Antarctica Sets Record High Temperature: 64.9 Degrees

Antarctica, the coldest, windiest and driest continent on Earth, set a record high temperature on Thursday, underscoring the global warming trend, researchers said.

The previous record high temperature for Esperanza, the Argentinian
 research station, was 63 degrees, which was set in March 2015.

Esperanza, Argentina’s research station on the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, reached 64.9 degrees Fahrenheit, or 18.2 degrees Celsius, breaking the previous record of 63.5 degrees set on March 24, 2015, according to Argentina’s National Meteorological Service. The station has been recording temperatures since 1961.

The temperature at Esperanza, where it is summer, was comparable to the weather in Los Angeles and Huntsville, Ala., where the high temperatures were 64 on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

The Weather and Climate Extremes Archive, a committee of the World Meteorological Organization, will verify the temperature, the organization said in a news release.

Read the story from The New York Times by Derrick Bryson Taylor - “Antarctica Sets Record High Temperature: 64.9 Degrees.”

Australia’s dryness may be its new energy source

Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, but new research might allow us to use this to create energy.

"Evaporation comes with a natural battery,"
study co-author Ahmet-Hamdi Cavusoglu says. 

Scientists in the US have developed a machine that can harness evaporation to create kinetic energy, which can be transformed into power.

Early modelling indicates this technology could generate almost 325 gigawatts if used in the US. In the National Electricity Market – which encompasses the entire east coast of Australia – in 2016-17 there was a maximum demand of 34.4 gigawatts.

Dubbed an "evaporation-driven engine", it is already achieving positive results and can double as a water-saving device.

Read Cole Latimer’s story in today”s Melbourne Age - “Australia’s dryness may be its new energy source.”

Perth - it's an isolated city and now becoming one of the driest

P

erth, the capital of Western Australia, is not only one of the most isolated cities in the world, it is also becoming one of the driest in Australia.

Perth - a city of lush lawns and
 eye-catching flower beds faces
 dire climate change projections.

Since the gold rush of the 1890s, impressive engineering schemes have transported enough water to make Perth a city of lush lawns and eye-catching flowerbeds, to the surprise of some visitors.

But a drop in average annual rainfall in recent years, along with some truly dire climate change projections, have required government and business to focus on water security. Australia’s Climate Council estimates that water flow from rainfall into Perth’s dams has slumped by 80% since the 1970s, with precipitation in the south-west corner of Australia forecast to drop by up to 40% by the end of the century.

Read the Guardian story - “Perth's water worries: how one of the driest cities is fighting climate change.”

California seeks advice from 'dusty Australians'

W

hite settlement in Australia began in 1788 when a penal colony was established at Botany Bay, in what is now known as New South Wales.

Water was then abundant, but at the years passed it became obvious that water would become a priority in this fantastically dry continent.

Australia is now understood to be the driest inhabited continent on earth and although water has been scarce, outside the massive flooding events, the country has prospered.

The success of Australians have had living successfully in such a dry environment had not gone unnoticed and now The Age tell us - “Water-guzzling Californians turn to dusty Australians for a hand”.