Victoria in April 2018: very warm with below average rainfall

April was drier than average across most of Victoria, particularly in parts of East Gippsland where it was lowest on record. 

For the State as a whole this was the driest April since 1997. Victoria's daytime temperature was second-warmest on record.

Read Bureau of Meteorology report - “Victoria in April 2018: very warm with below average rainfall.”

Insect population decline leaves Australian scientists scratching for solutions

A global crash in insect populations has found its way to Australia, with entomologists across the country reporting lower than average numbers of wild insects.

Entomologists are concerned Australia's insect populations are in decline.

University of Sydney entomologist Dr Cameron Webb said researchers around the world widely acknowledge that insect populations are in decline, but are at a loss to determine the cause.

"On one hand it might be the widespread use of insecticides, on the other hand it might be urbanisation and the fact that we're eliminating some of the plants where it's really critical that these insects complete their development," Dr Webb said.

"Add in to the mix climate change and sea level rise and it's incredibly difficult to predict exactly what it is."

Entomologist and owner of the Australian Insect Farm, near Innisfail in far north Queensland, Jack Hasenpusch is usually able to collect swarms of wild insects at this time of year.

Read the ABC News story by Mark Rigby - “Insect population decline leaves Australian scientists scratching for solutions.”

Australia among countries growing hotter faster: report

London: Summer days are growing hotter in the world's big cities at a significantly faster pace than the average rise in world temperatures.

A tennis fan does his best to keep cool on day four of
the Australian Open in Melbourne, this week.

It is a trend that could mean more deadly urban heatwaves in years ahead, scientists have claimed.

The trend is particularly pronounced in parts of Australia, Europe and, East Asia, a report released in the journal Earth's Future said.

In cities such as Paris, Houston, Moscow and Beijing, heat on the hottest summer days is growing two or three times as quickly as general temperature rises linked to climate change over the last 50 years, said researchers at the University of California-Irvine.

Read the story from today’s Melbourne Age - “Australia among countries growing hotter faster: report.”

Phoenix initiative helps residents stay safe in extreme heat

Blazing hot days are common in Arizona and they can be deadly. On average, extreme heat causes more than a hundred deaths in the state each year.

To provide relief in the city of Phoenix, community organizations offer residents air-conditioned spaces to cool off. Some also provide water, and donated items such as sunscreen.

Hammett: “Some examples here are Salvation Army, churches … our libraries, our senior centers.”

Michael Hammett oversees the Heat Relief Network. He says the network has existed for years but many people do not know about it.

Read the Yale Climate Connections story - “Phoenix initiative helps residents stay safe in extreme heat.”

Carbon dioxide levels at Mauna Loa reach record highs

T

he US government’s greenhouse gas monitoring site at Mauna Loa in Hawaii has confirmed that its average recorded carbon dioxide levels for February topped 400 parts per million (ppm) – the first time that this has been seen in a northern winter month.

Back in May 2013, the Hawaiian site recorded daily levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide at 400 ppm for the first time. Last year the average hit 400 ppm in April, and remained above this level for three months.

So this year, reaching 400 ppm as part of the seasonal ebb and flow of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations as early as February is another milestone.

Read the report here: “February carbon dioxide levels average 400ppm for first time”

El Nino suggests world is entering a new warming phase

The certainty this year of another El Nino suggests that the world maybe entering a new warming phase.

“Scribbling for economic, social and environmental justice”, robertscribbler has

warned that “Global sea surface temperature increase to extraordinary +1.25C anomaly as El Nino tightens grip on Pacific”.

It reports that the increase is already higher than the 1979-2000 average.