office said, but the focus of the fallout was on Hong and Seoul's most vulnerable.Pedestrians walk past debris outside shops at the historic Namseong market in the Gangnam district of Seoul this week.Anthony Wallace / AFP - Getty ImagesAround 200,000 people live in banjiha homes in Seoul, making up around 5 percent of residences in the capital, according to official data cited by the mayor's office. The low-income housing units, which typically sit below street level, left residents particularly vulnerable to flooding. Others who lived in banjiha homes elsewhere in the city felt they narrowly escaped the same fate as Hong and her family.“I could have died if I was stuck in there for another half an hour and I only lived because of the people who rescued me out,” Lee Seung-hoon, 28, told the Seoul Broadcasting Station.Existing city regulations passed in 2012 already banned the building of homes in basement areas, but around 40,000 banjiha homes have been built in the decade since, according to the mayor’s office. The flooding revealed the South Korean capital's dire need for better drainage infrastructure to deal with extreme rains. On Wednesday, Oh announced $1.15 billion in spending in the coming decade to build six underground tunnels to drain rainwater and prevent future flooding.The three days of rainfall were the heaviest since records began 115 years ago, according to official data cited by the president. Yoon warned officials to prepare for similarly devastating weather in the future as climate change makes extreme weather more frequent.“It clearly is an unusual weather situation. But we cannot just say this kind of unusual climate situation is unusual," Yoon told his Cabinet members at a meeting Wednesday at the central disaster and safety measures headquarters to discuss the recent flooding. "This kind of unusual situation can and will be repeated at any time.”Stella Kim reported from Seoul, and Rhoda Kwan reported from Taipei.Stella KimStella Kim is an NBC News freelance producer based in Seoul.Rhoda KwanRhoda Kwan is a Taipei-based journalist.Reuters contributed. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
CNN — More than one third of Pakistan is underwater, according to satellite images from the European Space Agency (ESA), as deadly floodwaters threaten to create secondary disasters. 00:52 - Source: CNN See volunteers use bedframe to rescue people from deadly floods Food is in short supply after water covered millions of acres of crops and wiped out hundreds of thousands of livestock. Meanwhile, aid agencies have warned of an uptick in infectious diseases, leaving millions vulnerable to illness caused by what the United Nations has called a “monsoon on steroids.” More than 1,100 people have died from the floods since mid-June, nearly 400 of them children, while millions have been displaced, according to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Pakistan, which was already grappling with political and economic turmoil, has been thrown into the front line of the human-induced climate crisis. Here’s what you need to know. Pakistan’s monsoon season usually brings heavy downpours, but this year’s has been the wettest since records began in 1961, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department Torrential monsoon rainfall – 10 times heavier than usual – has caused the Indus River to overflow, effectively creating a long lake, tens of kilometers wide, according to images from the ESA on August 30. In the southern Sindh and Balochistan provinces, rainfall has been 500% above average as of August 30, according to the NDMA, engulfing entire villages and farmland, razing buildings and wiping out crops. Pakistan is responsible for less than 1% of the world’s planet-warming gases, European Union data shows, yet it is the eighth most vulnerable nation to the climate crisis, according to the Global Climate Risk Index. And it’s paying a hefty price – the South Asian country faced dramatic climate conditions this year, from record heat waves to destructive floods – as the climate crisis exacerbates extreme weather events. UN Secretary General António Guterres has warned the world is “sleepwalking” into environmental destruction. “South Asia is one of the world’s global climate crisis hotspots. People living in these hotspots are 15 times more likely to die from climate impacts,” Guterres said on August 30. “As we continue to see more and more extreme weather events around the world, it is outrageous that climate action is being put on the back burner as global emissions of greenhouse gases are still rising, putting all of us – everywhere – in growing danger,” he added. Pakistan is also home to more glaciers than anywhere outside the polar regions. But as the climate warms, it’s becoming more vulnerable to sudden outbursts of melting glacier water. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on August 30 the floods were “the worst in the country’s history” and estimated the calamity had caused more than $10 billion in damages to infrastructure, homes and farms. More than 33 million people have been affected, or about 15% of the population, according to Pakistan’s climate change minister Sherry Rehman on August 25. More than 1 million homes have been damaged or destroyed, while at least 5,000 kilometers of roads have been damaged, according to the NDMA. 02:31 - Source: CNN Deadly flash floods wipe out critical bridge in Pakistan Floods have impacted 2 million acres of crops and killed more than 794,000 heads of livestock across Pakistan, according to a situation report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on August 26. More than 800 health facilities have been damaged in the country, of which 180 are completely damaged, leaving millions of people lacking access to health care and medical treatment, as reported in many affected districts, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Pakistan is facing twin food and health crises brought by the unprecedented floods. According to charity Action Against Hunger, 27 million people in the country did not have access to enough food prior the floods, and now the risk of widespread hunger is even more imminent. “Our priority right now is to help save and protect lives as waters continue to rise. The scale of these floods has caused a shocking level of destruction – crops have been swept away and livestock killed across huge swathes of the country, which means hunger will follow,” said Saleh Saeed, chief executive of the Disasters Emergency Committee, a United Kingdom-based aid coalition. 12:41 - Source: CNN Climate crisis doesn't care about caste or creed, says Pakistani diplomat Prime Minister Sharif said on August 30 that people were facing food shortages and the price of basic items such as tomatoes and onions had “skyrocketed.” “I have to feed my people. Their stomachs cannot go empty,” Sharif said. The WHO has also classified Pakistan’s worst floods on record as an emergency of “the highest level,” warning of a rapid spread of disease due to the lack of access to medical assistance. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on August 31 warned of new outbreaks of diarrheal diseases, skin infections, respiratory tract infections, malaria and dengue in the aftermath of the floods, while a litany of waterborne diseases also posed health risks. A National Flood Response and Coordination Center has been set up as the country reels from the flooding, according to Pakistan’s Prime Minister. The United Nations has launched a $160 million appeal aiming to reach 5.2 million of the most vulnerable people in the country, while the WHO also released $10 million to treat the injured, deliver supplies to health facilities, and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Two Chinese military planes carrying tents and other flood aid landed in Karachi on August 30, according to the Consul General of China to Karachi. China has pledged $14.5 million in aid to Pakistan, while the UK government also announced a contribution of 1.5 million pounds ($1.73 million) for relief efforts. Prime Minister Sharif told CNN on August 30 the country was in talks with Moscow over importing wheat without breaching Western sanctions imposed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Sharif said that while Pakistan had secured 1 million metric tons of wheat amid the global shortage, the country will now need more due to the impact of the floods on the agriculture sector – which accounts for almost 40% of employment, according to World Bank data. CNN’s Sophia Saifi, Angela Dewan, Rachel Ramirez and Kara Fox contributed to this report. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Two children are among the six people who died in a Montana pileup after a Friday evening dust storm caused blackout conditions on Interstate 90, a major route in both Montana and the Western U.S.Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Jay Nelson said investigators so far have found no other factors that contributed to the pileup that also sent eight other injured people to hospitals."Everything is indicative of an isolated extreme weather event," Nelson said of the investigation, calling the crash among the worst he'd seen in 24 years with the state. "What could people do? It really was just panic."The pileup was just west of Hardin, with additional ambulances called in from Billings to help. The identities of the dead and conditions of the survivors are not yet being released.The crash was reported around 4:30 p.m., as 21 vehicles, including six commercial semi-trucks, lost control in the dust storm that was fueled by gusts topping 60 mph (97 kph), authorities said.Nelson said there was zero visibility for a mile-long stretch during a peak summer traffic hour for those commuting home from work or traveling for outdoor recreation.It took more than six hours to fully reopen the road."We had a lot of debris and complete chaos," Nelson said.Gov. Greg Gianforte said on Twitter: "I'm deeply saddened by the news of a mass casualty crash near Hardin. Please join me in prayer to lift up the victims and their loved ones. We're grateful to our first responders for their service."Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said in a statement that the Montana Highway Patrol, which he oversees, was investigating. "We will release more information as it becomes available and is appropriate out of respect of the lives lost and their loved ones.A video from The Billings Gazette showed hundreds of tractor-trailers, campers and cars backed up for miles along the two eastbound lanes of the interstate.Before the pileup, storms popped up in central southern Montana between 1 and 2 p.m. and slowly began moving east, said Nick Vertz, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Billings.Those storms prompted a severe thunderstorm watch that covered Hardin and other parts of Montana from mid-afternoon until 9 p.m. Friday. Meteorologists forecasted the potential for isolated hail the size of a quarter, scattered gusts up to 75 mph (121 kph) and frequent lightning.A so-called outflow - or a surge of wind that's produced by storms - flew about 30 miles (48 kilometers) ahead of the storms, Vertz said.Winds picked up quickly around the time of the crash, according to readings at nearby Big Horn County Airport. A 40 mph gust (64 kph) was recorded about 15 minutes before the crash was reported and in less than an hour another burst of wind hit 64 (103 kph).The wind easily picked up dust - a product of recent temperatures into the 90s and triple digits over the last week - and reduced visibility to less than 1/4 mile (0.4 kilometers)."If they looked up in the sky while they're in Hardin, they probably didn't see much of what you'd think of for a thunderstorm cloud, maybe not even much at all," Vertz said. "It was just a surge of wind that kind of appeared out of nowhere." Copyright © 2022 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
The United Nations and Pakistan are to appeal for $160m (£135m) in emergency funding for the nearly half a million people displaced by record-breaking floods that have killed more than 1,150 people since mid-June.Large areas remain underwater and more than 33 million people, or one in seven Pakistanis, have been affected by the floods. Rescuers have been evacuating stranded people to safer ground.According to initial government estimates, the devastation has caused $10bn in damage to the economy. “It is a preliminary estimate likely to be far greater,” the planning minister, Ahsan Iqbal, said before the launch of the appeal in Islamabad on Tuesday.The International Monetary Fund’s executive board on Monday approved the release of a long-awaited $1.17bn for Pakistan. The IMF signed a large bailout accord with the country in 2019 but the release of the $1.17bn tranche had been on hold this year, when the IMF expressed concern about Pakistan’s compliance with the deal’s terms under the then government of Imran Khan, who was ousted as prime minister via a no-confidence vote in April.The UN said last week it had allocated $3m for its aid agencies and their partners in Pakistan to respond to the floods. The money will be used for health, nutrition, food security, as well as water and sanitation services, focusing on the most vulnerable.Pakistan flood victims rescued on bed frame pulled over raging waters – videoPakistan’s climate change minister, Sherry Rehman, said on Monday more monsoons were expected in September. The rains have hit earlier and more heavily than usual since the start of summer, officials say – most recently huge downpours last week that affected almost the entire country.“This year Pakistan has received the highest rainfall in at least three decades. So far this year the rain is running at more than 780% above average levels,” said Abid Qaiyum Suleri, the executive director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute and a member of Pakistan’s Climate Change Council. “Extreme weather patterns are turning more frequent in the region and Pakistan is not an exception.”Pakistan experienced similar flooding and devastation in 2010 that killed nearly 2,000 people. But the government did not implement plans to prevent future flooding by preventing construction and homes in flood-prone areas and riverbeds, said Suleri.It reflects how poorer countries often pay the price for climate breakdown largely caused by more industrialised countries. Since 1959, Pakistan has been responsible for only 0.4% of the world’s historical CO2 emissions. The US is responsible for 21.5%, China for 16.5% and the EU 15%. Pakistan started receiving international aid this week, and more planes carrying aid from Turkey and the United Arab Emirates landed at an airport near Islamabad on Tuesday, according to a statement released by the military. It said Chinese planes carrying aid would also arrive in Pakistan later that day.Pakistan has deployed at least 6,500 soldiers to help authorities in rescue and relief operations. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
A woman wearing face mask uses a fan as she walks on a street on a hot day, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China July 19, 2022. REUTERS/Aly Song/Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSHANGHAI, July 23 (Reuters) - China's Xinjiang province on Saturday warned of more flash floods and mudslides and risks to agriculture as heatwaves swept across the region, accelerating the pace of glacial melt and posing hazards for its cotton production.China has been baked by above-normal summer heat since June, with some meteorologists blaming climate change. The excessively hot weather has driven up demand for electricity to cool homes, offices and factories. In agricultural regions, drought has been a concern.Xinjiang's latest heatwaves have been particularly long lasting and widespread, Chen Chunyan, chief expert at the Xinjiang Meteorological Observatory, told state media.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comShe said the extreme weather in the south and east of the region, more than twice the size of France, has already lasted for about 10 days.Xinjiang's meteorological bureau renewed its red alert for the region - the highest in a three-tier heat warning system - on Saturday, forecasting temperatures in Kashgar, Hotan, Aksu, and Bazhou could exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) over the next 24 hours."Continued high temperature has accelerated glacial melting in mountainous areas, and caused natural disasters such as flash floods, mudslides, and landslides in many places," Chen said.The China Meteorological Administration said a day earlier that the glacial melting in Xinjiang poses a high risk of dam failure on a tributary of the Aksu River near China's border with Kyrgyzstan. read more Mostly known for its deserts, Xinjiang is also home to long mountain ranges along its borders, including the Tian Shan mountains, the Pamirs, the Kunlun mountains and the Karakoram, which have become increasingly popular for Chinese tourists amid COVID-19 restrictions on international travel.Temperatures in the oasis city of Turpan hit 45.8C at 5 p.m. (0900 GMT).Such heatwaves could also impact crops, especially cotton, Chen said.Xinjiang accounts for production of about 20% of the world's cotton, a water-thirsty crop.The latest round of extreme temperatures has affected some 20 provinces. As of 5 p.m., 84 red alerts were in force across China, mostly in Xinjiang and the manufacturing provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian.Temperatures in the city of Taizhou, in Zhejiang, hit an all-time high of 43C on Saturday."The hot and sunny weather is expected to continue tomorrow (Sunday) and the day after," state media quoted Taizhou's meteorological bureau as saying.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Shanghai Newsroom and Ryan Woo; Editing by Sam HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Extreme Weather and Cataclysms |
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBISHKEK, July 20 (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan is seeking to attract more tourists by promoting its traditional kumis - fermented mare's milk - which locals drink and bathe in and say is good for their health.The move comes as interest in fermented and probiotic drinks is soaring in many countries.The importance of kumis to Kyrgyz culture is demonstrated by the fact that the Central Asian former Soviet republic's capital, Bishkek, is named after a paddle used to churn the fermenting milk.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comThrough promotional films and festivals, Kyrgyzstan is encouraging tourists to experience the traditional nomadic Kyrgyz lifestyle by sleeping in a yurt in a lush mountain pasture close to the herds of horses which provide the milk.A Kyrgyz woman drinks horse milk at a high altitude summer pasture called Suusamyr, some 170 km (106 miles) south of the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, June 17, 2011 REUTERS/Vladimir PirogovTourists can also drink fresh local milk, known as saamal, in the yurts."We decided to try it after hearing about saamal and kumis from our friends who had visited Kyrgyzstan," says Ibrahim al-Sharif, a tourist from Mecca, Saudi Arabia."I cannot even describe its taste. There is nothing in Saudi Arabia that I would compare with it."Milking a mare is far trickier than milking a cow and requires the person to essentially hug the animal's thigh to reach. The milking is done between mid-May and mid-July, with the appearance of the Pleiades star cluster in the night sky a traditional sign of its end.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Marlis Myrzakul Uulu
Writing by Olzhas Auyezov, Editing by Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Festivals |
Glastonbury through the decades: Fascinating pictures of Britain's foremost music festival since its 1970 debut the day after Jimi Hendrix died show that it didn't rain EVERY yearIn 1970 tickets were sold at just £1 to 1,500 campers and headliners included Marc Bolan, Keith ChristmasBy 1981 tickets went up to £8 and were sold to 18,000 campers who listened to New Order and Gordon GiltrapIn 1990 ticket prices were hiked to £38 and headliners included The Cure who played for crowd of 70,000By 2000 some 100,000 festival-goers attended after purchasing tickets for £87 to hear David BowieIn 2010 some 135,000 people attended, purchasing tickets for £185 and tickets in 2022 cost £285 Published: 06:30 EDT, 23 June 2022 | Updated: 07:02 EDT, 23 June 2022 Advertisement Since its debut in 1970 Glastonbury has attracted thousands of eager music fans to support their favourite artists come rain or shine. But how much has the festival changed over the past 50 years? From tickets sold at just £1 for only 1,500 campers at the Somerset festival's first year to the dizzying heights it has reached today, Glastonbury has grown to something bigger than its creator Michael Eavis could have expected. In 1970 the headline acts were Marc Bolan and Keith Christmas with 1,500 guests getting in for £1, a ticket which included free milk from the farm. By 1981 a new Pyramid stage had been built - a permanent structure which doubled as a cowshed and animal food store during winter months. That year's festival was held to raise money for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Ticket prices only went up to £8 but Michael Eavis was able to hand over £20,000 to CND. Headliners that year included New Order and Gordon Giltrap who performed for 18,000 festival-goers. In 1990 the festival took the name of Glastonbury Festival for Contemporary Performing Arts to reflect the diverse attractions at the event. The festival ended with 235 arrests of travellers who looted the emptying campsite. Ticket prices were hiked to £38 and headliners including The Cure and the Happy Mondays played for a crowd of 70,000. By 2000 more camping space had been added, including a family campsite. An outdoor dance venue was created and although a large influx of gatecrashers attended the campsites held up. Headliners including the Chemical Brothers and David Bowie played for 100,000 festival-goers who purchased tickets for £87. In 2010 some 135,000 people attended, purchasing tickets for £185. Prices were raised even further this year with a Glastonbury ticket setting music fans back a whopping £285 to camp for the weekend alongside 203,000 others. A group of festival goers lie together under blankets and sleeping bags at the first Glastonbury Festival, United Kingdom, September 1970. This year the headline acts were Marc Bolan and Keith Christmas with 1,500 guests getting in for £1, a ticket which included free milk from the farm Hippies at the Glastonbury Fair music festival in 1971. The Festival moved to the time of the Summer Solstice and was known as the 'Glastonbury Fair'. It was in this year that the first 'pyramid' stage was constructed Three festival-goers walk around the campsite in 1971. Acts this year included Hawkwind, Traffic, Melanie, David Bowie, Fairport Convention and Quintessence. Attendance: estimated at 12,000. Price: free Two topless women, one wearing body paint, at the Glastonbury Fair music festival in 1971. This year It had been planned by Andrew Kerr and Arabella Churchill who felt all other festivals at the time were over-commercialised Topless hippies enjoying the sunshine at the second Glastonbury Fair in 1971. It was paid for this year by the few who supported the ideal so the entrance was free and took a medieval tradition of music, dance, poetry, theatre, lights and spontaneous entertainment Young people keep warm in the morning mist surrounded by cars and rubbish at the first Glastonbury Festival, United Kingdom, September 1970 A view of the Glastonbury Fair music festival in 1971, which saw the first use of a pyramid stage which was constructed out of scaffolding and expanded metal covered with plastic sheeting A man tends a campfire wearing only his underpants next to a group of tents and with a camper van and the stage visible behind him in the camping area at the first Glastonbury Festival, United Kingdom, September 1970 A general view of crowds in front of the original Pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival in 1983. Mendip District Council issued a Public Entertainment Licence this year which set a crowd limit of 30,000. Attendance: 30,000. Tickets: £12 A wide shot of the Pyramid stage and its setting, Glastonbury Fair in 1971. Just 12,000 people attended the festival this year so there was much more room for people to roam and camp freely Festival goers waving to camera at Glastonbury in 1990. The festival took the name of the Glastonbury Festival for Contemporary Performing Arts for the first time, to reflect the diversity of attractions within the Festival. Acts included: The Cure, Happy Mondays, Sinead O’Connor and World Party. Attendance: 70,000. Tickets: £38 A group of festival goers drinking tea beside a VW camper van at the first Glastonbury Festival in September 1970 Audience members in front of the Pyramid stage at the Glastonbury Festival in June 1983. It was also the first year that the Festival had its own radio station, Radio Avalon. Acts included: Marillion, The Beat, UB40, Curtis Mayfield Two people sitting on shoulders above crowds at Glastonbury Festival, cheering, with flags in 1990. This was the first year that a professional car parking team was employed to encourage the best use of space. Donations of £100,000 were made to CND and other local charities. Deacon Blue on one the main stages at the Glastonbury Festival attracting a large crowd in 1990 Two festival goers take a chance to relax at the Glastonbury Festival in June 1992. This was the first year that the donations from the profits of the Festival were made to Greenpeace and Oxfam. Acts included: Carter USM, Shakespeares Sister, Primal Scream, P J Harvey, Sawdoctors and The Levellers. Attendance:70,000. Tickets: £49 Festivalgoers dancing at Glastonbury Festival in 1984. Acts included: The Waterboys, The Smiths, Elvis Costello, Joan Baez and Ian Drury. Guest speakers included Bruce Kent, the chairman of CND and Paddy Ashdown. Attendance: 35,000. Tickets: £13 Advertisement | Festivals |
‘For 50 years, these festivals have been running side by side – and this is the first time they have coincided.” The words of Notting Hill carnival host DJ Nassen were met with rapturous applause on Thursday afternoon as thousands gathered to join Glastonbury’s first ever Notting Hill carnival procession.“These are the two most important cultural events in England – it’s long overdue!” he added, summing up the mood of the huge crowds lining the parade route.Notting Hill carnival is one of the largest street festivals in the world. The Caribbean music and dance event, held annually in London since it first coalesced in 1966, attracts an average of more than two million people and is expected to see twice that number in August when it returns after a three-year hiatus.It is partnering with Glastonbury for the first time this year, as both events welcome back punters in person for the first time since 2019.‘An amazing curtain-raiser’ … Notting Hill carnival at Glastonbury 2022. Photograph: Alicia Canter/the GuardianGlastonbury organiser Emily Eavis said in a statement: “I’ve always loved Notting Hill carnival, especially during my years living round the corner in west London, and there have been so many connections with Glastonbury over the years. It’s a dream to finally bring some of the very fine crew here.”The procession, held on day one of Glastonbury, was visible across the whole south-east of the site, featuring its trademark mix of flamboyant costumes, vibrant colours, Caribbean dancers, stilt walker moko jumbies – and, for this event, a large truck in the shape of a beetle.The parade also comprised Mangrove – eight-time winners of the Panorama steel band championship – and an all-electric float bearing a booming sound system.“Altogether, we’ve got 50 participants here with us today, including the steel band, dancers, DJ and crew,” said head of logistics Niall Green.In keeping with the Glastonbury spirit, Green explained the effort the team are putting into making climate awareness an integral part of the event. “We want to make carnival as green as possible,” he said.“Food traders and sound systems at most festivals use diesel generators, and we’re trying to move away from that. This procession is entirely emission-free. Ultimately, we’d like to be entirely sustainable, right down to getting everyone using reusable cups.”Inclusivity is equally as vital to the team as eco-credentials. “It’s important for Glasto to work on its diversity and we’re really happy to be a part of that,” Green concluded, as the procession meandered down the path from Block9, the sprawling late-night party zone, to West Holts and back again, for a dance party that lasted till sundown.Reveller Matt Gibbs, dancing beside the float, said he felt the crowds at each event had often differed from one another. “Glasto and carnival are two different worlds and the participants belong to two different cultures,” he said, before adding: “By bringing them together, they each add so much to the other.”‘What Glastonbury is all about’ … Notting Hill carnival performers at Glastonbury festival 2022. Photograph: Alicia Canter/the GuardianFriends Keisha Ffrench and Karenza Cutting had stumbled across the carnival accidentally. “I had no idea this would be here! We’re going to the main event in August and this is an amazing curtain-raiser,” Ffrench said.“Black communities are underrepresented at Glastonbury and events like this will help address that,” she noted, referencing Lenny Henry’s comments last week regarding the festival’s lack of diversity.The collaboration has proved extremely popular with punters. Maraid McEwan, enjoying the festivities from the West Holts staging area, said this had been her “favourite part of Glastonbury so far by a huge margin” and reflected that the sense of community and inclusivity is “what Glastonbury is all about”.Linda Warhouse, from Nottingham, agreed. “This has been a major highlight – it’s amazing to see people from all backgrounds and ethnicities dancing together.”Meanwhile dancer Giselle Carter, from Gemz Mas International, said she was “so, so happy to be back” after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of in-person events. “This collaboration makes so much sense – Glastonbury and carnival share the same values.”Matthew Phillip, chief executive of Notting Hill carnival, said he was “beyond delighted” by the reception he and his team had been met with.In an earlier statement, he said: “The heritage and history of Notting Hill carnival is hugely important to the British cultural landscape in many of the same ways as Glastonbury, they hold many of the same beliefs and represent the country on a global scale.”Put another way, as DJ Nassen observed towards the end of the parade: “Whether you’re from Ladbroke Grove or Somerset, music unites us all.” | Festivals |
Hello from Glastonbury! This week’s newsletter is being written from the Guardian’s cabin at Worthy Farm, where we’ll be covering the festival in exhaustive detail (more on that in a bit). After an enforced pandemic-era break, Glastonbury feels particularly wild and antic this year, everyone hopped up on the prospect of a mass gathering after two years of the rule of six, Zoom pub quizzes, substantial Scotch egg meals and the like. Festival-goers of every stripe are here – ravers, metalheads, poptimists, jazz aficionados, glamorous hospitality hangers-on, lads in SuperDry T-shirts throwing each other in the air for some reason – all drawn together by the promise of revelry, community and some pretty spectacular music. There genuinely is no place like it.Sign up for the Guide to get the best pop-culture journalism direct to your inbox.Obviously, if you aren’t at Glastonbury, you may well find all this talk of the “magic of the festival” envy and or rage-inducing. But the good thing about Glastonbury is that it’s pretty easy to vicariously enjoy the festival from wherever you are. The BBC’s coverage alone will see to that: this year they have live streams from the festival’s “big five” stages – Pyramid, Other, John Peel, Park and West Holts – as well as TV coverage of the Pyramid’s huge headlining acts: the planet conquering Billie Eilish on Friday, some bloke called Paul McCartney on Saturday and Kendrick Lamar, performing live for the first time since the release of his new album, on Sunday. There’s a load of other stuff too, including a plethora of other sets to stream and the usual extensive radio coverage – check here for full info of the Beeb’s offering.And of course, the Guardian will be covering the festival in microscopic detail – every last squall of feedback, special guest appearance and celebrity sighting (one of our lot has already spotted Tilda Swinton) will be feverishly reported on. Each day we’ll have a liveblog stuffed full of news, reviews, pictures, videos and all manner of entertaining ephemera. We’ll also have standalone reviews of all the big hitters, photo essays from the site, interviews and tons else besides. In fact we’ve already kicked things off, with musicians, broadcasters and writers recalling their favourite festival moments, and Guardian music editor Ben Beaumont-Thomas’s picks of the 30 acts not to miss at this year’s festival.To add to Ben’s list, a few picks of my own: Manchester-based DJ Anz (playing the Sonic stage at 7.30pm on Friday) serves up a warm and inviting garage, house and bassline hybrid perfect for those hazy summer early evenings. The marvellously monikered geordie stoner metal band Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs already played Thursday night, but are still worth mentioning because a) they’re excellent and b) it’s fun to type the word ‘pigs’ seven times in a row. Wu-Lu is a very exciting south London producer who dabbles in everything from psych rock to fuzzy electronica. The relentlessly energetic Baltimore hardcore group Turnstile – who Ben did mention, but are worth doubling up on as they might be the most exciting live act on the planet right now. The good news is that, even if you have a total aversion to Glastonbury, all the above acts are booked in for a host of gigs and festivals this summer. See you down the front!If you want to read the complete version of this newsletter please subscribe to receive The Guide in your inbox every Friday. | Festivals |
Street cleaners will now face daunting task of tackling the piles of rubbish left on the streets after the Notting Hill Carnival over the weekend. Roads and streets surrounding the festival in West London were pictured full of piles of rubbish which included a destroyed Transport for London bike and tons of takeaway boxes. Dancers dressed in colourful feathered outfits brought the party when it returned to the streets surrounding Notting Hill for the first time in three years.Some 13 steel bands, 72 mast bands, six Brazilian bands, 36 sound systems and 300 stalls are involved in this year's festival - with today known as the 'Adults Day Parade and Carnival', which officially ended at 8.30pm this evening. Notting Hill Carnival is the largest street carnival in Europe and an estimated two million people are expected to attend over the course of the Bank Holiday weekend. The carnival first started in 1966, when about 1,000 people attended, and is famous for its celebration of Afro-Caribbean traditions. It comes after a Met Police horse died after collapsing while on duty at the carnival yesterday evening as an investigation was launched into Police Horse (PH) Sandown's death. Scotland Yard also revealed today that officers had made 76 arrests as of 7am this morning - including 19 for assault, four for sexual assault and grievous bodily harm and ten for possession of an offensive weapon. The total number of arrests at the 2019 event was 353, compared to 374 in 2018, 313 in 2017 and 454 in 2016. The Metropolitan Police said the most recent carnival in 2019 cost it £8.6million to police. The festival does however bring hundreds of thousands of tourists into London and creates an estimated £120million for the economy. Footage also shows the moment a bus stop collapsed during the carnival yesterday when a group of revellers danced on its roof. A huge crowd watching people on top of the Kensal House bus shelter on Ladbroke Grove were heard to gasp and exclaim in shock as the top gave way and the revellers fell onto the pavement, nearly crushing four people below.Two people suffered minor injuries but did not need further treatment after the incident, which came at the end of 'family day' which saw bright and dazzling costumes as the carnival procession made its way along the streets.A woman also gave birth in a side street near Europe's largest street festival before paramedics took the mother and her newborn child to hospital. Revellers walk past a pile of rubbish during Notting Hill Carnival in west London today as two million revellers are expected to take part in Notting Hill Carnival Revellers walk past a pile of rubbish made up of take away boxes and drinks cans during Notting Hill Carnival in west London Crowds pack the streets at Notting Hill Carnival this evening as millions are expected to visit the festival before it ends tonight Samba dancers prepare before the start of the Notting Hill Carnival in west London this afternoon as thousands lined pavements to watch London's Notting Hill Carnival, the largest street carnival in Europe, returns to the capital after a break due to the Covid pandemic The bus shelter on Ladbroke Grove in West London can be seen starting to collapse as several people walk underneath it A large pile of rubbish is stacked up at the end of Carnival as people make their way home as Notting HIll Carnival comes to an end More people then join the woman to dance or stand on top of the bus shelter during the Notting Hill Carnival yesterday Dancers during the Notting Hill Carnival in London, which returned to the streets for the first time in two years after it was thwarted by the pandemic The mounds of rubbish spilling out of a bin and onto a pavement in Notting Hill on the final day of the Carnival as a fence also looks damaged as food boxes, drinks cans and pineapple mugs are seen among the mayhem A carnival reveller wears a pharaoh outfit with a whistle in his mouth as thousands walk the streets of the west London this afternoon Some 13 steel bands, 72 mast bands, six Brazilian bands, 36 sound systems and 300 stalls are involved in this year's festival return Revellers pictured walking along Notting Hill today, where thousands have gathered for the return of the popular festival following a three-year absence Police rushed to help the expectant mother as she went into labour in a side street near Europe's largest street festival The carnival first started in 1966, when about 1,000 people attended, and is famous for its celebration of Afro-Caribbean traditions Performers in striking outfits dance along the streets as huge crowds watch on during day two of Notting Hill Carnival this afternoon Police officers watch on as thousands roam the streets of Notting Hill in west London today - the second day of the carnival Rubbish mounts up as carnival-goers leave litter during the family day at the Notting Hill Carnival in London on Sunday Performers pose before the start of the annual Notting Hill Carnival in West London this morning Performers in costume wait to take part in the festivities on the main parade day of the Notting Hill Carnival today Boxes are pictured stuffed full of garbage as more spills on the floor including cartons from drinks and takeaway containers while the walls behind are pictured with graffiti Performers pose at the annual Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as thousands of people descend on the area Carnivalgoers put on a colourful display as the carnival weaved its wave through the streets of Notting Hill this afternoon A man adds to rubbish piled up on top of a telephone cable cabinet during the Notting Hill Carnival in west London today Notting Hill Carnival attendees dressed in yellow and black take part in Europe's biggest street party this afternoon Making up for the lost time during the Covid pandemic, hundreds of thousands lined the streets of west London for the famous festival Rubbish from Notting HIll Carnival stacked up ready to be cleaned on Sunday just as people return home and before even more mess is made on Monday during adult's day Notting Hill Carnival is the largest street carnival in Europe and an estimated two million people are expected to attend over the course of the Bank Holiday weekend Revellers pose before the start of the annual Notting Hill Carnival in West London this morning Performers at the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today which has returned to the streets for the first time in two years A police officer stands on duty as performers in costume take part in the Notting Hill Carnival on the main parade route today Performers prepare to take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London on the August Bank Holiday Monday today Performers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in London today as revellers gather in the capital Performers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as thousands of people descend on the area Notting Hill Carnival performers dance along the main parade route in West London today as the festival continues Performers at the Notting Hill Carnival in London today, which returned to the streets for the first time in two years Notting Hill Carnival performers dance along the main parade route in West London today as the festival continues Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as the event returns after the hiatus due to Covid Performers at the Notting Hill Carnival in London today, which has returned to the streets for the first time in two years A dancer prepares to take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London this morning Performers at the Notting Hill Carnival in London today, which has returned to the streets for the first time in two years Performers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as thousands of people descend on the area Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as the event returns after the hiatus due to Covid A carnival goer during the Notting Hill Carnival in London today, which is back after it was thwarted by the pandemic. A young girl tries on a carnival goer's costume on the London Underground during the Notting Hill Carnival this morning A performer in costume poses for a selfie ahead of the carnival on the main parade day of the Notting Hill Carnival today Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as the event returns after the hiatus due to Covid The Notting Hill Carnival event map shows the location of the judging zone, safety zones, street trading and sound systems A police horse who died after collapsing while on duty at Notting Hill Carnival yesterday evening has been named as Police Horse (PH) Sandown alongside a picture of himMeanwhile one video showed two men punching each other before being pulled apart by others, after people around them were dancing and singing 'Don't Worry About A Thing' to Bob Marley's Three Little Birds.Met Police horse who died after collapsing at Notting Hill Carnival is named as 14-year-old chestnut gelding with 'impeccable' career who 'loved nuzzling in pockets for treats' – as force says it is 'too early' to determine a cause of death The 14-year-old chestnut gelding, who stood 16 hands high, has been described as one of the Metropolitan Police's most experienced horses, having served an 'impeccable' seven years in the force.The Met added, 'PH Sandown was also an affectionate character who was full of personality. He loved his food and was always nuzzling in pockets looking for treats.'PH Sandown collapsed at around 9pm on Sunday and, despite officers providing emergency care, died at the scene.While it is too early at this stage to determine cause of death, it did today describe the animal's death as a 'sudden passing'.The force described PH Sandown as playing 'an integral role in helping to police London'.The Met said PH Sandown had been gifted to the force in 2015, quickly winning over officers due to his good nature.He was the go-to horse to help new officers grow in confidence as they went through their training.The Met said the horse was 'a pro at policing all types of events across London', adding: 'He demonstrated his bravery and courageousness at numerous football fixtures.'The force reported PH Sandown was also selected to perform at the Mounted Activity Ride at Olympia and the Mounted Musical Ride.It went on to say: 'PH Sandown was a massive part of the Mounted Branch family and was loved dearly. He will be sorely missed by all.'The Met added that, while it is too early at this stage to determine a cause of death, a post-mortem is under way.In addition, a police horse died on duty last night after collapsing at about 9pm. The animal received emergency care but died at the scene. It is too early to determine the cause of death and there will be an investigation, officers said.Meanwhile, officers were seen comforting the woman before paramedics arrived and took the mother and baby away in an ambulance.A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We were called at 18.45 on Sunday 28 August to reports of a person in labour within the footprint of Notting Hill Carnival.'We treated an adult and baby at the scene and took them to hospital as a priority.'MailOnline has asked for an update on the condition of the mother and baby.Pam Small, 54, came from the US for the carnival and was dressed in yellow feathers and an intricate sparkly costume at the Adults Parade today. She has been travelling to the UK for the carnival for nine years and is elated to be back after Covid.She said: 'I love everything about it. The people, the culture, the diversity - it's really special to be here.'Clayde Tavernier, 23, was wearing a blue-feathered crown and bystanders stopped to dance and take photos with him.The Dominican dancer, who attends every year, said: 'Carnival is the time to be myself, to express who I am. I came all the way from Dominica to be here and to have fun.'Iona Edesiri Thomson and Neve Kearneg, both 18, from London, were following the parade up Ladbroke Grove while wearing make-up featuring Caribbean green and yellow to represent the Jamaican flag.Ms Thomson said: 'We've been since we were little kids and this is the first time since Covid. The people are so fun and I love the food. People cooking their culture's food is really amazing.'Ms Kearneg added: 'Usually Britain is very white but going to the carnival shows we are a multicultural nation and it's also great for tourism, which helps our economy.'Walking in the parade was Rolando Ponde, 34, who was wearing white platform heels and was covered in white, purple and pink feathers and matching diamantes.He said: 'Carnival is special because it introduces people to their roots, to their culture. We have our community here in the UK and at carnival we can all come together.'Sharon Decairos, 54, and sister Samantha Decairos, 53, were sitting on camping chairs next to people celebrating on the road wearing Caribbean accessories.Sharon Decairos said: 'With Covid we were all stuck inside. This is what we were missing.'Her sister added: 'We can finally experience our culture again.'Mark Brown, 22, was wearing a Jamaican flag around his neck while queuing for jerk chicken. He said: 'At carnival there's just good vibes. I've been before, and now after Covid it's as if I've never left.' There was plenty of entertainment for the crowds, with music, dancers and brass bands, while floats meandered through the roads in the area Hundreds of dancers took part in the parade wearing flamboyant costumes in a triumphant return for the event after a three year absence London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the carnival had 'become one of the world's biggest street festivals and part of the very fabric of this city'. But he added that the event had been hurt by the cost of living crunch Carnival goers during the Notting Hill Carnival in London today, which returned to the streets for the first time in two years Participants in costumes arrive at the Notting Hill Carnival in West London this morning Performers in costume wait to take part in the festivities on the main parade day of the Notting Hill Carnival today Performers take a selfie while waiting to take part in the annual Notting Hill Carnival in West London today A carnival goer during the Notting Hill Carnival in London today, which returned to the streets for the first time in two years Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as the event returns after the hiatus due to Covid Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as the event returns after the hiatus due to Covid Performers in costume wait to take part in the festivities on the main parade day of the Notting Hill Carnival today A performer poses before the start of the annual Notting Hill Carnival in West London this morning Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as the event returns after the hiatus due to Covid Performers in costume wait to take part in the festivities on the main parade day of the Notting Hill Carnival today Performers at the Notting Hill Carnival in London today, which returned to the streets for the first time in two years Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today A woman wearing a colourful feathered costume takes part in the Notting Hill Carnival this morning Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as the event returns after the hiatus due to Covid Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in London this morning Notting Hill Carnival performers prepare their costumes in the side streets before the start of the main parade today Performers prepare to take part in the annual Notting Hill Carnival in West London this morning Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as the event returns after the hiatus due to Covid Notting Hill Carnival performers prepare their costumes in the side streets before the start of the main parade today Carnival goers during the Notting Hill Carnival in London today, which returned to the streets for the first time in two years Notting Hill Carnival performers prepare their costumes in the side streets before the start of the main parade today Police officers stand near boarded-up shop fronts ahead of the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today Performers in costume wait to take part in the festivities on the main parade day of the Notting Hill Carnival today Notting Hill Carnival performers prepare their costumes in the side streets before the start of the main parade today Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as the event returns after the hiatus due to Covid Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as the event returns after the hiatus due to Covid Performers in costume wait to take part in the carnival on the main parade day of the Notting Hill Carnival in London today Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as the event returns after the hiatus due to Covid A woman waves and films with her phone from a window as performers take part in the annual Notting Hill Carnival todayYesterday kicked off with members of the Emancipated Run Crew - dressed in green in tribute to those who died at Grenfell - beginning the parade and marking the official launch of Notting Hill Carnival.Crowds of young children blowing whistles danced down the streets with their parents in tow. Co-founder of the club Jules Stephenson said: 'It (the atmosphere) is electric - everyone is so excited about carnival being back.' Notting Hill Carnival arrests so far this yearScotland Yard said that as of 7am today, officers had made 76 arrests for the following offences:11 x possession of drugs 3 x criminal damage 10 x public order 19 x assault 4 x sexual assault 3 x possession of psychoactive substances 10 x possession of an offensive weapon 3 x drink/drug driving 4 x GBH 9 x OtherThe two-day festival has had a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Elsewhere, Carina Charles, 40, a nurse from Basildon, said: 'I like the togetherness of the people and the mixture of the culture.'My Caribbean music, the soca music is what I love the most. Everybody is jovial - they are excited after coming out of lockdown after three years.'Different sound systems dotted around the streets of West London entertained the dancing crowds as revellers smiled to the booming music.Small children standing on the doorsteps of their houses waved Jamaican flags and waved at passers-by.Shauna Walsh, 38, who lives in Kensal Rise, said: 'The atmosphere has been really uplifting and warming - it is nice to be back.'London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: 'As a Londoner I'm really pleased carnival is back.'He said carnival was celebrating Caribbean culture, heritage, and history and there was a 'pent up' demand for festivities this year.He added: 'We think it's going to be the biggest and best ever.'But Mr Khan also warned the cost-of-living crisis had affected the carnival.He said: 'We are seeing those who want to have floats, those who want to have sound systems, pulling out because they can't afford to pay their bills.' Participants in costumes arrive at the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as the festival continues Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today as the event returns after the hiatus due to Covid Notting Hill Carnival performers in feathered costumes are seen on a platform at a London Underground station today Notting Hill Carnival performers prepare their costumes in the side streets before the start of the main parade today Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in London this morning as the carnival returns after a Covid-related hiatus Notting Hill Carnival performers prepare their costumes in the side streets before the start of the main parade today A carnival goer during the Notting Hill Carnival in London today, which returned to the streets for the first time in two years A performer arrives to take part in the annual Notting Hill Carnival in West London this morning Notting Hill Carnival performers prepare their costumes in the side streets before the start of the main parade today Notting Hill Carnival performers in feathered costumes seen travelling on the London Underground this morning Notting Hill Carnival performers prepare their costumes in the side streets before the start of the main parade today Performers prepare to take part in the annual Notting Hill Carnival in West London this morning Notting Hill Carnival performers in colourful feathered costumes pack the streets of West London this morning Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in London today as others take pictures of them Notting Hill Carnival performers prepare their costumes in the side streets before the start of the main parade today Notting Hill Carnival performers in feathered costumes are seen on a train at Earl's Court Tube station in London today Revellers take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in London this morning as the event returns this year Notting Hill Carnival performers prepare their costumes in the side streets before the start of the main parade today Notting Hill Carnival performers in feathered costumes are seen on a platform at Earl's Court Tube station in London today Performers in costume wait to take part in the festivities on the main parade day of the Notting Hill Carnival today A carnival goer during the Notting Hill Carnival in London today, which returned to the streets for the first time in two years Notting Hill Carnival performers prepare their costumes in the side streets before the start of the main parade today A young girl tries on a carnival goer's costume on the London Underground during the Notting Hill Carnival this morning Yasmin Evans and Jordan Stephens pose before boarding the Spotify x Socaholic float at Notting Hill Carnival today A reveller takes part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London as the festival continues Notting Hill Carnival performers in feathered costumes are seen on a platform at Earl's Court Tube station in London today Police officers stand near a boarded up building on the main parade day of the Notting Hill Carnival in West London today Performers wait to take part in the annual Notting Hill Carnival in West Londo this morning Carnival performers prepare their costumes in the side streets today in front of a poster remembering Grenfell victims Notting Hill Carnival performers make their way to the front of the main parade in West London this morning A reveller takes part in the Notting Hill Carnival in West London as the festival continues Grenfell Tower is seen in the distance as people arrive for the second day of the Notting Hill Carnival in London todayFarah Mokaddem, 32, travelled from Geneva to attend Notting Hill Carnival this year. She said: 'I always wanted to go here.'She added: 'The atmosphere is very animated: everyone is on their balconies and on the terrace. And people of all ages are watching as people go past.'Paul Wright, 36, an account manager from Ealing, said: 'There's a great atmosphere, everyone seems to be having a good time. I think there's more people here for a good time rather than any incidents.'He added that it was a 'nice thing' where everyone came together and had a nice time. Mr Wright joked: 'The weather can always be better.' | Festivals |
File photo of hot air balloons during a balloon festival at Oak Point Park in PlanoColorful hot air balloons are set to fill the sky during the 40th anniversary H-E-B Central Market Plano Balloon Festival & Run.The four-day event takes place Sept. 22-25 at the Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve in Plano.Tickets are on sale now at www.planoballoonfest.org. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under and seniors ages 65 and up. Admission is free for children 36 inches tall and under and for all military and first responders who present a valid ID.Kids Fun Zone ride wristbands are $20 and include all day play on the inflatables and mechanical carnival rides. Individual ride tickets are available for $2.50 each.The festival opens at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, with a family-friendly concert by the Plano Symphony Orchestra followed by a balloon glow at 7 p.m.The 40th Anniversary concert features a limited number of $150 VIP tickets that include reception and reserved seating.Music will include songs from films such as Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Silverado, and the James Bond series.Other activities include tethered hot air balloon rides, weather permitting. Tickets will be sold only on-site and cost $30 for adults and $20 for children ages 6-12. Only cash will be accepted.All hot air balloon riders will be required to sign a waiver. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.The hot air balloon accommodates 10 to 12 passengers per ride and hovers 20-30 feet in the air but remains anchored to the ground.On Friday and Saturday, the RE/MAX of Texas Parachute Team will jump out of an airplane and glide down onto the field.Entertainment will include Party Machine and Moving Colors; two bands that deliver high energy performances and well-known musical hits.A custom-designed fireworks show with a wide array of colors is set for 9 p.m. on Sept. 23 and 24.The Plano Balloon Festival Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, 1K, and challenges are scheduled for Sept. 24-25.Runner registration for the races is available at www.pbfraces.org.Festival HoursHere are the festival hours:Thursday, Sept. 22 – 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.Friday, Sept. 23 – 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.Saturday, Sept. 24 – 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.Sunday, Sept. 25 – 6 a.m. – 7 p.m.ParkingParking prices are as follows$15 per car for a one-time entryOff-site parking - $10 per carThe festival will take place at Oak Point Park and Red Tail Pavilion, 2801 E. Spring Creek Parkway.More information is available at www.planoballoonfest.org.Related:Plano Animal Shelter holding adoption event with reduced or waived fees in AugustTeri Webster, Special Contributor. Teri Webster is a freelancer covering Plano for The Dallas Morning News. She has worked as a staff writer and freelancer for several area news outlets and is a regular contributor to Fort Worth Weekly. Email story tips to [email protected]@gmail.com Top Arts & Entertainment StoriesWhat to do in D-FWGet the scoop on the week's best festivals, concerts, movies, restaurants and hot happenings in D-FW.By signing up you agree to our privacy policyMost Popular on DallasNews.com123456 | Festivals |
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Sunday announced a new contract to keep Lollapalooza in Grant Park for another 10 years.Lightfoot said the festival will continue to take place in Chicago through 2032, revealing the news ahead of J-Hope’s headlining act on the Bud Light Seltzer stage Sunday evening.“People have been saying to me, ‘Mayor, we love Lolla. It’s the best thing going.’ I agree. And so I’m here to tell you by decree, we’re gonna make sure that Lolla continues in the future,” Lightfoot said as the four-day event wound down.[ Lollapalooza Day 4: Lolla comes to a close with a big day for J-Hope, and for the fest in the future ]The contract will be in place for the 2023 festival, and festival organizer C3 Presents and the Chicago Park District will have the option to extend the contract under the same terms for five years. It was unclear Sunday whether the agreement will go before the Park District board.Full contract details were not available Sunday, including mention of the city’s amusement tax, a final sticking point in the negotiations. Last week, C3 Presents executives were pressing the city for assurances that Chicago’s amusement tax would not rise higher during the course of a new agreement.The charge increased from 5% to 9% for large-scale events over the course of the existing 10-year Lollapalooza contract.Lightfoot did not offer further comment after taking the stage Sunday. Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, and Ald. Sophia King, 4th, the two aldermen whose wards include Grant Park, were not immediately available for comment Sunday. Friends of the Park, one of the city’s most active parks advocacy groups, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.“There are now a total of eight Lollapaloozas on four continents, but Chicago remains the center of the Lollapalooza universe,” Charlie Walker, a partner at C3 Presents, said in a news release. “With the world’s best artists, amazing fans, and our incredible partners in the city of Chicago, we are excited to continue to deliver an unmatched festival experience in Grant Park for the next decade.”The Park District is set to receive between 5% and 20% of revenue from the festival over that time, based on the total revenue from admission, goods and services at the fest, licensing sales, sponsorships and streaming deals. As with the existing contract, C3 will guarantee payments of at least $2 million if the full four-day festival takes place; $1.5 million for three days; and $750,000 if the festival does not happen.[ Photos: Lollapalooza 2022 ]The deal also set an attendance cap of 115,000 — up from 100,000 — and formalized the fest organizer’s $2.2 million commitment to Chicago Public Schools for arts education. C3 will also fold in money for renovations of Grant Park’s tennis courts, although there doesn’t appear to be an investment by the company to improve the infrastructure of Grant Park, as at least one alderman hoped.The festival will continue to take place on the last weekend of July or the first weekend of August.“Lollapalooza is not only a significant economic driver for our city, but a truly iconic Chicago summer festival,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “I am thrilled to come to this agreement that will ensure Lollapalooza is here to stay for the next decade — bringing music, culture, and joy to both residents and tourists for years to come.”Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell, the festival’s co-founder and co-producer, said in an interview Thursday that another decadelong deal had been reached. At the time, representatives for C3 countered the assertion and said negotiations were still ongoing.The current deal between the park district and C3 Presents was signed in 2012 and expired after last year’s festival. The parties opted for a one-year extension, and festival officials have since been making more permanent investments in the city that suggested they were here to stay: Texas-based C3 recently celebrated the CPS initiative, which was announced last year; hosted an inaugural Lollapalooza job fair this spring and expanded its partnership with the nonprofit organization After School Matters.Fresh off an announcement that Chicago would turn the streets around Grant Park into a NASCAR racecourse for a televised Cup Series event in 2023 and beyond, Lightfoot’s Lollapalooza announcement could help bolster the mayor’s reelection case that Chicago’s downtown is recovering. It would also ease the blow of the potential loss of the Chicago Bears to Arlington Heights.[ Chicago will transform the Grant Park area into the first-ever NASCAR street race in 2023. Here’s a look at the course. ]Afternoon BriefingDailyChicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon.Lollapalooza found its home in Grant Park in 2005 and is said to generate millions in local economic impact and annual revenue to the Park District. The existing contract was celebrated as a win for Chicago taxpayers, hotels, restaurants, cultural community and parks.Under the current contract, festival organizers are on the hook for sales, liquor, leasehold and amusement taxes. The festival started to pay the amusement charge after the Chicago Office of the Inspector General noted that while other festivals were required to pay, Lollapalooza was exempt. At the time, in 2011, the festival turned over 10.25% of its profits to a foundation that raised private funds for the Chicago Park District.Mayor Rahm Emanuel raised the amusement tax for large performances from 5% to 9% as part of his 2018 budget. The festival also began paying Cook County’s 1.5% amusement tax after the County Board closed a loophole that exempted them in 2012. A source close to festival organizers warned that any additional tax hike would be passed on to ticket buyers.Lollapalooza negotiations have historically taken place behind closed doors. In the days leading up to this year’s festival, aldermen whose wards include the park have said they’d been left out of any ongoing discussions. So did Friends of the Parks. The one-year extension inked in 2021 was done behind closed doors, without any public discussion or vote. That was also the case with the decision to extend the festival from three days to four starting in 2016.Since Lollapalooza returned in 2021, after COVID-19 prompted the cancellation of the in-person festival in 2020, C3 and the city have been less transparent than in prior years about police activity and hospitalizations involving fans. In past years, organizers publicized the number of arrests, citations and hospital transports daily. This year, as was the case in 2021, a C3 official said they will share the total numbers after the event ends, following the lead of the city Office of Emergency Management and [email protected]@chicagotribune.com | Festivals |
James Hetfield (right), lead singer, and Kirk Hammett, guitarist of Metallica, perform at the 2022 Alive Festival in Portugal, on July 9. The band headlines Lollapalooza on Thursday night.AFP via Getty Images It’s July in Chicago, which means all ears are tuned to one thing: Lollapalooza. This year marks the 16th edition of the event in the city, and organizers have gone all-out with an eclectic mix of talent — from chart-topping pop stars to hip-hop breakouts and hardcore and thrash metal stalwarts. Here’s our top 10 acts to see — in addition to the rest of the must-see headliners. Insider tip: Make sure to take in the BMI Stage for the biggest up-and-comers (it’s where Lady Gaga and Halsey got their start), and head to the Kidzapalooza Stage every day at 4 p.m. for the “unannounced” special guest.Billy Strings Billy Strings performs June 27 on “Late Night. With Seth Meyers.”NBC Lolla bookers have consciously diversified the annual music lineup ever since the festival took root in Chicago 16 years ago and evolved it from its early roots as a touring rock festival. One great example of their out-of-the-box standouts is this beloved bluegrass prodigy. Billy Strings — an apropos stage name for the dexterity he brings to multiple instruments — began his career when he was just a teenager, racking up accolades from Rolling Stone to Newport Folk Fest for his command of the Americana style while also funneling it through his own rock lens on tracks like “Dust in a Baggie.” (6:15 p.m. Thursday, T-Mobile Stage)Com3tNormally Perry’s Stage is the go-to gathering spot for Lolla’s EDM programming, but DJ and producer Dani Thorne levels up with a rare primetime spot at the Tito’s Stage — and she’ll need every inch for her nonstop “House Party,” bringing a rave-worthy set that is as colorful and dynamic as her trademark rainbow-colored hair. The sister of actress Bella Thorne, Com3t has found her own niche as a performer, adding a sinister flair on tracks like “Metamorphosis” for a cinematic sheen that elevates beyond often static dance music. (8 p.m. Thursday, Tito’s Stage)MetallicaAny of the 1,000 people that were lucky enough to get entrance into Metallica’s exclusive club date at Metro last fall can tell you the explosive thrash titans can still “Kill ’Em All” nearly 40 years after their debut was released. That album became an early standard for the metal class and, in recent dates, the quartet has been sticking to a good chunk of the material including “Whiplash” and “Seek & Destroy.” Expect a similar classic set for Lolla’s opening night headliners and stick around for up-and-comers Taipei Houston on Friday — two of the members are drummer Lars Ulrich’s sons, so a guest appearance is never off the table. (8:15 p.m. Thursday, T-Mobile Stage)La Doña La Doña attends Billboard Women In Music 2019 in Los Angeles,Getty Images Going to a festival only for the headliners is a missed chance to see some of the brightest stars of today and tomorrow, and one great example is Friday’s first act on the Coinbase Stage. Cecilia Cassandra Peña-Govea is a powerful voice and vehement rule breaker who has classified her unique style as femmeton, or feminist reggaeton. Though on songs like the eclectic, horn-driven “Algo Nuevo” (meaning “something new,” a perfect term for her work), La Doña also mixes in style high points such as rhythmic Latin American and Mexican grooves like those she grew up with playing in a family mariachi band as well as the hip-hop she became immersed in later. She starts off an impressive day of female-led acts, culminating with the headliner Dua Lipa. (Noon Friday, Coinbase Stage)Wet Leg Wet Leg performs March 9 on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”NBC Who knew two people could make so much noise? This U.K. duo, comprised of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, has been creating a ruckus ever since launching their coy single “Chaise Lounge” in the pandemic slag of 2021 and then bulldozing their way through the modern music pantheon to become a critic’s darling in just over a year. Their debut, released in April, has already been heralded as one of the best of the year thus far — and for good reason. Their mix of slinky Britpop with post-punk fury — coupled with some DGAF lyrics — calls to mind a smattering of riot grrl subversiveness with pop magnetism and rock’s cool swagger. (2:50 p.m. Friday, Discord Stage)Turnstile Brendan Yates performs with Turnstile in June at the Pinkpop music festival in The Netherlands.ANP/AFP via Getty Images There are some really heavy hitters on the lineup this year — and not just mainstream metal giants like Metallica but also cuff bands like on-the-rise deathcore agents Lorna Shore (see them headline the BMI Stage Thursday) and one of the “best of 2021” acts, Turnstile. Hailing from Baltimore, the hardcore quintet has been making solid inroads since 2010, but last year’s album “Glow On” was a major glow-up that got the act the attention it deserves for a curated style that brings plenty of aggression but also some beautiful melody too. Judging by Turnstile’s loaded performances at Lolla’s South American festivals earlier this year, this set will be the one to let it all out. (7:45 p.m. Saturday, Discord Stage)Willow Willow performs July 13 at The Forum in Inglewood, California.Getty Images Saturday’s main stage headliners — DJ Kygo and rapper J. Cole — leave a bit to be desired compared to the rest of the weekend. Instead head to the Discord Stage to catch Willow, who has come a ways from her “Whip My Hair” days in 2011, when the pre-teen daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith made her entrance as a musical artist. Fast forward to today, and her latest album, 2021’s “Lately I Feel Everything,” sees her experimenting with pop punk, indie and alt rock with the help of some special guests Travis Barker and Avril Lavigne, among others. It’s not clear on who might be backing her, but last year Willow reunited her mom’s old nu metal act Wicked Wisdom, so anything goes. (9:15 p.m. Saturday, Discord Stage)Måneskin Italy’s Maneskin is scheduled for a set at Lollapalooza on Sunday. Getty Images The international songwriting competition Eurovision sometimes really gets it right, as in the case of ABBA, Celine Dion and now Måneskin, who took home the gold in 2021 and have exploded into the States ever since. The Italian glam rock/pop act (with the very Danish moniker) oozes with unparalleled charm, vintage revivalism, smoldering grit and fashion flair (including enough eyeliner to give Alice Cooper a run for his makeup game) that make them a true spectacle on the level of Bowie, the Stones and early Elton. Their sound on songs like “Beggin’,” though, is fresh and pulsating with modern production, the perfect sum of all parts to make them the next big thing. (4:15 p.m. Sunday, T-Mobile Stage)Porno For PyrosWhen Lollapalooza had to do a COVID detour in 2020 and went virtual in a massive last-minute feat, one of the big surprises in the talent pool was a reunification of funk-punk weirdos Porno for Pyros, Lolla founder Perry Farrell’s band that formed out of the ashes of Jane’s Addiction in the ’90s. The abbreviated set had many fans clamoring for a full-on relaunch, and the time is ripe for it in 2022. With Jane’s once again sidelined reportedly due to Dave Navarro’s long-haul COVID, forcing the band to cancel this year’s appearances, Porno for Pyros has stepped in, prepping groovy alt-rock gems like “Pets” and “Tahitian Moon.” The band also plays an official afterparty at Metro Saturday. (6:15 p.m. Sunday, T-Mobile Stage)J-Hope J-Hope of BTS will headline a solo set on Sunday night at Lollapalooza.Getty Images In one of most impressive last-minute switch-ups to cover for Doja Cat’s cancelation, Lolla organizers were able to book BTS’ J-Hope for his performance debut to close out the final night of the festival. Variety also reports the appearance will also be historic as he will be the first South Korean artist to headline a U.S. fest of this magnitude. As rumors of BTS’ breakup swirl (the act announced a hiatus in June), this set will be the next best thing. The huge rise of K-Pop will also be seen in the addition of Tomorrow x Together on Saturday, also making their debut at a Stateside fest. Green Day starts 45 minutes before so catch some of their set and then head across the park, if you still have energy at that point. (9 p.m. Sunday, Bud Light Seltzer Stage) | Festivals |
A maximalist concert may not be for everyone, but for those looking to combine the intensity of a music festival with their annual Pride celebration, Pride in the Park may be just what they’re looking for. Back in Grant Park, the now-annual Pride in the Park returns bigger and better than ever. When most people think of Pride in Chicago, they may think of the classic Northalsted festival and ever-growing parade. But most don’t think of the time, which celebrates the LGBTQ community, as one for a major music festival. Pride in the Park, however, which debuted in 2019, aims to be just that. Part of a national chain of similar festivals, Pride in the Park serves as a unique, music-forward celebration of Pride month.“It is rare for there to be outdoor LGBT music festivals. There are parades and there are Pride fests, but specifically, a large scale queer outdoor music festival is a new concept. There are only a few out there nationally,” said Chez Ordonez, spokesperson for Pride in the Park.Ordonez also said Pride in the Park aims to curate a space of openness and comfortability in an increasingly uncomfortable world.“I think a lot of queer people feel like they’re not comfortable going to be around their own community in a safe space, to kiss at the festival. I think a lot of these other festivals consider themselves safe, but a lot of people, especially the trans community, may not feel safe,” Ordonez added. “We wanted to create a place where people in the queer community could feel safe.”Andrew Taggart of The Chainsmokers performs at the 2022 iHeartRadio Wango Tango on June 4, 2022 in Carson, California. (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)In a year where anti-queer and anti-trans legislation continues to increase, spaces like Pride in the Park (as well as smaller and more diverse Pride celebrations across the city) offer an emotional as well as physical respite for those within the LGBTQ community. For many, it is their first Pride.“Pride at its core is a protest and I think that gets lost. There’s the celebrations, the outfits, the music. But Pride started as a riot, a true protest. Our dance, while celebratory, is also a protest,” Ordonez said. “We’re going to dance for the achievements we’ve made so far.”Last year, Pride in the Park was the first music festival to happen across the city of Chicago. Organizers only had 60 days to prepare. And although it rained nonstop for both days, more than 30,000 people attended. This year’s Pride in the Park aims to be bigger than ever.“We are interested in having Black, brown and trans performers who normally wouldn’t have the opportunity,” said Ordonez. “The community wants it, the community deserves it.”Saucy Santana performs at the Outloud Raising Voices Music Festival at WeHo Pride on June 4, 2022 in West Hollywood, California. (Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images)Organizers looked at who was “hot” this year, but also who has stood up for the community. Artists for this year’s Pride in the Park run the gamut, from social media superstar Saucy Santana to the rising electronic artist Moore Kismet. Surprisingly, headliners are what the organizers call queer allies, like The Chainsmokers and Alesso. Other performers include Joel Corry and Daya, among others. For fans looking for drag performances, the festival is scheduled to feature celebrated performers like Monet X Change and Chicago’s beloved Shea Coulee.“What I hope they would feel is what I would hope for myself: to fully experience Pride, in the best way possible, listening to the best music, with their community in a safe space,” said Ordonez. “Fully living their truth without question and without apology and with full love.”Pride in the Park runs June 25-26 in Grant Park, entrance at E. Monroe Street and DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Music on the Pride Stage and Circuit Mom Stage from 2 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets (all ages) and more information at prideparkchi.com Britt Julious is a freelance critic.DJ Alesso performs at the 2015 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival in Indio, California. (Mark Davis/Getty Images for Coachella) | Festivals |
Billie Eilish became the youngest ever Glastonbury headliner when she played the festival on Friday night at the age of 20 – but she is certainly not the youngest attendee. After two years of Covid cancellations, many of this year’s festival-goers were joined by young children they didn’t necessarily expect to have with them when they bought their tickets. Here’s how some of them got on.Ophelia (11 months), with Molly and Jack Lumb, from ManchesterEleven-month-old Ophelia with her parents Jack and Molly Lumb. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The GuardianWhy did you bring your baby to Glastonbury? Molly: We bought tickets three years ago, so it was a case of not coming, or coming with a baby. We’ve got a campervan, which makes it a bit easier. Three of our group of friends here have brought their kids – and none of us knew we’d have babies when we got the tickets.Are you managing to enjoy yourself or has it been really hard work? Jack: When we came in 2019, it was a very different experience. We were staying out until 7am, instead of 11pm.What has been the best moment/worst moment so far? Jack: The crowds at TLC made it tricky with a pram – plus, everyone wants to put their stuff in it.What are your tips for other parents as a festival? Molly: Bring a backpack carrier for the baby and lots of food pouches, then just take it easy and relax. All the rules go out the window: no nap times, no routines.Rafferty (one), with Charlie O’Beirne, from BristolOne-year-old Rafferty with his dad, Charlie O’Beirne. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The GuardianWhy did you bring your baby to Glastonbury? I’m working here and rather than leave him at home I thought it would be better to bring him along. I’ve been a few times without a baby, too.Do you think he is enjoying it? He’s loving it!Did your parents ever take you to Glastonbury? No. They took me to other festivals but not until I was about 17, never as a baby.What are your tips for other parents at a festival? Bring different means of carrying your baby around. I’ve got the buggy with me, but sometimes Rafferty gets too tired or he gets too heavy, so it’s good to have options.Grace (four), with Emma and Mike Ainslie, from ShrewsburyGrace with her parents Emma and Mike Ainslie. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The GuardianWhy did you bring your child to Glastonbury? Emma: She’s been before – we came unofficially [to the farm] when she was four months old, during the fallow year in 2018, and then her first proper Glastonbury was in 2019. We’re hoping to come regularly with her.Mike: She was made here as well!Are you managing to enjoy yourself, or has it been really hard work? Emma: It’s a different type of festival experience, because, obviously, when you’re responsible for a child you can’t get smashed. But there’s so much going on in the Kidzfield. We sat and enjoyed the fireworks last night and she slept while we watched Billie Eilish as well as Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott.Do you think she is enjoying it? Grace: My favourite bit is the bouncy castle!What are your tips for other parents at a festival? Emma: Be prepared. Bring everything. It’s hot in the day, cold at night – all the extremes. Pack all the wipes. But if you do forget something, don’t worry – there are so many families here that someone will have it.Xander (four months), Ellie (two), Eva (nine), with Sarah and Jonathan, from CheshireJonathan and Sarah their children (from left) Ellie, Xander and Eva. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The GuardianWhy did you bring your children to Glastonbury? Sarah: Three of us have been to Glastonbury together before. We also came in 2019 when I was pregnant with Ellie – it was so hot that year and I fainted. I was very hesitant about coming with Xander because we usually camp, but we’re using a campervan this year.Do you think your children are enjoying it? Sarah: Yes – Xander has been so chilled out. What are your tips for other parents as a festival? Jonathan: Get a buggy! It’s really good if you want to see any of the headliners – the kids will watch the first half, then doze off.Emma: We’ve adapted every year. We need to put lights on the buggy next year, for example, so people can see it coming in the dark.Zion (eight months), with Clare and Rob Brown, from BrightonEight-month-old Zion Rob and Clare Brown. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The GuardianWhy did you bring your baby to Glastonbury? Rob: I manage one of the artists who is playing, but we didn’t know until about a month ago that we would be coming. We were a bit nervous about bringing a baby, but we did a lot of research which suggested it was safe.Are you managing to enjoy yourself? Clare: I’ve never been to Glastonbury before, so I didn’t know what to expect – we’ve skipped some of the late-night stuff, but I don’t feel like I’m missing out. But because of his age, Zion sleeps a lot anyway, so that might make it easier. It feels very family-friendly. Rob: Zion had a bit of a sickness bug so we called the medics, and the response was unbelievable – quicker than we’d get at home. Did your parents ever take you to Glastonbury? Rob: Yes, my mum brought me when I was about three. I don’t remember it.What are your tips for other parents at a festival? Clare: Remember that, when they’re little, they don’t really need that much. If they’re hydrated and fed, they’re happy – they don’t care if they’re dirty. Ear defenders are good for when it’s loud.Finn (three), and Matt, from ScotlandFinn and his dad Matt came down from Scotland for the festival. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The GuardianWhy did you bring your child to Glastonbury? I’ve never done it before, and my only reservation was that I wouldn’t have enough snacks for him! We live in a truck, so camping is not too different.Are you managing to enjoy yourself? I’ve not set any agenda, so I’ve just been going with the flow. I’m here with friends who have children, so we can share the childcare a bit.Do you think he is enjoying it? Oh yeah, he’s loving it. Cineramageddon has been his favourite thing.Did your parents ever take you to Glastonbury? Absolutely not. I remember going camping with my dad, but never to a festival.What are your tips for other parents at a festival? Bring a bike – whether you’re a parent or not. It means that when you have five minutes to yourself, you can go and see something. | Festivals |
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