Dozens dead and missing as 'historic rains' and floods hit Japan

Tokyo: Torrents of rainfall and flooding battered a widespread area in western and central Japan on Saturday, leaving at least 11 people dead and more than 45 missing.

Residential buildings are damaged by a landslide in Sakacho, Hiroshima.

Public broadcaster NHK said more than 1.6 million people were evacuated from their homes. Almost 50,000 rescue workers were responding to landslides, emergencies.

Japan's Meteorological Agency issued special weather warnings across four prefectures in the west of Honshu main island, urging vigilance against landslides, rising rivers and strong wind amid what it called "historic" rains.

The agency said that, although a weather front had settled between western and eastern Japan, there was a risk that heavy rains would continue as warm air flowed towards the front. Areas already saturated faced more rain on Sunday, it said.

Read the story by Thomas Wilson from The Age - “Dozens dead and missing as 'historic rains' and floods hit Japan.”

The heat is on all of us

LIKE many in the bush, my family keeps a close eye on rainfall.

Looking for leader: Support is needed on climate, energy and agriculture policy.

There are detailed records for our part of the Mallee dating to the 1880s, and I have kept them since the 1980s.

We have watched as decade averages have dropped and high temperature records topple.

Of course, some years were better for rainfall than others, but overall the trend only travels in one direction: down.

What I see on my farm tallies with what scientists around the world are saying: the climate is changing — and fast.

From federation to today Australia as a whole has warmed by more than 1C.

Does 1C matter? Well yes, a hell of a lot.

According to US weather agencies, 2017 was one of the hottest years on record for the globe. Our own Bureau of Meteorology tells us 2017 was Australia’s third warmest since 1900.

Read the story boy Steven Hobbs as puhblished in The Weekly Times - “The heat is on all of us.”

Melbourne weather: When the rain is likely to hit your area hardest

Melbourne is set to be lashed with more than 100 millimetres of rain – almost double its December average rainfall – over Friday and Saturday alone, with thunderstorms and hail likely to accompany the downpour.

Melbourne's skyline under rain clouds on Friday morning.

A severe weather warning has been issued for all of Victoria as the bureau prepares for what could be the state's most significant rain event in more than 20 years.

It is difficult for weather forecasters to give a precise hour-by-hour timeline of when rainfall is likely to hit any one suburb.

"Showers and thunderstorms can bubble up very quickly during a rain event like this", says Keris Arndt, senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology 

Read the story by Liam Mannix in the Melbourne Age - “Melbourne weather: When the rain is likely to hit your area hardest.”

Get ready for deluge

Records are expected to be broken in the next two days with the Bureau of Meteorology expecting the Goulburn Valley to be hit hard by thunderstorms bringing from 100 mm to 200 mm of rainfall.

Senior forecaster Richard Carlyon said the bureau made the unprecedented move to issue severe weather and flood warnings on Wednesday to give people time to prepare for the band of heavy rain and thunderstorms slowly moving across southern Australia today and tomorrow.

Desperate: Some farmers have worked during the
 night frantically harvesting their crops, in a race
 to beat the bumper rainfall.

‘‘We had a week of hot, humid weather and north-easterly winds have brought tropical air full of moisture that will combine with a strong low-pressure system over the Mallee, where it will develop and then slowly move east,’’ Mr Carlyon said.

‘‘There will be substantial rainfall, the Goulburn Valley’s December rainfall average of 40 mm will be reached and some locations across Victoria might end up with their summer average in the first two days of December.’’

The heavy rain is forecast to start falling at the end of this morning, with 50 mm to 80 mm predicted, while tomorrow is expected to bring a soaking of 50 mm to 100 mm.

There could be large hail and the possibility of damaging winds across both days.

Mr Carlyon said a few showers would be left on Sunday and there are also potential showers forecast on Monday and Tuesday that could have a significant impact on river levels.

‘‘I think there will be records broken, it’s difficult to compare to the 2010 weather event, but basic rainfall records for either one or two days are likely to be broken,’’ he said.

Widespread flooding is likely from today onwards in the catchments and people are asked to stay informed and monitor conditions.

The main rivers under flood watch are the Ovens, King, Broken and the Goulburn. The Seven and Castle creeks are also under a flood watch and flooding may occur on the Campaspe River.

‘‘Plans are being cancelled or amended and I think if you can, it’s best to stay indoors,’’ Mr Carlyon said.

‘‘Local roads may be closed and low bridges may be underwater. Water crossings along streams and rivers will become dangerous as water levels rise.’’

The bureau has also released an advice warning for the potential of brown rot to form on stone fruit because of the high humidity levels the storms will bring.

Victorian Farmers Association president David Jochinke said the low-pressure system may dump more than 300 mm of rain in Victoria’s north-east, which could spoil remaining crops.

Some farmers have worked during the night frantically harvesting their crops, in a race to beat the bumper rainfall.

Goulburn-Murray Water is urging its customers and northern Victorian communities to keep an eye on updates from the bureau ahead of significant rain expected.

G-MW’s managing director Pat Lennon said the customer operations team was monitoring the situation closely and working with storage staff, the bureau and State Emergency Services representatives.

‘‘Some of G-MW’s water storages are already near capacity and others may receive significant inflows. We are currently preparing for the forecast conditions in accordance with our operational arrangements,’’ Mr Lennon said.

‘‘Please keep an eye on BOM updates and heed any flood advice they may issue. Flood warnings will be issued by BOM.

‘‘People living near rivers, creeks, storages need to monitor the situation and prepare themselves and their properties, according to their flood plan.’’ 

• G-MW customers are reminded that before pumping any excess flood water from their property into G-MW irrigation or drainage channels, they must first seek permission from a planner via WaterLINE on 1300 469 469. Residents can monitor flood warnings on the Emergency Management website at www.emv.vic.gov.au and request emergency assistance by phoning the State Emergency Service on 132 500.

Story by Declan Martin from today’s Shepparton News - “Get ready for deluge.”

Farming anguish as drought-hit southern Tasmania prays for rain, while north welcomes rainfall

It's a tale of two very different seasons.

Tasmanian farmer Charlie Archer has watched
the dry soil blowing away in the winds.

While Tasmania's north and north-east farming districts are experiencing almost unprecedented rainfall and lush spring pastures, in the state's south and east coast regions, it's one of the worst years for drought on record.

That has growers and graziers in affected areas very worried, with many describing the situation as "desperate" and "on a knife-edge”.

With a record dry winter, a dry frosty start to spring, little rain on the outlook and a long, hot, bushfire-prone summer forecast, farmers are struggling to grow crops and sustain livestock.

Read the ABC News story by Peta Carlyon - “Farming anguish as drought-hit southern Tasmania prays for rain, while north welcomes rainfall.”

Australia blows away July daytime temperature records as rain bands stay south

Australia smashed its daytime temperature records for July as another poor month for rainfall left skies relatively clear across the continent. 

Cool nights but record warm days were a
feature of July across much of the country.

The Bureau of Meteorology's monthly reports showed average maximum temperatures were 2.62 degrees above the long-run average, beating the previous record set in 1975 by a full two-thirds of a degree.

Even with widespread overnight frosts, mean temperatures - averaging out day and night time temperatures - came in as the third highest for July in records dating back to 1910.

The bureau confirmed Sydney had its second-warmest July for maximums, with an average daytime top of 19.1 degrees, or 2.7 degrees above the norm.

Read Peter Hannam’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Australia blows away July daytime temperature records as rain bands stay south.”

Ethiopia’s Coffee Farmers Are 'On The Front Lines Of Climate Change’

Ethiopia gave the world Coffea arabica, the species that produces most of the coffee we drink these days. Today, the country is the largest African producer of Arabica coffee. The crop is the backbone of the country's economy – some 15 million Ethiopians depend on it for a living.

Growing coffee provides income for about 15 percent
 of Ethiopia's population and is the country's top export.
Climate change is likely to shrink the land suitable for
 coffee, thereby also hurting the livelihoods of many people.

But the effects of climate change – higher temperatures and less rainfall – could take a toll on the country's ability to farm this treasured crop. In parts of Ethiopia, spring and summer rains have already declined by 15–20 percent since the 1970s. Climate data shows that rainfall in Ethiopia has declined by almost 40 inches since the 1950s. And the frequency of droughts has increased in recent years, affecting coffee growing regions as well.

Ethiopia could lose from 39 to 59 percent of its current coffee-growing areas to climate change by the end of the century, according to a new study published in Nature Plants.

Read the story by Courtney Columbus on The Salt - “Ethiopia’s Coffee Farmers Are 'On The Front Lines Of Climate Change’.”

Records tumble as global warming rolls on

G

lobal warming rolls on, worsens and the records we don’t like to see keep happening.

EcoWatch reports: “June has been a crazy weather month. Then again, so were the first five months of the year. Globally, it’s shaping up to be the hottest year on record by far. It’s not just heat either. Some parts of the U.S. have recently seen record rainfall. May was the wettest month ever recorded in the U.S., and many places had record rainfall for the month of June.”

Read the EcoWatch story - “June 2015 Smashes Heat and Rainfall Records in U.S.”.

We listen, only when it is something we want to hear, and agree with

P

eople only ever hear what they want to hear, even if it is wrong.

We all live in echo chambers and so hear largely only our own thoughts bouncing back from the news sources we access, the people we pay attention to and those we socialise with.

And so the latest move from the Republicans in the U.S. will win wide support as it simply reinforces the view that so many people hold; views that are founded on both inadequate and incomplete information.

For decades now environmentalist in the U.S. and elsewhere have challenged decisions to protect what they value, but at the same time threaten the status quo and so disturb the lives of many.

Rain clearly results from changes in the climate and as human activity has impacted on the world’s climate system causing rain to fall with vigour, and excessively in some places and yet result in drought in others.

As the actions of environmentalists has stopped the creation of dams in some parts of California for good ecological reasons, the Republicans blame the state’s present drought on the actions of environmentalists, ignoring the fact that because of a disrupted climate system, rainfall has been way below average.

Undeterred by scientific fact, ClimateProgress reports that, “Republicans Introduce Bill Based OnThe Idea That Environmentalists Caused California’s Drought”.

Report again warns us to 'be prepared'

Prof Lesley Hughes.

The warning that we should “Be prepared” has been sounded again in the latest report from Australia’s crowd funded Climate Council.

Australians valued to work of the Climate Commission so much that even though the Abbott-led Coalition Government acted soon after its election to bury it, the people bonded, and dug deep, to ensure it continued its works under the new name of the “Climate Council”.

And now, just today, the council has released the report: “Be prepared: Climate Change and the Australian bushfire threat”.

The preface to the report, of which the prime authors are Climate Councillors, Prof Lesley Hughes and Prof Will Steffan, says:

“Over the past year, record breaking temperatures have been experienced across the country. More than 120 weather records were broken last summer, including the hottest summer, the hottest January, and the hottest day.”



Prof Will Steffan.

“2013 is on track to become Australia’s warmest year on records. These trends together with below-average rainfall in many part of the country, including the southeast, indicated that the coming fire season was likely to be a serious one.

“We thus made the decision in September to focus our first report on bushfires and their link to climate change.

“This decision was, unfortunately, borne out by the events in NSW in early October, where intense and uncontrolled fires raged across parts of the Central Coast and the Blue Mountains”.