5 Plants and Animals Utterly Confused by Climate Change

Every year, as the seasons change, a complex ballet unfolds around the world. Trees in the Northern Hemisphere leaf out in the spring as frost recedes. Caterpillars hatch to gorge on leaves. Bees and butterflies emerge to pollinate flowers. Birds leave the Southern Hemisphere and fly thousands of miles to lay eggs and feast on insects in the north.

Lauren Kolesinskas for The New York Times

All of these species stay in sync with each other by relying on environmental cues, much as ballet dancers move to orchestral music.

But global warming is changing the music, with spring now arriving several weeks earlier in parts of the world than it did a few decades ago. Not all species are adjusting to this warming at the same rate, and, as a result, some are falling out of step.  

Read the story by Livia Abeck-Ripka and brad Plumer from The New York Times - “5 Plants and Animals Utterly Confused by Climate Change.”

Warmest July across the nation

Last month was the warmest July across the Nation on record with many temperatures breaking previous records set decades ago.

Last month was the warmest
July across the Nation on record.

It was certainly not the warmest July in our regions by a long shot although Moree on 30th July had it's warmest July day since 1958 with a reading of 28.9.

In the Northern Territory July was easily the warmest on record . At Darwin and Tennant Creek the mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were both well above the normal.

Previous July's at Darwin when both the Maximum temperatures and Minimum temperatures were significantly warmer than normal were in 1903, 1906, 1916, 1920, 1975 and 2010 and all these episodes led to well above rainfall for the next 6 months from August in our regions.

At Tennant Creek previous July's with both maximums and Minimums also well above normal were in 1920, 1947, 1958, 1973, 1975, 1990 and 2013.

Read the Country News story by Peter Nelson - “Warmest July across the nation.”