Climate Change 2019




A "Pacific Blob," has mysteriously appeared off the East Coast of New Zealand a reflection of another more famous, "Pacific Blob," off the Alaskan coast which has destroyed the ecosystem
The 'hot blob' off the New Zealand coast, Map Earthwindmap

A new "Pacific Blob," has mysteriously appeared off the East Coast of New Zealand and is a reflection of another more famous, "Pacific Blob," which lies off the coast of Alaska and is thought to be the reason of lack of fish resulting in the deaths of millions of seabirds from starvation in the vast area since 2015.

The new "blob," could be devastating for wildlife off the East Coast of New Zealand as the vast area becomes too warm for fish to live there, which in turn affects seabirds and other members of the fragile ecosystem.

What's up with Alaska? Bone crushing cold Christmas: 2019 warm records broken in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter: Fires: Cod, Crab, Salmon gone" 5 year long seabird die-off
But its heat which has grabbed the headlines this year, record warmth was recorded more or less all year long in Alaska in 2019, Alaska saw a lot of record-breaking warmth in 2019, records were broken in the Spring, the Summer, Autumn and Winter, according to Meteorologist Danielle Banks. Parts of Alaska recorded their warmest February and March on record with temperatures +40 deg F above normal. In July, Anchorage hit 89 degrees F, (32 deg C), to break the all-time highest temperature ever recorded there: Campbell Creek hit 91 degrees F, (33 deg C) and the records kept tumbling! Anchorage experienced six days in a row of 80-plus deg F (27-plus deg C) weather - the longest stretch on record for the city. 

In a summer that hasn't officially started yet Australia's hell-on-earth reached a new level yesterday: Tuesday was the hottest day on record nationally with an average temp of 40.9C (105.6F)
In a summer that doesn't officially even start for another few days, Australia's hell-on-earth reached a new level yesterday when it recorded its hottest day on record with the national average temperature reaching a high of 40.9C (105.6F) across the entire nation and incredibly the whole country but it is a record that is unlikely to last very long! Australia is set to become even hotter for the rest of the week. 
Temperatures got up to well over 45C for much of the interior of the country but the location record (50.7C at Oodnadatta) is still safe — but the widespread of exceptional heat meant the national average record was broken. 

Australia is bracing for its highest recorded temperature ever which is currently 50.7C, (123 deg F): Brisbane breaks rainfall record with 6 months rain in 1 hour
Australia's nightmare start to the summer is about to get worse, after the country's worst November in living memory suffering record-breaking wildfires, a crippling drought, toxic-smog and a long heatwave with temperatures above 40 deg C, (104 deg F) in many parts, (Australia was listed as the hottest place in the world on Thursday),  another record is about to be broken. The Aussies are bracing themselves from a hot air mass which will fuel another devasting heatwave and it is expected to top Australia's current record high temperature of 50.7C, (123 deg F) at Oodnadatta in SA, that record was set on January 2, 1960.

Alaska in the news again for all the wrong reasons! Monday, December the 9th was the warmest December day ever recorded: Unprecedented warmth is killing Alaska's fragile ecosystem.
Record warmth has been recorded more or less all year long in Alaska this year and the trend shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. Monday, December the 9th was the warmest December day ever recorded in the State. Incredibly, Alaska's low on December the 9th was warmer than the average high for the time of the year. The average high in December is 25 deg F, which is -4 deg C, Anchorage recorded a high of 51 deg F, on Monday, (10.5 deg C), which is more than double the December average. Alaska has seen a lot of record-breaking warmth in 2019, there were broken records in the Spring, the Summer, Autumn and now Winter, according to Meteorologist Danielle Banks. This record warmth may be good news for the average Alaskan but it's killing Alaska's fragile ecosystem.

Australian PM denies climate change! But dead cattle littering fields along highways: Fish dying in the millions: Massive crop losses: Devastating heatwaves, droughts and wildfires tell another story

Australia last month raised the fire danger alert to "catastrophic" for the first time ever, as devastating bushfires tore through the states of New South Wales and Queensland. The crisis has killed at least six people, destroyed hundreds of homes and scorched more than two million hectares of land. Nearly 200 wildfires are still burning with at least 40 of them out of control leaving scientists to warn the Australian public Novembers record-breaking fires are just a glimpse of what's to come.

The Australian prime minister Scott Morrison of Australia, however, denies there is climate change happening. 

Experts say current drought the worst Australia has ever experienced as 2019 is turning out to be a record year in Australia for all the wrong reasons
Experts say current drought could be the worst Australia has ever experienced. According to the Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) summer outlook, the drought plaguing Australia could be the worst ever experienced, as the parched land continues to suffer water shortages and bush fires. BOM is expecting a hotter summer than usual. November 2019 has already broken many heat records as well as its worst bushfire season ever and all this happened before the official summer season started. The forecast offered no relief to Australia’s devastated farming sector, with the country’s largest and most lucrative crop, wheat, facing the worst damage in the third straight year of drought.

The Pale Horse Is Galloping: All these things are pangs of distress: It is hard to imagine just where we will be in five years! Have we crossed the tipping point?
The recent onslaught of deadly heatwaves, unprecedented wildfires, devastating flooding, aberrant cyclones made more destructive by rising seas, crippeling droughts, devastated crops, massive deforestation, record-breaking ice melt on both poles and a 70% decline of wildlife, it is safe to say our planet is stressed out.

All the above could be the least of our problem with many experts claiming our world is heading for a mini-ice-age, however, with 18 of the 19 warmest years on record occurring this century and 2019 set to become the second warmest year ever recorded a mini ice age may seem a little far fetched but many experts have evidence to back this up




The new norm? A massive low-pressure system stretching from the East Coast of the U.S to the edge of the Russian East Coast with the West constantly battered by storms
A massive low-pressure system has wrapped its self almost around the entire Northern Hemisphere, with massive amounts of rain and snow which is devastating many parts of the West and probably caused the two major quakes in the Adriatic Region in the last 24 hours. In Europe, the rains just keep on coming and show no signs of relenting.

With "historic" rain causing flooding and mudslides in both Italy and France since October along with unprecedented rainfall in the UK with devastating flooding since the end of September and parts of Greece suffering torrential rains again this weekend, we can safely say many parts of Europe are witnessing their wettest year on record.


The 2020s are set to be an economic and social upheaval: Europe losing 1000 small farms a day: America's 2019 crop failure is a "disaster": Asia millions of pigs slaughtered
Credit BBC
A crisis is emerging across three continents as extreme weather conditions and disease are beginning to bite the farming industry and world banks warning the 2020s are set to be a decade of dramatic economic and social upheaval as another billion mouths will need to be fed. Meanwhile, Europe loses 1000 small farms a day, due to a crop decline in replanting leading to price rises. Officials are using the word 'disaster' to describe the widespread crop failures happening all over America. In Asia pork prices this year have almost doubled after a quarter of the pig population has been slaughtered due to swine fever.


A group of 11,000 scientists call for "stabilising global human population" as the world is facing "untold human suffering" from climate change
A global group of around 11,000 scientists have endorsed research that says the world is facing a climate emergency. The study, based on 40 years of data on a range of measures, says governments are failing to address the crisis. (Because addressing the crisis costs money).  Without deep and lasting changes, the world is facing "untold human suffering" the study says. The researchers say they have a moral obligation to warn of the scale of the threat. (I would suggest they are around twenty years too late!)
On the same day the report was released, October 2019 was named the warmest October ever across the globe, (every month appears to break some kind of a record these days). Summer 2019 was hottest on record for the Northern Hemisphere according to a report by NOAA. According to a report by Berkeley Earth, hundreds of heat records were broken over the summer of 2019.


Average temperatures across the world in October 2019 were the warmest on record even though Western Europe the U.S. and Canada suffered cold and wet!
Here in Holland and other parts of Western Europe, October was one hideous washout for the whole duration as day after day torrential rain came rolling in from the Atlantic. It was the wettest month I can ever remember, although it did feel relatively warm when it was possible to venture outside.
According to NOAA, October 2019 was rather cool across the contiguous U.S., ending as the coldest October in a decade. The nation’s soggy streak also continued, with a record-wet year to date.
So it came as a surprise to me when the EU’s earth monitoring service Copernicus said on Tuesday that average temperatures across the world in October 2019 were the warmest on record for that month. October 2019 was 0.69°C warmer than the month's average from 1981-2010. 


"If a small fraction of Arctic sea floor carbon is released to the atmosphere, we're f***ed." Arctic expedition see methane "boiling" on the surface of the water and is visible to the naked eye
Boiling methane in the Arctic, credit NASA

Russian scientists on an Arctic expedition have discovered, for the first time, methane "boiling" on the surface of the water that is visible to the naked eye. Forget high-tech detection devices, the methane is so pronounced that it can be scooped from the water in buckets, as Newsweek reported. The research team from Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) found the methane leak east of Bennett Island in the East Siberian Sea. The methane bubbles, which create a boiling appearance, spanned an area over 50 feet, as the Telegraph reported.


Summer 2019 was hottest on record for Northern Hemisphere: August tied 2nd hottest for globe ever: Water stress and global wildfires increase
Summer 2019 was hottest on record for Northern Hemisphere and August tied as 2nd hottest for globe ever, according to a new report by NOAA. The Northern Hemisphere summer (June through August) record high-temperature ties with the same period in 2016.

Scorching temperatures around the world last month tied August 2019 as the second-hottest August on record and capped off the hottest Northern Hemisphere summer (June through August), tied with 2016. The heat also impacted Arctic sea ice coverage, shrinking it to the second smallest for the month on record.


Climate change and plastic blamed for the death of more than 200 people and more than a million displaced due to monsoon rains in India
Kerala floods bring back all the plastic Photo: Twitter/ Parveen Kaswan
Hundreds of people have been killed in different parts of India and hundreds of thousands have been displaced after monsoon rains battered several states. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala are among the worst-hit states. In Kerala, which is still recovering from the worst deluge in a century last year, 85 people have been killed since last week due to floods.250 thousand people are in relief camps. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is in flood-hit Shivamogga district today, one of the worst-affected areas of the state.


July 2019 now stands as Alaska’s hottest month ever causing vanishing summer sea ice, melting glaciers to raging wildfires and deadly chaos for marine life.
July 2019 now stands as Alaska’s hottest month on record, the latest benchmark in a long-term warming trend with ominous repercussions ranging from rapidly vanishing summer sea ice and melting glaciers to raging wildfires and deadly chaos for marine life.
According to Reuters, July’s statewide average temperature rose to 58.1 degrees Fahrenheit (14.5 degrees Celsius), a level that for denizens of the Lower 48 states might seem cool enough but is actually 5.4 degrees above normal and nearly a full degree higher than Alaska’s previous record-hot month.
The new high was officially declared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in its monthly climate report, released on Wednesday.


80 people have died from the heat and over 35,000 have been hospitalised in Japan since July with temperatures surpassing 40 deg C, (104 deg F)
A worker at a Tokyo 2020 Olympics construction site has collapsed and died, organizers said, reportedly of heatstroke as the Japanese capital swelters through a blistering heatwave with temperatures above 40 deg C, (104 deg F).
The 50-year-old man was found lying on the ground on Thursday afternoon at the site where he had been laying electric cables.
Tokyo's hot and humid weather is a major concern for Olympic organizers, particularly after the heatwave that engulfed the city last year.
After a long rainy season this year, the Japanese capital has again been hit by a deadly heatwave and last week more than 22,000 people had been hospitalized nationwide due to the weather with 65 dying.


“Absolutely incredible!” Hundreds of locations across Europe smashed all-time hot weather records by an impressive margin: Tour de France stopped by snow!
My back garden recorded a temperature of 41 deg C in the shade Thursday
Hundreds of locations across Europe smashed all-time hot weather records by an impressive margin on Thursday with many locations beating records placed the day before on Wednesday.
For the first time in the Netherlands, a temperature above 40 deg C was measured.
Gilze-Rijen, the mercury rose to 40.4 deg C, (105 deg F) breaking the all-time record which was set the day before at 39.8 deg C. (104 deg F)
In my back yard, I measured an unofficial temperature of 41.4 in the shade, see photo above.


Here we go again! Heatwave alert plan for parts of Europe as another week of scorching temperatures is coming just a month after a similar heatwave in June.
As a mighty heatwave is boiling more than half of the US at this moment, Europe is bracing itself for a new heatwave every bit as hot as last months record-breaker.
Paris authorities on Monday activated a heatwave alert plan for the capital as France prepared for another week of scorching temperatures just a month after a similar heatwave in June.
According to Reuters, the “level three” alert includes measures to ensure that elderly and vulnerable people are checked up on regularly and that rooms are set aside for shelter.
Meteo France forecast temperatures in Paris reaching as high as 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday.


June 2019 hottest on record for the globe: Nine of the 10 hottest Junes have occurred since 2010: June was the 414th consecutive month with above-average global temperatures
June 2019 was the hottest June in 140 years, setting a global record, according to the latest monthly global climate report released on Thursday by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, below are a few highlights covered on The Big Wobble. 
On June 27th, Kuwait recorded the hottest temperature in the world this year, with the mercury hitting 52.2 degrees Celsius (126 deg F) in the shadow, in the region of Matraba in North Kuwait.
On the same day, France recorded its highest temperature ever as a continuing heatwave pushed the mercury toward 45 deg C, (113 deg F)


Sign of the times? The third consecutive time in 2019 (April, May and June) the past 12-month US precipitation record has hit an all-time high.
The remnants of the once-mighty storm Barry, the first hurricane of the 2019 season, dumped dangerous amounts of rain as it crawled north through the United States on Monday after coming ashore west of New Orleans at the weekend.
2019 has proved to be a disaster for the farming industry in the US, with NOAA earlier this month claiming the U.S. had its wettest 12 months on record.
The constant deluge this year has caused thousands of American farmers to file for bankruptcy due to saturated fields and the cancellation of planting seeds which will undoubtedly result in food shortages and higher prices in the supermarket.


Records are still tumbling! Anchorage has experienced six days in a row of 80-plus deg F (27-plus deg C) weather - the longest stretch on record
The historic heat wave that has sent Alaskans scrambling to cool their sweltering homes has also toppled some lesser known temperature records, according to data from the National Weather Service.
As of Tuesday, Anchorage has experienced six days in a row of 80-plus deg F  (27-plus deg C) weather - the longest stretch on record, according to meteorologist Michael Kutz with the National Weather Service's Anchorage office.
The daily peak temperature has been 70 or higher in Anchorage for 13 days in a row.
That's not a record - yet.


Anchorage, Alaska hit 89 degrees F, (32 deg C), Thursday to break the all-time highest temperature ever recorded: Campbell Creek hit 91 degrees F, (33 deg C)
The official temperature record fell.
Anchorage hit 89 degrees F, (32 deg C), Thursday to break the all-time highest temperature ever recorded at the official recording station.
The previous record was 85 degrees F, (29 deg C), set on June 14, 1969.
Several recording stations in the Anchorage area hit 90 degrees or higher.
The Campbell Creek Science Center hit 91 degrees F, (33 deg C) as of 5:00 p.m.
Merrill Field also hit 90 degrees on Thursday.


Kuwait is the hottest country in the world, with the temperature hitting 52.2 degrees Celsius (126 deg F) in North Kuwait
Kuwait was the hottest country in the world, with the temperature hitting 52.2 degrees Celsius (126 deg F) in the shadow, in the region of Matraba in North Kuwait, yesterday.
Saudi Astro-physician Dr Khalid Alzaak from the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences (AUASS), said that the temperature hit 49 degrees near Kuwait International Airport.
The torrid heatwave caused a peak in the electrical load, which increased by 600 megawatts to reach 13,500 MW, compared to Friday.


France breaks its all-time heat record as mercury expected to pass 45 deg C" (113 deg F) later today as heat records tumble around Europe
France has finally overtaken it's highest temperature ever as the continuing heatwave pushed the mercury toward 45 deg C, (113 deg F)
The new record was measured in the southern town of Carpentras.
Meteo France forecaster Etienne Kapikian says the Carpentras record of 44.3C is a "provisional maximum temperature" that will "continue to rise over 45C".
The previous record was 44.1C during a heatwave in 2003 that killed thousands.
On Thursday and Friday, schools and nurseries across France will close as the country struggles to cope with increasingly high temperatures.


European Heat Wave Shatters June Records in Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Switzerland and Austria As Heatwave Is Set To Continue
The all-time June high-temperature record was topped in Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland, yesterday.
Germany recorded its highest-ever June temperature on Wednesday, as much of continental Europe contends with a major heat wave.
The German Weather Service said the mercury hit 38.6 degrees Celsius (101.5 Fahrenheit) at 2:50 p.m. local time in Coschen, on the country's border with Poland.
The previous record stood at 38.5 Celsius (101.3 Fahrenheit), which was measured in 1947 in Buhlertal, which lies close to France.
The longevity of the previous record -- 72 years -- shows just how unusual and intense the current heat wave is in Europe.


Mini Ice Age or warming! Who do we believe? The US and Europe suffered a wet miserable cold May while the planet was the 4th hottest May on record
The summer season in the Northern Hemisphere officially arrived on Friday,  just as NOAA reported last month was the 4th hottest on record for the globe and the 43rd consecutive May as well as 413 consecutive months with above-average temperatures but there were some regions in the United States who spent the first day of summer trapped in a winter wonderland in Colorado and Montana.
In fact, 2019 is the worse planting season since records began for farmers in the US  because of cold and wet weather.
An incredible 500 tornadoes reported during May across the US was more than double the average and the most active 30 day period since 2011.


Last month was the 4th hottest on record for the globe and the 43rd consecutive May as well as 413 consecutive month with above-average temperatures
May 2019 was the 4th hottest on record for the globe and Antarctic sea ice coverage shrank to a record low last month
According to NOAA, heat last month, in certain areas of the globe, not only broke records for May but also reached all the way down to the bottom of the world where Antarctic sea-ice coverage hit a new low.
However, if you are living in Canada, the US or western Europe NOAA's report will raise eyebrows after we endured a persistent dismal, cold and wet May.
Record snow, record rain, record flooding, record tornado season hit the US in May.
The record-breaking weather was showing no sign of improving as we approached in June.


“Day Zero” has arrived for 100 million Indian people as reservoirs dry up and people queue in long lines with temperatures of more than 50 deg C 122 deg F
Water Crisis in India’s Chennai as Reservoirs Dry Out: Photo liveindia.com
India’s sixth-largest city is facing a water crisis as its four main reservoirs are completely dry.
Residents are standing in long lines to get water from the government, and many restaurants and hotels have closed.
In early 2018, a three-year drought pushed Cape Town, South Africa, within weeks of experiencing “Day Zero”—the day when the city would run out of water and the taps would be shut off.
But in India, “Day Zero” has already arrived for over 100 million people, thanks to excessive groundwater pumping, an inefficient and wasteful water supply system and years of deficient rains.


Can we grasp what is happening? More than two gigatonnes (two billion tonnes) of ice melted in Greenland in just one day as temperatures climb way above normal
Photo Steffen Olsen Dog teams appear to be running on water!
In a sign that this year could once again set records for loss in Greenland ice, researchers have found that the island's ice sheet lost more than two gigatonnes (a gigaton is equal to one billion tonnes) of ice in just a day this week due to a widespread melting event.
The Greenland melt season started very early this season - on April 30, which is the second earliest in a record that stretches back to 1980, according to scientists from the Danish Meteorological Institute. 


Astonishing temperatures hit Kuwait with highs of 52.2 degrees C, (126 deg F) and 63 degrees C (145.4 deg F) under direct sunlight
Earlier this week highs touching 51 deg C (124 deg F) hit parts of India making it the hottest place on the planet, however, Kuwait has smashed that weighing in with an astonishing 52.2 degrees C, (126 deg F).
Kuwait on Saturday recorded the highest temperatures in the world; reaching 52.2 degrees Celsius in the shadows and 63 degrees Celsius under direct sunlight, according to Al Qabas newspaper.
Kuwait yesterday recorded the first death as a direct result of the unbearable temperatures, reports Al-Rai daily.



Temperatures touching 51 deg C (124 deg F) a historic drought causing millions of people to abandon their homes in search of water and causing mass suicides in India
Hundreds of Indian villages have been evacuated as historic drought forces families to abandon their homes in search of water.
The country has seen extremely high temperatures in recent weeks.
On Monday the capital, Delhi, saw its highest ever June temperature of 48C.
In Rajasthan, the city of Churu recently experienced highs of 50.8C, making it the hottest place on the planet.
Further south, less than 250 miles from the country's commercial capital, Mumbai, village after village lies deserted.
Estimates suggest up to 90% of the area's population has fled, leaving the sick and elderly to fend for themselves in the face of a water crisis that shows no sign of abating.


With temperatures, 22 degrees Celsius above normal Alaska's vulnerable infrastructure is collapsing as millions of square kilometres of ice are gone
Alaska in March is supposed to be cold. Along the north and west coasts, the ocean should be frozen farther than the eye can see. In the state's interior, rivers should be locked in ice so thick that they double as roads for snowmobiles and trucks. And where I live, near Anchorage in south-central Alaska, the snowpack should be deep enough to support skiing for weeks to come. But this year, a record-breaking heatwave upended norms and had us basking in comfortable-but often unsettling-warmth. 
Across Alaska, March temperatures averaged 11 degrees Celsius above normal. The deviation was most extreme in the Arctic where, on March 30, thermometers rose almost 22 degrees Celsius above normal to 3 degrees. That still sounds cold, but it was comparatively hot. 


When will it end? Record snow, record rain, record flooding, record tornado season and record heat: Extreme weather continues to batter the US
Record snow, record rain, record flooding, record tornado season and record heat, 2019 and I'm not talking about the planet, I'm talking about the US.
The record-breaking weather is showing no sign of improving anytime soon as we approach June 2019.
This years tornado season is now officially the 4th worst ever.
Multiple tornadoes ripped through Ohio, blowing houses away, injuring at least seven people, and leaving almost 100,000 people without power.




Trees dying by the million in the US and now Europe with beetle epidemics fuelled by drought and warming is a wildfire accident waiting to happen
Nearly one in every 14 standing trees in Colorado forests is dead, according to the latest report on the health of the state's wooded areas.
The study, released Wednesday by Colorado State Forest Service out of Colorado State University, calculated an estimated one billion dead trees, many of them succumbing to two beetle epidemics. That's a tree casualty increase of 30 per cent in the last nine years.
An estimated 200 million trees are dead in California and Pine Beetles are fuelling the deaths.
And now, Reuters,  are claiming the problem is causing chaos in Europe too.


Greenland is falling apart! 11 QUADRILLION POUNDS of water lost since 1972 and 286 BILLION TONS of ice lost since 2010 and it's getting worse
Since 1972, the giant island’s ice sheet has lost 11 quadrillion pounds of water.
The Greenland ice sheet contains enough water to fill the Great Lakes 115 times over - and it's falling apart quicker than ever.
To get a feel of how large Greenland's ice sheet is, it's about three times bigger than Texas, or six times bigger than Germany.
We knew the ice was melting faster and faster - after all, just last year, a study found that the 2012 melting was 4 times faster than in 2003. Now, another study published in PNAS adds even more context, finding that Greenland ice melting has accelerated by 6 times since the 1980s.


2019 is the year when the farming industry began to unravel as extreme weather and disease is hitting already stressed farmers around the world
2019, will be the year when the farming industry began to unravel as China, who produce half of the world's pork is set to drop by almost one-third because 200 million pigs are to be culled or die from being infected as African swine fever spreads through the country.
According to Rabobank, China’s pork production is seen at around 38 million tonnes in 2019 versus 54 million tonnes last year, Sherrard told Reuters, citing the company’s latest forecast.


2019 the worst agricultural disaster in modern American history with catastrophic flooding NOAA warns will continue through to the end of May
The US has never seen catastrophic flooding like this before and NOAA is warning us the flooding will continue through to the end of May.
With more than 90% of the upper midwest and great planes are still covered by nearly 11 inches of snow and all that snow is beginning to melt.
That means the US will transform from one of the worst winters in modern history into a flood season that has already taken an apocalyptic turn for farmers across the US.
Millions of acres of farmland are already under water meaning thousands of farmers will not be able to plant crops this summer, with thousands of more farmers who have been financially ruined by the floods and will never return to farming again.


Parts of Alaska have recorded their warmest February and March on record with temperatures +40 deg F above normal
Alaska residents accustomed to subzero temperatures are experiencing a heatwave of sorts that is shattering records, with the thermometer jumping to more than 30 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in some regions.
"Both February and March have been exceptionally warm," Rick Thoman, a climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy, told AFP.
"Many places are on their way to their warmest March on record."
He said that cities and towns in the northern half of the state, including Wainwright, Nuiqsut, Kaktovik and Barrow (also known as Utqiagvik), could see temperatures soar 25 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit above normal this weekend as the warm trend continues.


March heat records tumble as parts of India reach 43.2 deg C (110 deg F) as early heatwave grips the country
Records of maximum day temperature for the month of March tumbled in at least six locations, including Shivajinagar, in the state on Friday, prompting a heat wave alert in Maharashtra for March 30.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued the heatwave alert for some parts of Nashik, Ahmednagar, Parbhani, Beed and Osmanabad on the day Pune recorded its hottest March day in 66 years at 40.4°C in both Shivajinagar and Lohegaon.
Pune's March temperature had shot up to 41.1°C in 1953.
The maximum day temperature of Shivajinagar and Lohegaon on Friday was higher than normal by 3.7 degrees and 3.4 degrees respectively.

The hottest January ever the wettest February ever the hottest start to Autumn in 30 years the hottest March heatwave in 52 years: Australia 2019
Queenslanders are sweating through the hottest March heatwave in 52 years after the mercury hit 40C on Monday.
As many endure more blistering temperatures on Tuesday meteorologists have also warned that a massive thunderstorm is barrelling towards Australia's east coast.
A severe weather warning was issued on Monday and thunderstorms are expected to hit the Sunshine Coast and Gympie on Tuesday afternoon.
It comes after a slow-moving low-pressure trough directly over Queensland led to the hot air mass hitting the state's southeast yesterday.

"How soon is now?" The cities around the world which have almost run out of drinking water affecting millions and it is getting worse
The world’s largest underground aquifers a source of fresh water for hundreds of millions of people are being depleted at alarming rates, according to new NASA satellite data that provides the most detailed picture yet of vital water reserves hidden under the Earth’s surface.
Twenty-one of the world’s 37 largest aquifers in locations from India and China to the United States and France have passed their sustainability tipping points, meaning more water was removed than replaced during the decade-long study period.

A game of two halves: Extreme cold in the US against record warm in Western Europe: Paradox caused by a stuck jet stream across the Atlantic
Here on the West Coast of Holland, we are still waiting for winter to arrive and it still could but as we move into the first week of March the temperature is still way above the norm for this time of the year.
I live just north of Amsterdam and spring has arrived very early, some trees are in bloom, and the spring bulbs have burst into flower, weeks early.
The unusually high temperatures have prompted hedgehogs to come out of hibernation, butterflies to emerge and migrating birds such as swallows and house martins to arrive more than a month early.

Hell on Earth: Hottest January ever! Wettest February ever! Hottest start to autumn ever as an explosion of wildfires hit Victoria Australia
Here we go again, the hottest start to autumn in 30 years has resulted in an explosion of wildfires in the Australian state of Victoria.
Parts of Australia have already endured the hottest January ever, the wettest February and now Victoria is enduring the hottest start to autumn ever.
According to Reuters, firefighters battled 25 blazes across the Australian state of Victoria on Sunday as a record-breaking heatwave delivered the hottest start to March on record for the southern third of the country.
The continent is prone to deadly blazes thanks to its combination of remote terrain, high summer temperatures and flammable eucalyptus bush.
A severe four-day heatwave has brought fire weather across the southern parts of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania over the weekend.

What's up with the weather? UK record-breaking warmth and massive wildfires: LA coldest Feb: Cal shatter Feb snow records: Arctic start to March for U.S.
The UK has broken the record for its warmest winter day for the second consecutive day, with a temperature of 21.2°C in Kew Gardens, London.
According to the BBC Monday was the first time temperatures of over 20C had been reported in winter.
The unusually high temperatures have prompted hedgehogs to come out of hibernation, butterflies to emerge and migrating birds such as swallows and house martins to arrive more than a month early.
The RSPB said birds, insects and other wildlife could face "a real crisis" if the weather turns colder, as forecasts predict.

Climate Changed: January 2019 was third warmest on record for the globe: trailing behind 2007 (warmest), 2016 (tied second warmest), and 2017 (tied second warmest)
If you live in Australia you may be surprised to learn that January 2019 was only the third warmest on record, you may also be equally surprised in Canada the US and Greece to learn that according to NOAA, no land or ocean areas had record-cold January temperatures.
The globally averaged temperature over land and ocean surfaces for January 2019 tied with 2007 as the third highest for the month of January in the NOAA global temperature record, which dates back to 1880.
The January temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.58°F above the 20th century average of 53.6°F.
This value tied with 2007 as the third highest for January in the 140-year record.

Arkhangelsk, Russia to introduce a state of emergency after a large group of aggressive polar bears have moved into town entering homes
On Saturday, regional authorities in Arkhangelsk in northern Russia decided to introduce a state of emergency for the settlement on the southern island on Novaya Zemlya.
Military people have since December been patrolling and guarding the streets to ensure safety but without the desired effect.
The polar bears no longer react to noise- and light signals from the guards patrolling with cars and dogs, the statement issued on Saturday by Arkhangelsk officials reads.
Consequently, the state of emergency is declared and a task force to assess the situation is now on its way to Novaya Zemlya.

A glimpse of our future? Heatwaves in the southern hemisphere is killing wildlife ‘on a biblical scale’ from record-breaking heat
We are just 38 days into 2019 and already we have had record heat in Australia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil,  NASA claims the last 5 years have been the warmest since modern records began
Heatwaves in the southern hemisphere taking its toll on wildlife dramatically in 2019 already

The number of dead cattle on a remote Western Australia property is expected to double to 2,000, a peak industry group warned today, as evidence surfaced of an earlier incident at the same site. Full story

As 2019 weather hits the ground running NASA claim the last 5 years have been the warmest since records began and last year was the 4th warmest
We are just 38 days into 2019 and already we have had record heat in Australia, Chile and Brazil, record cold in the US, Canada and Russia, record snowfall in the US and record rain in the US and Australia and now NASA claims the last 5 years have been the warmest since modern records began and last year was the 4th warmest.
Can we ignore the figures anymore?
Earth's global surface temperatures in 2018 were the fourth warmest since 1880, according to independent analyses by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

35 days of hell on Earth: After record breaking heatwave which saw temperatures nudge 50 deg C (122 deg F) now two months of rain in 7 days sinks Queensland
Major flooding threatened several thousand homes on Monday in the Australian state of Queensland, forcing more than 1,100 people to be evacuated, after authorities opened up dam gates after days of torrential rains filled reservoirs to overflowing.
“Once in a century event happening here, it's historic.
I have never seen the likes of this before,” Queensland state Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in an interview on Australian Broadcasting Corp TV, in a state often hit by cyclones and flooding. Palaszczuk said there could be thousands of homes affected by the flooding.
According to Reuters, a record 1.16 meters (3.8 ft) of rain has fallen across the Townsville area over the past seven days, with another 100 millimetres expected to be dumped over the area on Monday, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

January 2019 was the warmest month in Australia since records began 2018 was third warmest 2017 fourth
The Bureau of Meteorology will today release its January climate summaries, showing the month was Australia's warmest on record.
The mean temperature for January averaged across country exceeded 30 degrees, the first time this has occurred in any month.
At least five January days were among the 10 warmest on record, with daily national temperature highs of 40C.
Australia has increasingly endured hotter summer temperatures. Last year, Sydney sweltered at 47.3C - its hottest day since 1939.
 "The warming trend which has seen Australian temperatures increase by more than one degree in the last 100 years also contributed to the unusually warm conditions," Dr Watkins said.

A vision of the future? Electricity grid systems, natural gas and other systems shutting down due to extreme weather around the world
Electricity grid systems and natural gas and other systems have been shutting down around the world due to heat and cold waves.
Thousands of Minnesotans endured the coldest night in a generation without power.
 Xcel Energy says equipment failures on power poles is leading to outages all over the metro Tuesday evening, which started at about 5:40 p.m.
 At the peak of the outage, about 8,000 residents were affected in the Twin Cities metro area.
Xcel Energy is advising residents in parts of central Minnesota north of the metro to turn down their thermostats and reduce their natural gas use.

Australia Heatwave: Port Augusta hits 49.5C (121 deg F) in South Australia as 25 heat records tumble and the fish die-off crisis continues
Photo The Guardian Menindee Lakes: hundreds of thousands of fish dead in Murray-Darling basin Port Augusta was the hottest place in South Australia when it hit 49.5C at 4.22pm, one of 25 heat records that fell today.
Adelaide has recorded Australia's hottest capital city temperature of all time, hitting a new high of 46.6C at 3.36pm.
West Terrace reached 46.6C at 3.36pm after earlier recording 46.2 at 1.42pm.
The previous Adelaide record was 46.1C, set on January 12, 1939.
Ceduna reached 48.6C at 2.18pm but is cooling rapidly, its temperature dropping 12 degrees in 40 minutes as the cool change rolls over the state from the west.
The Red Lion, a pub in the city’s Elizabeth North suburb, promised to hand out free beers if the mercury rose above 45C.
By 1pm, there was a line out the door and around the block.

“This sort of event has not happened in Australia's far north since human settlement." Now horses dying from Australian heat
Shocking pictures show dead horses at a dried-up waterhole in central Australia.
Deaths of about 40 horses discovered near Santa Teresa blamed on extreme weather conditions Forty wild horses have been found dead at a dry waterhole in central Australia in what is believed to a mass death caused by extreme weather.
Shocking pictures have been published of the animals, which were discovered by rangers near the remote community of Santa Teresa last week.
About 40 dead feral horses were found at the Apwerte Uyerreme waterhole and another 50 were found in poor health and had to be culled by the Central Land Council.

22 days into 2019 and catastrophic weather events bring an unprecedented start to a year extreme records breaking across the globe
If the first 22 days of 2019 are anything to go by this year will be an alarming jump-forward into the deep unknown with the weather being the leading conductor.
according to BoM, Australia was home to all 15 of the world's hottest temperatures on Tuesday, a feat it may well repeat this week as a huge swath of the nation bakes in 45-degree-plus heat.
These ranged from Tarcoola in inland South Australia, which reached 49.1 degrees, to Yulara in the Northern Territory at 46.1 degrees in the 15th slot.
Jacob Cronje, a senior meteorologist with Weatherzone, said he "wouldn't be shocked" by a 50-degree C, 122 deg F reading during the current spell, given the scale and intensity of the heat.

More heat records tumble as the heatwave shows no sign of dwindling causing wildlife deaths, bushfires and an increase in hospital admissions in Australia
Earthwindmap
Temperatures still rising in Australia as heatwave peaks after a record-breaking night
It is the hottest heatwave since records began and it is not going away any Australia has just sweltered through at least five of its 10 warmest days on record, authorities estimate.
An extreme heatwave has afflicted the nation since Saturday, causing wildlife deaths, bushfires and an increase in hospital admissions.
Meteorologists say that the heatwave has broken heat records at more than 10 places around Australia, largely central inland locations.

Record temperatures of almost 50 deg C (122 deg F): Drought: Millions of dead fish: Wildfires: Crop failure: Bats and birds dying: Australia summer 2019
Australians have been warned to stay indoors as the country's heat wave hits a record highs.
In the South Australian town of Port Augusta, temperatures hit 48.5C on Tuesday, the highest since records began in 1962.
According to the country's meteorological bureau, the past four days are among Australia's top ten warmest days on records.
Temperatures were set to soar to more than 45C on Wednesday in parts of New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria.
"Avoid physical activity, stay well hydrated - it's vital at this time," said Richard Broome, director of environmental health for the New South Wales state government.
He also urged people to stay indoors during the heat of the day.
For the four-fifths of Australia's 25 million people who live on the coast, the summer typically means lazing on the beach and watching cricket.