Earth ChangesS


Sun

BBC, Guardian raise alarm about 'deadly' heatwaves in Mali and Burkina Faso, despite little rise in average temperatures last 85 years

Chris Morrison
The Daily Sceptic
Mon, 22 Apr 2024 07:00 UTC
woman walking
© unknown
Legacy media filled its columns last week with poppycock 'attribution' stories suggesting that recent heatwaves in Mali (the hottest country in the world), Burkina Faso and the rest of the Sahel would have been impossible without human-caused climate disruption. Needless to say, a number of important facts were missing from this latest bout of climate catastrophism. Average temperatures in both Mali and Burkina Faso have barely risen in the last 85 years, rainfall in both countries has increased slightly in recent times, agricultural production is up, while de-desertification is under way across the entire Sahel region.

This last fact is never likely to be mentioned in these footling stories dreamed up to promote Net Zero collectivisation. To do so would be to open a Pandora's Box showing global plant levels have accelerated due to the recovering levels of carbon dioxide in a previously denuded atmosphere. A recent science paper revealed that over the last two decades, plant growth had accelerated over large areas of the planet. During the last 40 years, it is thought that there has been 14% more plant growth, bringing immeasurable benefits for local biodiversity as well as more food for human consumption
Map stuff
Read More...
Snowflake

Heavy snowfall at the end of April continues in the Alps - meter of snow in 3 days

Patrick Thorne
Inthesnow.com
Wed, 24 Apr 2024 12:54 UTC
Stubai Glacier
The snowy end to April in the Alps shows no sign of abating with a number of resorts posting up to a metre of snowfall in the last three days.

The latest big falls come after Gstaad's Glacier 3000 ski areas reported a 1.5m (five foot) accumulation in a similar period last week.

At the start of this week it's Austria's Stubai Glacier (pictured top earlier this week) in Tirol region, which has had over a metre of snowfall and is now posting Europe's deepest snow up high at 5.65 metres (nearly 19 feet), one of the deepest snowpacks reported all season. It's staying open to late May.

Switzerland's Engelberg, also open into May, is the latest to report nearly a metre (97cm) of snowfall in 72 hours and reports its snow 4 metres deep on the glacier.

Around 30 ski regions remain open in the Alps for the final week of April with around half of them planning to stay open into May.

Read More...
Cloud Precipitation

Softball-size hail smashes windows, destroys homes in the Carolinas: 'All hail broke loose'


FOX Weather
Mon, 22 Apr 2024 12:17 UTC
The balls of hail were as big as softballs.
© X / @kristinnleslieThe balls of hail were as big as softballs.
Severe thunderstorms brought a massive hailstorm to the Carolinas on Saturday, blasting out windows, tearing down fences and leaving yards covered in enough ice to create the appearance of a fresh blanket of snow.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was in effect for Rock Hill, Fort Mill and Tega Cay in South Carolina on Saturday at 4:45 p.m. ET. The warning included the potential for winds of up to 70 mph and huge hail.

Warnings were also in effect for central North Carolina through Saturday night into early Sunday morning. During the severe thunderstorms on Saturday and Sunday, the National Weather Service in Wilmington, North Carolina, received hail reports ranging from quarter to golf ball size.

Teams with the National Weather Service office in Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, conducted surveys on Monday in Rock Hill and York to assess the damage from Saturday's severe thunderstorms.

Read More...
Kayak

Death toll from floods rises to 38 in Kenya as over 110,000 displaced

Mary Muoki
Citizen Digital
Tue, 23 Apr 2024 11:52 UTC
Residents of Ruaka in Nairobi, Kenya salvage properties after heavy rains which occurred in various parts of the country evening left roads and a number of homesteads flooded on April 23, 2024.
© Francis NderituResidents of Ruaka in Nairobi, Kenya salvage properties after heavy rains which occurred in various parts of the country evening left roads and a number of homesteads flooded on April 23, 2024.
The death toll from the ongoing floods in the country has hit 38, with the Kenya Red Cross now warning that the flood situation is moving from an emergency to a disaster level.

Over 60 families in Kirinyaga County have been rendered homeless after River Thiba burst its banks, leaving behind a trail of misery and destruction.

The affected residents were rudely woken up during the night by waters from the flooded river, forcing hundreds including children to spend the night in the cold after their homes were completely submerged. Property of unknown value was also destroyed by the floods.

"It is bad, it is a disaster. The people we find mostly getting affected are the people without alternatives, we are trying as much as possible with our teams to map out the populations at risk," Venant Ndhigila, Head of disaster Operations, Kenya Red Cross, said.

Read More...
Drought

Greece: Orange Sahara dust haze descends over Athens

George Wright
BBC
Wed, 24 Apr 2024 09:43 UTC
An orange veil descended over the Greek capital on Tuesday, cloaking the Acropolis and parliament in dust
© APAn orange veil descended over the Greek capital on Tuesday, cloaking the Acropolis and parliament in dust
A dramatic orange haze has descended over Athens as clouds of dust have blown in from the Sahara desert.

It is one of the worst such episodes to hit Greece since 2018, according to officials.

Greece had already been struck by similar clouds in late March and early April, which also covered areas of Switzerland and southern France.

The skies are predicted to clear on Wednesday, says Greece's weather service.

Air quality has deteriorated in many areas of the country and on Wednesday morning the Acropolis in Athens was no longer visible because of the dust. The cloud has reached as far north as Thessaloniki.

Read More...
Doberman

15-month-old child dead after pit bull attack in Italy


ansa.it
Tue, 23 Apr 2024 13:54 UTC
PIT BULL ATTACK
A 15-month-old boy is dead after being attacked by two Pit bull terriers in the town of Campolongo, near the southern city of Salerno, sources said on Monday.

"This morning there was an attack by a dog on a child who was in the arms of his mother, at least that is what I have been told," said Mario Conte, the mayor of Eboli, the municipality Campolongo belongs to.

"He was literally ripped from her arms and bitten.

"The veterinary service will take away both dogs, who do not belong to the family hit by the tragedy, but to another family that lives in the same residence.

"It was a ferocious attack and, even though one of the child's uncles intervened to try and free him, nothing could be done.
Read More...
Snowflake

Germany's Zugspitze sees 3 feet of Spring snow in 5 days

Julia Schneemann
SnowBrains
Mon, 22 Apr 2024 13:33 UTC
In the last 5 days, around 1 meter of snow fell at the Zugspitze. |
© Zugspitze FacebookIn the last 5 days, around 1 meter of snow fell at the Zugspitze.
Germany's tallest mountain, the Zugspitze with an elevation of 9,718 feet (2,962 meters), received 16 inches (40 cm) of snow in the last 24 hours and around 3.3 feet (1 meter) in the last five days. Snow conditions at the Zugpitze Ski Area are perfect right now, despite the resort having started preparing for the summer season.

Thanks to the resort being home to one of the last remaining German glaciers and its high altitude, the Zugspitze is open for skiing until May each year. This year the season is scheduled to end on May 1, 2024. Current snowdepth at the Zugspitze, which is measured at the measuring station at 7,382 feet (2,250 meters), is 147 inches (372 cm).

The Zugspitze ski area offers 12.5 miles (20 km) of groomed ski runs across three peaks, the Schneefernerkopf at 9,429 feet (2,874 meters), Wetterwandeck 8,852 feet (2,698 meters), and Zugspitze or Zugspitze plateau at 8,530 feet (2,600 meters). The ski area can usually be accessed from Germany as well as Austria, however, access from Austria is now closed for the winter season.

Read More...
Cloud Precipitation

Mudflows hit several settlements in Kyrgyzstan


AKI Press
Tue, 23 Apr 2024 13:27 UTC
nnnnnnn
Several settlements in Nooken district, Jalal-Abad region were hit by mudflows in the evening of April 22.

Mudflows hit Boston and Kok-Tash villages, flooding roads and streets.

The Bishkek-Osh road was blocked partially.

The flows of mud washed away the protection facility in Boston village, posing threat to Eski Kochkor-Ata village.

The local authorities made the decision to evacuate people. Residents of 300 houses are evacuated.

Read More...
Snowflake

Kurzeme in Latvia sees thick layer of April snow

Toms Bricis
eng.lsm.lv
Tue, 23 Apr 2024 12:31 UTC
mmmmmm
© Māris Lācis
On Tuesday morning, the thickest snow layer was formed in Kurzeme, according to the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center (LVĢMC).

From where LVĢMC is taking measurements, the deepest snow this morning at 9:00 was 11 centimeters in Talsi municipality Stende, while a nine-centimetre thick layer of snow had formed in Saldus in the early hours of the morning. Elsewhere in official weather watch stations, the snow cover has been thinner.

Residents from several locations in Kurzeme report as much as a 15-20 centimeter thick layer of snow.


Comment: At the same time in several nearby countries across this part of northern Europe:

Read More...
Snowflake

Tallinn in Estonia blanketed in thick April snow

Mari Peegel
news.err.ee
Tue, 23 Apr 2024 12:11 UTC
10 centimeters of snow blanketed Tallinn
© Ken Mürk/ERR10 centimeters of snow blanketed Tallinn on April 23, 2024.
Tallinn and Harju County saw a night of snow which has covered the land in a fluffy coat. The snow is still coming down Tuesday morning, with drivers who have changed their tires to the summer variety urged to leave their vehicles home.

Tuesday will be cloudy, with sleet, snow and in places rain forecast. Blizzards are not out of the question either. The precipitation is forecast to ease up moving into the evening, with clearer patches of sky possible in the west of the country. Westerlies of 4-9 meters per second are in store, 16 m/s during gusts. The temperature will rise from 0 degrees Celsius in the morning to around 4 degrees later in the day.

As the precipitation moves west, driving conditions will suffer in Northern and Western Estonia. The wintry mix can come down hard at times, while freezing rain is not out of the question either. Road surface temperatures are near-zero and precipitation can make them extremely slippery, the Transport Administration warns.

Read More...