Citizen Journalist: #drought

Showing posts with label #drought. Show all posts

Thursday, October 13, 2022

Australia in the fury of floods with homes in Melbourne flooded, forecast says rivers will remain dangerously high for days

Melbourne happens to be the second-most populous city of Australia. Its population is around 5 million. The authorities advised some residents to move out of the suburb in northwest of Melbourne. There are similar instructions for hundreds in the Victoria state cities of Benalla and Wedderburn. Hundreds of homes in Victoria were flooded and many more remain isolated by floodwater. In the words of Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews - most of the state was experiencing a “very, very, significant rainfall event and it comes, of course, with the ground completely sodden.” The forecast of the Met department is of more rain throughout the next six-to-eight week period. Obviously, people will have to endure the situation for some more time. Daniel Andrews also mentioned about many homes without power. Homes Inundated by Swollen Rivers in Australian Floods. The State Emergency Service carried out more than 100 flood rescues in Victoria in the past 48 hours.

Last month the Bureau of Meteorology declared that a La Niña weather pattern, usually associated with above-average rainfall in eastern Australia, was underway in the Pacific. It said that the La Niña event may peak during the current Southern Hemisphere spring and return to neutral conditions early next year. Incidentally, La Niña is the cooler flip side of the better-known drying El Niño pattern. It is the third La Niña since 2019 when Australia became the hottest and driest year on record. That year witnessed wildfires fueled by drought that directly or indirectly led to the death of hundreds of people, destruction of hundreds of homes and loss of millions of acres of woods, farmland and city fringes. Sydney, the capital of New South Wales and the largest city of Australia beat its 1950 record last week to make 2022 its wettest-ever year.

Sunday, October 9, 2022

Death of over 65s in England highest in summer 2022 compared to 2004 due to heatwaves

The world is passing through difficult times because of heatwaves. These are the after effects of irregular rainfall, forest fires and global warming. Statistics reveal that 2803 lives have been lost in the 65+ age group during the five "heat periods" of this year's extraordinarily hot summer. This figure does not include deaths due to COVID-19. This is a matter of concern because it happens to be the highest since 2004 when the Heatwave plan for England was introduced. In July, portions of England had to endure temperatures of 40 C and an estimated 1,012 extra people died in that month. The hot weather gave rise to widespread drought apart from wildfires. These had a direct impact on crop harvest. An official of the UK Health Security Agency UKHSA said – “high temperatures can lead to premature death for those who are vulnerable.” She observed, "Higher excess deaths occurred during the hottest days this year and a warming climate means we must adapt to living safely with hotter summers in the future." Excess deaths for over 65s in summer 2022 heatwaves in England highest recorded since 2004. However, the month of August was worse with the death of an estimated 1,458 people aged over 65.

Bob Ward is the policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change. He said the "threat to lives and livelihoods from summer heatwaves is undoubtedly increasing due to climate change.” He urged Prime Minister Liz Truss to "act decisively by initiating a national heat risk management strategy that can be properly put in place ahead of next summer and prevent further unnecessary suffering and death across the country." Obviously, these are the undisclosed side effects of global warming and people have to realize the seriousness.

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

The summer of 2022 was hottest on record in England and it tied with 2018

According to the Met Office, the summer of 2022 was England's joint hottest on record. It was 17.1 C, which was recorded in 2018. The average temperature for the months of June, July and August was the warmest in records dating from 1884. This indicates that most of warmest summers on record for England have occurred since 2003. These are the effects of human-induced climate change. Incidentally, there was the record-breaking heat in July. At that time, the temperature went beyond 40C and was a first in the UK. The heatwave led to a rise in incidents of fire with consequent loss of homes and cars. England just had its joint hottest summer on record - in data that stretches back to 1884. England had to endure its sixth-driest summer on record. It was also the driest since 1995 based on records that go back to 1836.

Drought has gripped much of England. This was the result of insufficient rainfall. In addition, the hot, dry conditions dried up rivers, damaged crops and fueled wildfires. These led to destruction of properties in the form of homes and land. The warnings by the Met Office are clear – England might have to face longer and drier summers. The reason would be climate change. Forecasters have cautioned that the duration of summer-like conditions would increase with corresponding reduction in rainfall. The Environment Agency has already declared a drought in the South West region of England. This could be a matter of concern.

Saturday, August 27, 2022

China uses drones and rockets for cloud seeding to get rainfall

Temperatures have gone beyond 104F in some parts of China for the past week and longer. This has led to a record-breaking heatwave and severe drought ever since China began to maintain records in 1961. Therefore, the authorities decided to go in for cloud seeding to bring rainfall. It involves sowing silver iodide into the clouds. The structure of the chemical is similar to ice and the process is known as cloud seeding. Chance of rainfall increases when droplets of water cluster around these particles. It modifies the structure of the clouds and chance of rainfall increases. An official of the weather modification office of Guizhou in southwest China informed that plans have been drawn up for eight flights to cover the entire province. He explained that Typhoon Ma-on has brought to Guizhou precipitation conditions. Therefore, the aircraft will conduct frequent operations to increase the amount of rainfall. Drones and rockets bring rainfall to China during record-breaking heatwave and severe drought. China dispatched drones over the Sichuan province in the southwest. The aim is to bring rainfall to more than 232 sq/miles of land.

In the Chongqing municipality of southwest China, local authorities made use of rockets to bring rainfall to 20 counties. Similarly, in the Tongan District, 15 rockets were fired six times to bring the long-anticipated rain. The local meteorological bureau confirmed about availability of an adequate number of rockets. Henan in central China is one of the country's granary provinces. It used a drone to bring artificial precipitation to the area. Obviously, drones and rockets are not just weapons of warfare but they have their uses in times of peace also.

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

A dry spell in Wales reveals a 19th century village submerged underwater

We have heard about the lost city of Atlantis. A dry spell in Powys, Wales has now revealed a 19th century village that was submerged underwater. It was in ruins. The water in Lake Vyrnwy, a reservoir, had evaporated and exposed the remains of the village Llanwddyn. Local media says the remnants of the village had come to light during the drought of 1976. The long duration of scorching and record-breaking high temperatures across the UK, has led to such a state. A reservoir like Lake Vyrnwy has been left high and dry. The UK Met Office says Wales had been experiencing record temperatures. On July 18, it reached 37.1 degrees C in the northeastern county of Flintshire. This works out to 98.8 degrees F about 45 miles from Lake Vyrnwy. Drought reveals Welsh village submerged by reservoir in 19th century. A photographer revealed to a section of the media that portions of the village became visible a week ago. He happens to have lived in central Wales for many years and has visited the lake on multiple occasion in the past.

It seems there is a bridge on the road and it went over the stream in the village. Back in the 1800s, it used to be flooded. Now, because of the dry spell, it is visible after 140 years. The stumps of trees that lined the road stand as proof. So are the gateposts and remnants of the houses and village walls. Lake Vyrnwy used to be the largest artificial reservoir in Europe. It took 10 years to build and was completed in 1891. Its purpose was to supply fresh water to the north England city of Liverpool. A company that manages the water and waste says the village had a Parish church, a couple of chapels, three inns, 10 farmhouses and 37 houses. Some of the ruins have now surfaced. This has sparked a lot of interest in the lake.

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Villagers in Erode sacrifice 3000 goats to pray for rain and appease the Rain God

While many parts of the try is reeling under the onslaught of the monsoons, some villages in Erode are praying to the Rain God to bless them with showers. Therefore, in order to invoke the gods some villagers of Chinnakosanam in Gobichettipalayam taluk in Erode district conducted a special festival at Poothanachi Amman and Petrayaswamy temple.
The festival takes place once in two years and as part of the festival, a special puja was performed in which 3000 goats were sacrificed and food was served to more than 50,000 people.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 6 August 2016.

This puja is usually performed to pray to god in troubled times and, since the people are fully dependent on rains for irrigation, and since there was no appreciable downpour in the last four years, the puja was being performed. Offerings to the gods would be in the form of cash and goats along with other items of food.
The venue wore a festive look and there were a few makeshift shops. More than 1,000 men and women from the crowd participated in preparing the food for more than 50,000 devotees who had arrived from neighboring villages. The devotees chanted mantras along with the temple priest and, lunch was served to all devotees.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Sunday, May 8, 2016

Termite mounds are indicators of source of underground water

Termites or white ants are nasty insects that destroy the wooden furniture, but their mounds are important because their presence is an indicator of nearby source of underground water. This ancient knowledge is contained in the Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, the sixth century astrologer, astronomer and hydrologist.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 8 May 2016.

Ancient Indian scriptures like the Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira are mountains of knowledge which, if exploited properly, can help solve many problems. Like drought - as drought-hit India tries to quench the people's thirst by dispatching water trains and using satellite images to detect ground water, a simple survey of termite hills could be undertaken to identify locations that may have underground reserves of water.
According to Varahamihira, not only termite mounds but half a dozen animals, 30 different trees, trees with unusual features like knots in their trunks, two different trees united into one, abnormal palm trees with two crowns instead of one and absence of thorns in a normally thorn bearing tree are all indications of nearby source of water.
And, this Brihat Samhita which is in essence about ancient Indian wisdom on tropical ground water technology, goes on to indicate not only where to dig for water but also the depth up to which one must dig.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Saturday, April 30, 2016

For people of Somalia it is either death from drought or from hyenas

The people in the East African state of Somalia are in the grip of the worst drought in living memory - a result of successive poor rainy seasons made worse by El Nino conditions in the Horn of Africa. Because of such conditions, there are cases coming to light of women collapsing from hunger and being set upon by starving hyenas. The women are malnourished, and do not have the power to fight back or resist and are then set on by the animals.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 29 April 2016.

The severe weather conditions have already finished off thousands of goats and cows and the risk of wide-spread famine looms large. Even camels - which are more drought-resistant - are dying. Moreover, malnourished mothers are unable to breastfeed their babies, and farmers are feeding cardboard boxes to their animals since there is no grass left for grazing. Families who used to have 500 or more animals three months ago, and now are left with 20 or fewer.
The United Nations has launched a £72m appeal and has informed that 1.7 million people need aid in Somaliland and neighboring Puntland - both are self-declared states in northern Somalia. Drought has already killed more than 250,000 people in southern Somalia in 2011.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

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Moody hates hotels and feels more at home in his aircraft (satire)

Taj Mumbai welcomes Prince William and Kate, the fourth generation of British monarchy

Huge 26ft python found in Penang - could become a new a Guinness Record holder

Lok Sabha ethics committee probing Narada sting feels the videos are genuine

ISIS still holding 30 workers out of 300 kidnapped from cement factory in Dumeir

Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

Florida hunters bag a 15-foot 800-pound massive alligator

James Cameron, writer director of Avatar, promises his fans four sequels

'Deadpool' sequel planned and in the pipeline with Ryan Reynolds

Indonesian pop star dies after being bitten by a cobra on stage

Friday, April 29, 2016

Daytime cooking banned in parts of India to prevent accidental fires

Daytime cooking is banned in Bihar and some other parts of India to prevent accidental fires because, sizzling temperatures have already claimed over 300 lives this month in India. The ban on daytime cooking in some parts of the drought-stricken country is an attempt to prevent accidental fires that have killed nearly 80 more people.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 30 April 2016.

The step to ban daytime cooking between 9am and 6 pm has been taken by the eastern state of Bihar this week after accidental fires combined with dry, hot and windy weather swept through shantytowns and thatched-roof houses in villages and killed 79 people. The dead included 10 children and five adults who lost their lives in a fire that happened during a Hindu prayer ceremony.
The people have, instead, been told to cook at night. Officials have also banned burning of spent crops or holding religious fire rituals. Anyone who defies the ban would risk a jail sentence of up to a year.
India is faced with drought conditions that have decimated crops, killed livestock and nearly 330 million do not have enough water for their daily needs. Rivers, lakes and dams have dried up in parts of the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, and the groundwater reservoirs are at just 22 per cent capacity. In some areas, the Government had to send tankers of water for emergency relief.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Didi wants to move around fast and wants a solution (satire)

Lord Shiva intrigued by the writing on the walls (satire)

Moody hates hotels and feels more at home in his aircraft (satire)

Taj Mumbai welcomes Prince William and Kate, the fourth generation of British monarchy

Huge 26ft python found in Penang - could become a new a Guinness Record holder

Lok Sabha ethics committee probing Narada sting feels the videos are genuine

ISIS still holding 30 workers out of 300 kidnapped from cement factory in Dumeir

Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

Florida hunters bag a 15-foot 800-pound massive alligator

James Cameron, writer director of Avatar, promises his fans four sequels

'Deadpool' sequel planned and in the pipeline with Ryan Reynolds

Indonesian pop star dies after being bitten by a cobra on stage

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Drought forces cancellation of annual mango festival in Telangana for 2nd successive year

Drought forces cancellation of annual mango festival in Telangana for 2nd successive year The current drought, believed to be one of the worst in recent times in Telangana has seriously affected the production of mango by at least 30% and it has forced the cancellation of annual mango festival for 2nd successive year.
It has also compelled many farmers to stay away from cultivating the water-intensive crop. In their, the situation is not likely to improve. The glut can be understood from the fact that while 70 lorries of mangoes used to enter Hyderabad daily, the preset receipts are nearly half. Moreover, the stocks that are arriving are not fully ripe.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 28 April 2016.

The horticulture department's annual mango festival showcases popular varieties like the Daseri, Himayat, Imam Pasand, Pedda Rasalu and Chinna Rasalu. The state usually produces about 25 lakh metric tons of mangoes during this season starting from March to May. But, the shortage has pushed the prices up - the fruit is being sold for prices as high as Rs 100 per kg and this could go up further.
The fruit is cultivated in 12 lakh hectares in the state, but this year the acreage extent has been badly hit. It is feared that the people of Hyderabad may miss out on their favorites like Totapari and Benishan (Banginapalli), because these are water intensive varieties and farmers are not willing to cultivate these due to water shortage.

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Didi wants to move around fast and wants a solution (satire)

Lord Shiva intrigued by the writing on the walls (satire)

Moody hates hotels and feels more at home in his aircraft (satire)

Taj Mumbai welcomes Prince William and Kate, the fourth generation of British monarchy

Huge 26ft python found in Penang - could become a new a Guinness Record holder

Lok Sabha ethics committee probing Narada sting feels the videos are genuine

ISIS still holding 30 workers out of 300 kidnapped from cement factory in Dumeir

Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

Florida hunters bag a 15-foot 800-pound massive alligator

James Cameron, writer director of Avatar, promises his fans four sequels

'Deadpool' sequel planned and in the pipeline with Ryan Reynolds

Indonesian pop star dies after being bitten by a cobra on stage