Histograms of daily maximum wet-bulb temperature, TWmax (°C), and maps of the ensemble averaged 30-year TWmax. (A) The histograms are generated for the most populous cities in the selected regions for each scenario: HIST (blue), RCP4.5 (green), and RCP8.5 (red). Values within each panel correspond to the 2- and 25-year return period of the bias-corrected annual maxima of TWmax, and the x and y axes indicate TWmax (°C) and the number of occurrences on a logarithmic scale, respectively. The background image was obtained from NASA Visible Earth. (B to D) The spatial distributions of bias-corrected ensemble averaged 30-year TWmax for each GHG scenario: HIST (1976–2005) (B), RCP4.5 (2071–2100) (C), and RCP8.5 (2071–2100) (D). Graphic: Im, et al., 2017 / Science Advances

Climate change to cause humid heatwaves that will kill even healthy people

By Damian Carrington 2 August 2017 (The Guardian) – Extreme heatwaves that kill even healthy people within hours will strike parts of the Indian subcontinent unless global carbon emissions are cut sharply and soon, according to new research. Even outside of these hotspots, three-quarters of the 1.7 billion population – particularly those farming in the Ganges […]

Global warming causing suicides in India as crops fail – “The tragedy is unfolding today. This is not a problem for future generations. This is our problem, right now.”

By Kathleen Maclay 31 July 2017 (Berkeley News) – Climate change has already caused more than 59,000 suicides in India over the last 30 years, according to estimates in a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) that suggests failing harvests that push farmers into poverty are likely the […]

Study projects deaths from heat and cold for 10 U.S. cities through 2090 – “These results show the cost in terms of human lives due to just this one aspect of climate change: temperature”

PROVIDENCE, R.I., 25 July 2017 (Brown University) – A new study projects that if climate change continues unabated, heat-related deaths will rise dramatically in 10 major U.S. metropolitan areas compared to if the predicted increase in global warming is substantially curbed and cities take steps to adapt. “The conversation about climate change is typically focused […]

Hottest day ever recorded in Shanghai as heat wave bakes China – Officials issue “red alert” as temperature hits 40.9°C

SHANGHAI, 21 July 2017 (Xinhua) – The meteorological department of east China metropolis Shanghai recorded an air temperature of 40.9 degrees Celsius (105.6 degrees Fahrenheit) at around 2 p.m. Friday, the highest on record in the city in 145 years.A red alert for high temperatures was issued by the Shanghai Central Meteorological Observatory on Friday.The […]

The Uninhabitable Earth, Annotated Edition

By David Wallace-Wells14 July 2017(New York Magazine) – We published “The Uninhabitable Earth” on Sunday night, and the response since has been extraordinary — both in volume (it is already the most-read article in New York Magazine’s history) and in kind. Within hours, the article spawned a fleet of commentary across newspapers, magazines, blogs, and […]

Today’s extreme heat may become norm within a decade

By Andrea Thompson 14 July 2017 (Climate Central) – When 2015 blew the record for hottest year out of the water, it made headlines around the world. But a heat record that was so remarkable only two years ago will be just another year by 2040 at the latest, and possibly as early as 2020, […]

State of emergency declared, towns evacuated in B.C. as wildfires burn out of control

By Maryse Zeidler 8 July 2017 (CBC News) – The province of British Columbia has declared a state of emergency, as wildfires burn out of control throughout most of the Interior. “​The extended weather forecast is calling for continued hot, dry weather, with risks of thunderstorms in many parts of the province,” the province said […]

New heat wave bakes Southwest U.S.

By Dr. Jeff Masters 8 July 2017 (Wunderground) – After suffering through the most intense heat wave ever to affect the region so early in the year during mid-June, the Southwest U.S. is once again roasting in record heat. On Friday, Death Valley, California hit 127°–a tie with 20 June 2017 as the hottest temperature […]

Image of the Day: Satellite view of forest fires near Lake Baikal in June 2017

By Mike Carlowicz 25 June 2017 (NASA) – Wildfires spread across southern Siberia in late June 2017. According to Russian state media, at least 27,000 hectares (100 square miles) were burning in the Irkutsk Oblast region. Another 27,000 hectares burned in neighboring states and regions. More than 200 firefighters were sent to control the blazes. […]

Climate change-induced migration from Central America

By Stephanie Leutert 21 June 2017 (Lawfare) – Last Thursday and Friday, the United States and Mexico co-hosted top officials from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and other countries for the “Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America.” As the name suggests, the gathering aimed to spur a wide-ranging conversation for improving the region’s economic […]

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