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Attention

Deadly Asian hornets invading Europe, scientists adding electronic trackers to enable destruction of nests

Josh Gabbatiss
Independent
Thu, 05 Jul 2018 08:49 UTC
asian hornet tracking
New technique allows experts to find and destroy hidden nests belonging to invasive predators

A deadly Asian hornet invasion threatening British honeybees could be averted using tiny electronic trackers.

Scientists have attached devices to the large insect predators and followed them back to their hidden nests, which can then be destroyed to stop them harming local pollinators.

They tested the technique in southern France and Jersey, where populations of the invasive species are already well established.

Bee keepers are worried about the Asian hornet, which was first reported in the UK in 2016.

Comment: We're seeing a rise in swarms of pests (and viral plagues), and a total population collapse of other creatures, what is happening on our planet?

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Attention

Hail the size of chicken eggs destroys vineyard in minutes in Limoux, France


languedocliving.com
Wed, 04 Jul 2018 12:00 UTC
hail limoux 2018
© lindependant.fr
For the second consecutive year, vineyards in Limoux, Aude, have been hit hard by hail.

On Tuesday of this week, hailstones the "size of chicken's eggs" fell in Limoux, lamented Guillaume Brunet, winemaker at Gardie.

Showers of hail devastated the whole vineyard in a few minutes, and the loss is huge.

"Last year, we lost 80% of the harvest because of a frost, and this year, again, we lose 100% from the hail," said Pierre Tichadou, winegrower.

Comment: Even though many farmers in France attempt to protect their crop from hail damage with nets and controversial hail guns, the ferocity and frequency of these storms is rising so even they are unprepared. Increasingly they also need to be aware of erratic frosts, epic floods, heatwaves, microbursts, the list goes on. The future for farming is looking bleak indeed:


Similar has been occurring all over the world - Italy:


And US:



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Cloud Precipitation

Heaviest monsoon rain in decades creates 6m wide sinkhole, kills 9, leaves Lahore, Pakistan underwater - 3 more days of rain forecast


The Watchers
Wed, 04 Jul 2018 12:00 UTC
lahore pakistan monsson record 2018
© Xinhua
Featured image: Huge sinkhole opens in Lahore, Pakistan after record-breaking rains flood the city on July 3, 2018.
Heavy monsoon rains, described as the worst in decades, left at least 9 people dead and 10 injured in the Pakistani city of Lahore (population 6.3 million) on Tuesday, July 3, 2018. The city received record-breaking rain that left much of it under water and without power. Heavy rains are expected to continue falling across the region over the next 3 days. Residents are urged to heed official warnings.

The city of Lahore, capital of Punjab Province, received a total of 252 mm (9.9 inches) of rain in 24 hours on Monday and Tuesday, breaking the previous daily rainfall record set in 1980.

Floodwaters left many many people were stranded in their homes and damaged over 200 electricity feeders across the city, leaving much of it without power.

The storm also disrupted air and land traffic, as major roads turned into pools.

Comment: Extreme weather around the world is occurring with increasing frequency and humanity is entirely unprepared: And check this out from 2017 - last year they considered the monsoon's the worst in recent history, it looks like 2018 is set to be even worse: Worst monsoons in recent history kill 1,200 and displace over 40 million in India, Nepal & Bangladesh (PHOTOS & VIDEOS)

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Snowflake Cold

Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: Once in a century snow hits South Africa & ancient Kalahari desert canal system


Adapt 2030
Wed, 04 Jul 2018 14:39 UTC
A motorist removes the snow from his car on the Swaarmoed Pass, 10 km outside Ceres in Western Province Cape, South Africa, on July 3, 2018.

A motorist removes the snow from his car on the Swaarmoed Pass, 10 km outside Ceres in Western Province Cape, South Africa, on July 3, 2018.
What can be described as a once in a century snow fall event with record cold swept across southern Africa over the last four days, leaving record snow and snow accumulation in areas of South Africa that have never recorded snowfall over the last 150 years. Additionally record cold records smashed through Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, all the way to 20 degrees S Latitude. Climate cycles shifted so we take a look at the ancient Kalahari megalithic cities and worlds largest canal system left by a previous civilisation some 30,000 years ago in the same areas.


Comment: Heavy snowfall across South Africa

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Attention

Extreme weather to drop European cereal production 6%

Barry Cassidy
Irish Farmers Journal
Tue, 03 Jul 2018 08:02 UTC
Combine harvester

To help farmers stay afloat Copa Cogeca has called on the EU Commission to issue an advance payment to those suffering the effects of extreme climatic conditions.
New estimates for this year's EU grain harvest are forecasting a 6% drop in EU cereal and oilseeds production, due to extreme weather conditions.

The estimate comes from Copa Cogeca, the farmer and agri cooperative representative body in the EU. The total harvest is expected to be in the region of 273.8m tonnes.

Copa Cogeca cereals working party chair Max Schulman said: "Farmers in some central European and northern countries [Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Germany and Finland] have been hit by severe drought, which is reaching catastrophic proportions. Whilst some southern countries [Iberian Peninsula, Italy, France] have been experiencing floods."


Comment:

Copa Cogeca oilseeds working party chair Arnaud Rousseau went on to warn of the estimated 6% drop, around 2m tonnes, in EU oilseeds production. Last year's production figure stood at 31.5m tonnes.

"We are concerned about the substitution of EU crop-based biofuels by palm oil and biodiesel imports. EU crop-based biofuels which generate a protein-rich co-product for use in animal feed must be promoted against palm oil in the EU. In addition, we call on the Commission to implement urgently the countervailing duty on biodiesel imports originating from Argentina".
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Ice Cube

Intense hailstorm hits Valencia, Spain affecting 11,000 ha (27,200 acres) of crops, damage up to €47 million (US$58 million)


Fresh Fruit Portal
Wed, 04 Jul 2018 06:33 UTC
Valencia fruit damage
© AVA-ASAJA
An "intense hailstorm" that hit Spain's Valencia region on Sunday has caused widespread damage to persimmon and citrus crops, according to farming association AVA-ASAJA.

There had been "extremely serious damage" in the La Ribera area, with many growers having lost the entirety of their crop, the organization said.

Some 11,000 hectares are estimated to be affected, with economic losses of up to €47 million (US$58 million), it said. The large storm affected numerous areas in Valencia, passing from east to west.

"It was a brief storm but it was very strong and has been a real disaster for thousands of Valencian growers. Even the wood on the trees has been affected," said AVA-ASAJA president Cristóbal Aguado. He has requested state support for fungicides to protect the trees from rotting.

Persimmons are the most affected crop, with around 3,500 hectares seriously affected. The organization estimated this would translate into a 15% drop in production on the next crop, which, added to the 10% reduction the industry was already expecting due to frosts in February and March, will lead to Valencia's persimmon production dropping by a quarter.

Comment: With extreme weather increasing around the world, from intense hailstorms, extreme cold, scorching heatwaves and epic flooding, farmers are losing more crops to disease and damage, and consumers are seeing prices rise. Are you prepared? See also:

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Snowflake

Heavy snowfall across South Africa

Robert W. Felix
Ice Age Now
Wed, 04 Jul 2018 18:33 UTC
A motorist removes the snow from his car on the Swaarmoed Pass, 10 km outside Ceres in Western Province Cape, South Africa, on July 3, 2018.

A motorist removes the snow from his car on the Swaarmoed Pass, 10 km outside Ceres in Western Province Cape, South Africa, on July 3, 2018.
Globull warming in South Africa. Much of SA covered in snow. Gydo, Theronsberg and Matroosberg mountain passes closed.

3 July 2018 - Official snow reporter in the Western Cape says it's the most impressive snowfall since he began reporting.

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Cloud Precipitation

Evacuations after major floods in Trentino, Italy - 5 inches of rain in under 4 hours

Richard Davies
FloodList
Wed, 04 Jul 2018 16:45 UTC
Floods in Moena, Trentino, Italy, 03 July 2018.
© Government of Trentino
Floods in Moena, Trentino, Italy, 03 July 2018.
As much as 130 mm of rain fell in under 4 hours on 03 July in the town of Moena and surrounding areas in the province of Trentino, northern Italy.

The torrential rain caused rivers to overflow and sent mud and flood water raging through Moena's streets.

Authorities pre-emptively evacuated around 50 people from their homes in Moena and areas near San Pellegerino. Safe accommodation was provided in a local school.

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Attention

3 Dead gray whales found on shores of Kodiak Island, Alaska


U.S. News and World Report
Wed, 04 Jul 2018 15:26 UTC
gray whale
Officials are investigating after three dead gray whales have been discovered on the shores of Kodiak Island since last week.

The Kodiak Daily Mirror reports a Kodiak resident found the body of a gray whale calf on a beach near Pasagshak Bay on June 25 and alerted the Alaska Region Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

A dead adult gray whale was found on June 28, and another adult gray whale washed up Monday.

Mandy Migura, the Alaska coordinator for the National Marine Fisheries Services, says the short timespan between each body discovery is "enough to raise an eyebrow."

Migura says the calf likely died from an orca attack, and necropsy results for the second whale are pending. Officials were headed to the site of the third whale to investigate Monday.

Sources: AP, The Kodiak Daily Mirror
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Cloud Lightning

India records 50% increase in deaths caused by lightning during the 2006 - 2015 decade compared to the one prior

Malavika Vyawahare
Hindustan Times
Wed, 04 Jul 2018 15:03 UTC
Higher particulate matter pollution and loss of vegetation is making urban areas more susceptible to lightning strikes.
© Ajay Aggarwal
Higher particulate matter pollution and loss of vegetation is making urban areas more susceptible to lightning strikes.
Lightning strikes claim more lives annually in India than other natural disasters such as floods and cyclones. They have turned deadlier over the years.

Climate change is leading to extreme weather events such as storms, rain, heatwaves and lightning are getting more frequent and more intense, causing more deaths and destruction.

However, while floods and heat waves that impact large swathes of the population attract the spotlight, lightning strikes that prove dangerous to individuals get less attention.

The average number of people who died of lightning strikes every year between 2006 and 2015 was about 50% higher than the decade before, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows. Taking into account population growth, the average deaths from lightning strikes per million people in 2006-2015 was 26% more than in 1996-2005.

Comment: Sott Exclusive: Shocking weather! Lightning fatalities across the planet on the increase

Lightning caused more deaths than floods, landslides across India in 2015 - with 2,641 fatalities

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