Mark Przepiora

Aljazeera.com reports that...

There have been two, maybe three, landmark heat waves in the history of man-made global warming. The first was in 1988 and it put the concept of global warming on the map. Then as now, the eastern two-thirds of the United States broiled beneath ferociously high temperatures, while relentless drought parched soil and withered crops across the Midwestern farm belt.

But in Washington, the underlying problem was being named for the first time. On June 23, NASA scientist James Hansen testified to the US Senate that man-made global warming had begun. The New York Times reported his remarks on page one; the media at home and abroad followed suit. By year’s end, “global warming” had become a common phrase in news bureaux, government ministries and living rooms around the world.

Read more at www.aljazeera.com

Thehindu.com reports that...

The death toll from Typhoon Saola rose on Friday to 44 in the Philippines and Taiwan as storms and Typhoon Damrey made landfall in China, where two died and about 770,000 were evacuated.

Read more at www.thehindu.com

Bbc.co.uk reports that...

Some 40 people are now reported to have died in rain and hail storms in north-western China.

Read more at www.bbc.co.uk

Whereas the USA and Canada saw winter return with a vengeance in mid-to-late February, by the middle of March it experienced far more erratic weather, with droughts, heat waves, storms and then, just as suddenly in some areas, more snowfall. Meanwhile, the cherry blossom trees of Washington, DC bloomed weeks early due to the unusually warm weather. Indeed, Spring’s early arrival allowed farmers in New Jersey to get into the fields two weeks early but forced them to deal with an increase of crop-eating insects due to the mild winter. Overall, it was a very warm March, with dozens of record temperatures being set.

In other parts of the world, the warm weather had troubling effects. In Morocco, droughts caused the country’s cereal harvests to falter. Northern Mexico experienced its worst drought in 71 years, causing a severe shortage of food and water across the country. Meanwhile, Vietnam braced itself for Tropical Storm Pakhar, and Fiji experienced flash floods. However, just when it had seemed that Spring had come for good, citizens of western Serbia experienced large snowfalls, and in Scotland snow fell just days after record-breaking heat waves.

Thus, to call the weather over the past six weeks “erratic” seems like an understatement. It’s a period that has seen record heat waves and snow storms, and droughts and floods, often in the same places.

Click here to view all weather events during this six-week time period.

Drought. Wildfires. Wind. Hail. Tornadoes. Flooding.

April 2011 was a month defined by extreme weather conditions, particularly in the United States. Texas followed its driest March in over 100 years with its fifth driest April. Higher temperatures and absent rainfall were blamed for power outages at refineries, a spike in rabies reports, and wheat crop losses. By month’s end, 94% of the state was experiencing severe to exceptional drought conditions. Read more.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released a study on food production last week that concluded 1.3 billion tons of food is lost each year.  That’s one third of total global production.  This inefficiency in food production and consumption reflects wasted energy and consequently unnecessary GHG emissions. [...] What does food waste mean in terms of climate change?  “When we throw away 40%, 40% of resources invested goes for naught, for nothing” said Bloom.  He estimates that “2% of all US energy goes to food we’re throwing away.” The vast amount of water, oil, and other resources that go into farming are squandered, and the gears of industrial agriculture spin with no purpose. Read more.

-04.07.11- There’s a gap in the stately row of trees that line one of the most famous drives in America, the aftermath of thunderstorms that swept through Augusta early Tuesday and damaged other parts of the course, too. Read more

-04.07.11- The drought may be over in California, but large portions of the Southwest, southern Plains, Florida and the Southeast are all still enduring severe to extreme drought conditions. Read more

-04.07.11- The Atlantic basin is facing a busier-than-average hurricane season, in part because of unusually warm water in the ocean, according to a seasonal hurricane forecast released Wednesday. Read more