Month: June 2020

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Eastern Pacific Ocean: Tropical depression 04e (four), located approximately 766 nm south-southeast of San Diego, is tracking southwestward at 03 knots.

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NewsBytes:

Malaysia – Over 1,000 people have evacuated their homes in Sabah State, Malaysia, after flooding over the last few days. Flooding began on 27 June and has since affected 152 villages across 11 districts.

Wisconsin, USA – On June 28 and 29, parts of St. Croix County received over seven inches of rain causing flooding and washed out roads across the county. The areas experiencing significant flooding are the Municipalities of Kinnickinnic, Pleasant Valley, Rush River, Eau Galle, Warren, Hammond, Baldwin, Springfield, Erin Prairie, Emerald, Glenwood, Cylon, and Forest. At one point over 50 roads were closed in the area due to flooding.

Poland – Further severe weather including storms and heavy rain affected parts of Poland on 29 June. IMGW report that several locations recorded more than 50mm of rain in 24 hours, including Bielany is a district in Warsaw, which saw 56.6 mm. The worst of the storm affected the provinces or voivodeships of Podlaskie, Masovia (which includes the capital Warsaw), Holy Cross Province (Świętokrzyskie) and Lesser Poland (Małopolskie). Over 1,300 homes were damaged by flooding, as were 241 roads.

India – Recent flooding in Assam, north eastern India, has worsened, with disaster authorities reporting that over 900,000 people are now affected. This is the second wave of flooding in the state, which began around 20 June.

China – More flooding has affected parts of Sichuan province, southwestern China, leaving over 20 people dead or missing. Flooding struck in Sichuan’s Mianning county in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture after storms brought heavy rain.

Nigeria – Dozens of buildings have been damaged after more flash flooding in Lagos State, Nigeria. Flooding was caused by a heavy downpour but significantly worsened by blocked drainage channels,

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Global Warming

South Pole Warming Faster

The South Pole has warmed three times faster than the rest of the planet in the last 30 years due to warmer tropical ocean temperatures, new research showed Monday. Antarctica’s temperature varies widely according to season and region, and for years it had been thought that the South Pole had stayed cool even as the continent heated up.

Researchers in New Zealand, Britain and the United States analysed 60 years of weather station data and used computer modelling to show what was causing the accelerated warming. They found that warmer ocean temperatures in the western Pacific had over the decades lowered atmospheric pressure over the Weddell Sea in the southern Atlantic. This in turn had increased the flow of warm air directly over the South Pole — warming it by more than 1.83°C since 1989.

Authors of the research said the natural warming trend was likely boosted by manmade greenhouse gas emissions and could be masking the heating effect of carbon pollution over the South Pole.

Beavers Gnaw at Permafrost

The beaver may be an unlikely agent of climate change, but the cuddly-looking creatures are transforming the Arctic landscape in a way that could be exacerbating global warming, a new study has suggested.

With their sharp teeth, beavers fell trees and shrubs and build dams, which flood small valleys and form new lakes that can cover several hectares of land. These new water bodies contribute to the thawing of the frozen permafrost soil, which is a huge natural reservoir of methane — a potent greenhouse gas. Scientists are concerned that as the permafrost degrades, the climate-changing methane and carbon leak into the atmosphere.

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Disease

COVID-19

The countries with the 10 greatest number of Covid-19 cases:

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Malaria – Yemen

Yemeni medical officials reported 250,000 malaria cases during the past six months, This is the latest infectious disease outbreak facing the war torn country with a crumbling health infrastructure.

Ebola – DR Congo

Four more cases have been reported from the Equator Province. Total cases in the latest outbreak are 28 cases (25 confirmed & 3 probable), with 13 associated deaths & 2 recoveries.

New swine flu found in China has pandemic potential

Researchers in China have discovered a new type of swine flu that is capable of triggering a pandemic, according to a study published on Monday in the US science journal PNAS. Named G4, it is genetically descended from the H1N1 strain that caused a pandemic in 2009. It possesses “all the essential hallmarks of being highly adapted to infect humans,” say the authors.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

There are no current tropical storms.

NewsBytes:

Bangladesh – With the monsoon setting in and waters from India rushing downstream, Bangladesh is facing a serious threat of floods that could cause extensive damage to farmlands across the delta nation’s vast northern regions. The country’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Center said Sunday that water levels in many rivers were continuing to rise, posing threats to flood protection embankments that could burst and affecting hundreds of thousands of people in more than 20 districts.

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Storms and Floods

Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:

In the Eastern Pacific Ocean: Post Tropical Cyclone 03e (Boris), located approximately 894 nm east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, is tracking west-southwestward at 07 knots.

NewsBytes:

Ukraine, Update – A total of 180 towns and villages in Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Lviv, and Ternopil regions have been flooded, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reports. The natural disaster has killed three people in Ivano-Frankivsk region. In addition, 202.3 km of roads and 94 bridges have been destroyed; 620 km of roads, 259 bridges and 650 m of dams have been damaged in flood-affected regions. Some 1,877 people and 455 pieces of equipment have been involved in eliminating the consequences of bad weather.

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Wildfires

Wildfires – Utah, USA

The Rock Path Fire in Millard and Beaver Counties reached 20,117 acres and was 25% contained as of 4:40 p.m. Saturday. No structures were threatened by the Rock Path Fire but state Route 257 has been closed in the area.

Fire officials said the Canal Fire was mapped out at 450 acres and 100% contained as of 4:15 p.m. Saturday.