El
Nino Effects Are Already Severe And They May Get Worse
Record flooding in Texas and Oklahoma may be a sign of things to come, according to scientists who say El Nino events may be getting stronger.
by
Sebastian Martinez
2
September 2, 2015
"The
force of the water that's being let out and how deep and wide it is
in areas that I've never seen water in," Oklahoma Gov. Mary
Fallin said.
"If
your local elected officials tell you to evacuate, it is essential
that you heed those warnings," Texas Gov. Greg
Abbott warned on KPRC.
The
record floods that hit Oklahoma and Texas this spring caused millions
of dollars in damage and took dozens of lives. (Video via KJRH)
A KTRK
reporter said:
"The body of a 50-year-old woman was also found on Ardmore. The
body of another man was found late this evening in the Brays Bayou."
And
while the incidents were unusual, scientists say they weren't a
fluke. Instead, they may be a sign of things to come. (Video
via KXAN)
A
paper from researchers at
Utah State University suggests warmer temperatures prompted this
year's El Nino to produce much more intense rain than usual.
El
Nino is a phenomenon that periodically brings warmer water
temperatures in off the Pacific causing a host of effects across the
Americas.
The
scientists argue a warmer atmosphere has made those effects more
severe, like causing heavier-than-usual rainfall in the southern
Great Plains. (Video via
Add
to that the prediction that this year's El Nino could be the worst in
50 years, and it gets easier to understand the extent of the
flooding. (Video via KGTV)
2011's
La Nina, El Nino's cold phase, was the
warmest on record and
also led to weather extremes, including more severe tornadoes in the
Midwest and increased hurricanes in the North Atlantic. (Video
via CBS)
Then,
like now, the warming atmosphere was credited with amplifying the
typical effects of La Nina.
And
yet planning for the effects of climate change isn't popular with the
conservative political establishment in states like Texas and
Oklahoma. (Video via Austin
American-Statesman, KXAN)
Still,
scientists say their findings — the link between a warmer climate
and extreme El Nino events — can help predict future extreme
weather.
As 2015 smashes temperature records, it's hotter than you think
The Arctic sea ice pack north of Alaska in September 2013, as seen by the Aqua satellite.Credit: NASA
Summer Sea Ice Likely to Drop to 4th Lowest on Record
Calcutta:
Hottest day in 90 years!
Thursday,
September, 3, turned out to be the hottest day of the month nearly in
the last 90 years with the city recording a day temperature of 36.4
degree Celsius. The day’s temperature broke the earlier record of
36.1 degree Celsius recorded on September 15, 1927.
According
the Indian Meteorological Department officials, 36 degree Celsius
during September is something unusual for the city where the
temperatures hover between 34 and 36 degree Celsius. Similarly, on
August 19, the city recorded the highest temperature of 37.6 degree
Celsius while on August 3 – 37 degree Celsius.
A week after heatwave, snow
falls in Bavaria
From 30C to snow in under a week? It's possible in Germany where seven centimetres of the white stuff fell at the top of the Bavarian Alps on Friday.
Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain. File Photo: DPA
It
might seem like summer was only last week in Germany – and that's
because it was.
With
blazing sunshine and temperatures topping 30C over the weekend, the
onset of winter couldn't have been further from most Germans' minds.
But
in the Bavarian Alps, autumn has been skipped out altogether.
At
Zugspitze – Germany's highest peak, at 2,962m – seven centimetres
of snow have already fallen, reports
the Münchner Merkur.
"The
peaks are already lightly sprinkled with snow, and some more could
come over the weekend," said a spokesperson from the German
Meteorological Service in Munich on Friday.
dann
fangen wir halt wieder an mit Schneeräumen...
— Zugspitze (@zugspitze2962) September 4, 2015
"Time
to start clearing away the snow again.."
Zugspitze
is the highest peak of the Wetterstein mountain range, which
straddles the border between Bavaria and Tyrol.
The
peaks are a popular destination for mountaineers, hikers and
tourists.
Most
Germans probably haven't even thought of getting the hat and scarf
out yet - but with more snow expected over the weekend, visitors
Heatwave cuts power in Poland, disrupts Romania ship traffic
11 August, 2015
A heatwave has forced Poland to sharply cut electricity supply to industry for the first time in over a decade, pushing some companies to limit production.
Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz called the situation "very serious" as weather forecasts for the coming days showed high temperatures will persist.
The local unit of the world's largest steel maker ArcelorMittal halted some of its operations, describing the situation as "very difficult."
The heatwave and lack of rain cut the amount of water needed to cool coal-fired power plants, from which Poland generates about 90 percent of its electricity. The country has virtually no solar energy generating capacity
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