Weather Watch - 2024
From record-breaking heatwaves to devastating hurricanes, extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common and intense. As the impacts of climate change become more pronounced, it's clear that our planet's weather patterns are undergoing significant shifts. These changes not only have profound implications for the natural world, but also for human societies.
As we continue to grapple with the challenges of a changing climate, it's essential that we understand the interconnections between weather, ecology, and human society, and work towards sustainable solutions that prioritize the health and well-being of both people and the planet.
Weather events in the news:
November 2024
* Air quality worsened all over India, with only 5 percent of cities recording AQI levels below 50. Chandigarh and Patna had worse air quality compared with the national capital, which had an AQI level of above 300 for the 14th consecutive day.
* India faced extreme weather events on 93% of the days in the first nine months — 255 out of 274 days —in 2024 that claimed 3,238 lives, destroyed over 2.35 lakh houses/buildings and affected crops in 3.2 million hectare (mha) of land, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said on Friday.
* “Erratic weather patterns have affected tea and salt production leading to input cost inflation…. staggered price increases have been actioned and you will see more price increases around the corner,” Tata Consumer Products MD & CEO Sunil D’Souza said in a recent earnings call
* Headline in Times of India, the day after Diwali - Delhi AQI today: Windy morning in city, air quality improves to 'poor'. Air Quality Index (AQI) categories are as follows: 0-50 is 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', 401-450 'severe', and above 450 'severe plus.'
October 2024
* On 29 October 2024, torrential rain caused by an isolated low-pressure area at high levels brought over a year's worth of precipitation to several areas in southeastern Spain. It is one of the deadliest natural disasters in the history of Spain. German climatologist Friederike Otto of the Centre for Environmental Policy said that there was "no doubt" that the heavy rain had been aggravated by climate change. Italian climatologist Stefano Materia also attributed the severity of the flooding to the effects of climate change and described the current Mediterranean as a "timebomb". According to an analysis by Climate Central, the floods were influenced by the rising temperature of the Atlantic Ocean. - Wikipedia
* Central France experienced what has been described as the worst flooding in 40 years.
* Sahara desert floods for the first time in 50 years
* Florida has experienced an unusually large number of twisters including the deadly Hurricane Milton.
* Droughts, downpours and fires from Asia to the Americas are stoking worries about crop harvests, pushing up prices for food staples that could eventually flow through to higher grocery bills. Arabica coffee climbed to the highest since 2011 as the poor weather in Brazil impacts trees during the crucial flowering period, too. The usually cheaper robusta coffee variety has also been hit by bad weather, making it now almost as expensive. Drought in Vietnam’s coffee belt, followed by heavy rain as the harvest nears, has hurt output in the major grower. - Bloomberg
September 2024
* Shanghai experienced its strongest typhoon in 75 years, with Typhoon Bebinca hitting the city at wind speeds of 150 km/h, flooding roads and causing widespread power outages. Tens of thousands were left without power, and many had been evacuated ahead of the storm. Typhoon Bebinca has already caused enough destruction in Japan and Philippines.
* South Korea's famous kimchi is under threat from climate change, as rising temperatures are reducing the quality and quantity of napa cabbage, a key ingredient. Napa cabbage thrives in cooler climates, and is usually planted in mountainous regions where temperatures during the key growing summer season once rarely rose above 25°C. The area farmed for highland cabbage has shrunk significantly over the past 20 years. - Reuters
August 2024
* The State of the Climate 2023 report confirms our gravest concerns. Last year, global temperatures set new records on land and in the oceans. Concentrations of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, which are key contributors to global warming, also hit unprecedented levels. The last nine years (2015–2023) were the nine warmest on record.
* Rajasthan has received 668mm of rainfall this monsoon, surpassing the 1975 record of 664mm, marking the highest in 49 years. With the monsoon still active, the state could reach 700mm. The all-time record of 811mm was set in 1917.
* Beekeepers across France say it has been a disastrous year for honey, with bees starving to death and production plummeting by up to 80%. A beehive typically produces 15 kilos of honey a year. When it rains, bees don’t fly, they don’t go out, so they eat their own honey reserves. Low temperatures and heavy rainfall have prevented bees from gathering enough pollen, and flowers from producing nectar –– which the insects collect to make honey. Temperatures stagnated below 18°Celsius, the minimum temperature needed for flowers to produce nectar. - AFP
* As monsoon rains were about to break over Pakistan, 14-year-old Shamila and her 13-year-old sister Amina were married off in exchange for money, a decision their parents made to help the family survive the threat of floods. UNICEF in a report after the unprecedented floods in 2022 floods said it expects an 18% rise in prevalence of child marriage, equivalent to erasing 5 years of progress. - AFP
* Scientists are worried about the implications of the historic heat wave in Antarctica, which is usually known for its extremely-low temperatures. This unusual warmth during Antarctica's coldest season might signal future environmental challenges for the continent and could have global repercussions. Temperatures here usually range from -58 to -76 degrees Fahrenheit, but they have risen to between -13 and -22 degrees Fahrenheit now.
* Climate change brings us closer to a world without vanilla — and there is no real substitute. Vanilla is second only to saffron in price.
July 2024
* China had its hottest month in observed modern history in July. Temperatures averaged 23.2°C, eclipsing the 23.1°C in July 2017. The world registered its hottest day on record on July 22, with global average surface air temp reaching 17.15°C.
* The cold desert is getting too hot for flights to operate, in perhaps the most stark sign of global warming. Since Saturday, flight operations at Leh, India’s highest commercial airport, have been affected as IndiGo and SpiceJet have been forced to cancel a dozen flights scheduled around noon as day-time temperatures soared to 36 degrees Celsius, rendering the high-altitude air too thin for safe aircraft operations. - ToI
* Las Vegas hit record highs of 120 degrees earlier this month and areas along the East Coast are currently under extreme heat warnings, but at Philadelphia International Airport on Sunday (July 14), there was record snowfall. What’s even more amazing is temperatures in the city hit 94 degrees that day. The (very) mini blizzard occurred when a thunderstorm blew through town, producing small hail. In meteorological terms, that counts as a trace of snow—and a trace was enough to set a record. Sunday’s snowfall broke a record set in 1870. The dangerously hot summer has been fatal and the number of deaths could top the over 2,300 people who died of excessive heat last summer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The heat has been blamed on climate change, with scientists saying Earth is four years away from crossing the 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) target set in the landmark Paris climate accord of 2015. - Fortune
* Sicily is experiencing a severe drought that has almost completely dried up Lake Pergusa, the Mediterranean island's sole natural lake and a crucial stopover for migratory birds traveling between Africa and Europe. Situated near the town of Enna, the lake has significantly diminished due to the combined effects of high temperatures and scarce rainfall. The region has been battling with the consequences of climate change for some time, having recorded a European record-high temperature of 48.8°C in 2021.
* Despite its early arrival, the storm (Beryl) hits an insurance market that has already raised the price of catastrophe coverage. - WSJ
* China is enduring a summer of extreme weather, with flooding across central &southern regions as much of the north swelters through heatwaves.
* According to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), last month marked the hottest June on record, continuing a trend of extraordinary temperatures that some scientists believe could make 2024 the hottest year ever recorded. The changed climate has already unleashed disastrous consequences around the world in 2024.
June 2024
* Over 1,300 individuals have lost their lives during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia due to extreme temperatures exceeding 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
* Indian cities are turning into "heat traps" as a result of unbalanced growth that consumes water bodies and boosts greenhouse gas emissions, a National Disaster Management Authority official reported. In Delhi, the highest daily temperatures have remained above 40 degrees Celsius since May 12, with forecasts indicating a drop below this level only by June 26. Additionally, Delhi is grappling with a water shortage, having recorded temperatures around 44 degrees on the afternoon of June 17, although the IMD noted it felt like 49.2 degrees. - Reuters
* Amid a punishing heatwave that has persisted for weeks, the peak power demand in Delhi soared to an all-time high of 8,656 megawatts on June 19 afternoon, reflecting a massive consumption of electricity - PTI
* "Apple crops require 1,200-1,500 hours of temperature of 7 degree celsius. The apple belt in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir has shifted 1,000 ft higher in the mountains from earlier. Varieties that used to be grown in the lower regions don’t grow there anymore. The temperatures in these areas do not stay cold enough for long anymore — at least not enough for apple cultivation. Now this is becoming a problem due to climate change and we have to look at new varieties to be sown on lower elevation. Even the snowfall season which used to see a large influx of tourists during Christmas and New Year, has moved ahead by a month." - Harish Chauhan, Convenor of Sanyukt Kisan Manch, an umbrella organisation of two dozen farmer groups in Himachal Pradesh
* Global warming could add up to 3.2 percentage points to food inflation every year in a decade's time, and will affect the Global South more than high-income countries
* Bengaluru experienced a record-breaking rainfall of 111.1 mm on June 2nd, marking the highest amount received in a single day during the month of June.
* Sweltering heat has led to a surge in India's power consumption, reaching 156.31 billion units. The nation experienced a nearly 15% increase in power usage in May compared to the same period last year, primarily due to the intense heat.
* There were at least 80 deaths due to heatstrokes, including both confirmed and suspected cases, reported across the country in May, as well as 605 deaths reported due to various cardiovascular diseases, show Health Ministry data on heat-related illnesses and deaths.
May 2024
* During the final week of May, temperatures soared above 45 degrees Celsius in 37 cities across India.
* Rain in Delhi after temperature hits record high of 52.3 degrees - NDTV, 29-May-2024
* Bangladeshi weather experts said that Cyclone Remal, which made landfall in low-lying Bangladesh and carved a swath of destruction was one of the quickest-forming and longest-lasting they had experienced, blaming climate change for the shift. Cyclone Remal battered the country for more than 36 hours.
* Human-caused climate change added — on average, across all places in the world — 26 more days of extreme heat than there would have been without it. Heat is the leading cause of climate-related death and global warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather around the world. In the last 12 months, some 6.3 billion people— roughly 80% of the global population — experienced at least 31 days of what is classed as extreme heat. - Agence France-Presse
* On May 23rd, Ahmedabad recorded Gujarat's highest maximum temperature at 46.6°C. Correspondingly, air conditioner sales have surged, with 10,000 units being sold daily in the city. Nationally, approximately 8% of households possess air conditioners, but in Gujarat, the figure is nearly double at 15%. Additionally, Gujarat contributes 10% to India's overall air conditioner market. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) on air conditioners is levied at 28%, the highest tax slab under GST.
* During the severe heatwave, Delhi successfully met its peak electricity demand of 7,717 MW on May 21, 2024, exceeding the previous record of 7,070 MW established on May 19, 2022.
* In East Texas, some towns have already seen a year’s worth of rain in five months. - NYT
April 2024
* Severe weather in Kenya, compounded by El Nino, has led to catastrophic rainfall, floods, and over 120 deaths during the March-May wet season.
* Philippines faces extreme heat exacerbated by El Nino conditions, leading to official drought declarations in about half of the country's provinces.
* For the first time in the recorded history of Kerala, the India Meteorological Department has confirmed heatwaves in the State.
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| Photo - The Hindu |
* Extreme heatwaves in China follow floods in Pakistan because of an upper tropospheric pathway tied to the Asian summer monsoon system, according to an analysis of more than 40 years of atmospheric data. This pathway emerges due to the system's internal variability and occurs independent of sea surface temperature forcing patterns. In the summer of 2022, Pakistan experienced catastrophic flooding. Right afterward, China was struck by long-running heatwaves followed by severe drought.
* An estimated 20 million people in Southern Africa are facing what the U.N. calls “acute hunger” during one of the worst droughts in four decades. Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe have declared national emergencies.
* The United Arab Emirates experienced on 16th April, its largest rainfall event since records began 75 years ago. 254.8mm (9.7in) had fallen on Khatm al-Shakla, in the emirate of al-Ain, over less than 24 hours. The country averages 140-200 mm of rainfall per year, while Dubai typically receives only 97mm. The monthly average for April is only about 8mm. Many factors contribute to flooding, but a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme rainfall more likely. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions. - BBC
* Precipitation is scarce in Oman. Annual average rainfall ranges from 150 to 300mm in the north, with most falling in pre- and post-monsoon storms. Several areas of Oman received over 230 millimeters of rain between 14-17 April.
* A Times climate reporter traveled across America on a train. She later found that flying would have been better for the environment because many Amtrak trains run on diesel. - NYT
* Rising temperatures are making meteorites sink out of view before researchers can collect them.
March 2024
* Climate cafes are offering a place for Americans to discuss their anxiety about the changing planet. - NYT
* Travellers are racing to see parts of the world that could soon vanish forever due to the effects of climate change, in a trend known as "last-chance tourism". - The Week
February 2024
* A record-breaking heat wave hits West Africa
* Extreme weather is forcing animal refuges across the country to relocate. - NYT
* Monarch butterfly numbers in wintering areas in Mexico have hit a record low after hot, dry conditions in the U.S. and Canada reduced caterpillars’ food supply. - NYT
* Extreme weather in China is disrupting Lunar New Year travel plans.
January 2024
* E.V. batteries struggle in very cold weather, leading to long lines and frustration at charging stations. - NYT
* According to the E.U. climate monitor, this January was the hottest January ever measured.
December 2023
* Nations at the annual UN climate conference, COP28 in Dubai approved ... a roadmap for “transitioning away from fossil fuels” – a first for a UN climate conference – but the deal still stopped short of a long-demanded call for a “phaseout” of oil, coal and gas. - United Nations Sustainable Development Group
* Emergency room visits related to heat illness increased in the U.S. in 2023, the warmest year on Earth in a century and a half. - NYT
* Putting the events of the warmest year on record in perspective, researchers said that in a warmer future, more events involving record-breaking hot temperatures occurring earlier in the year, and cyclones exacerbating rainfall extremes are in order. Droughts in California in the U.S. and the Horn of Africa transitioned into floods in 2023, and more of such events are projected to occur in the coming decades. ...improved predictions and early warning systems to be better prepared for climate hazards...will be required.
W.I.P
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