**Summary of Key Nuggets on Saharan Dust Storms and San Antonio:**

- **Annual Arrival & General Impact:** Saharan dust travels across the Atlantic to Texas and the Americas between late spring and early fall every year.

San Antonio frequently receives this dust, resulting in hazy, milky skies, decreased visibility, and worsened air quality.

- **Weather & Temperature Effects:** The dust contributes to a milky haze that can obscure the sky, mute sunlight, and lead to slightly cooler daytime temperatures due to sunlight scattering, though sometimes it can also keep nights warmer.

Dust-laden air can suppress tropical storm development but may also interact with existing weather systems, compounding risks with other severe weather like hail, rain, and tornadoes.

- **Health Impacts:** Air quality tends to worsen when dust is present, especially for people with allergies, asthma, or other respiratory conditions.

The fine particles (PM2.5/PM10) can exacerbate symptoms and contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular problems.

- **Power Grid & Infrastructure:** Extreme heat and poor air quality can increase demand on the electricity grid (due to higher AC use and ozone formation).

Dust accumulation may affect solar panels or air filtration in sensitive infrastructure but is not generally a direct threat to power reliability beyond health impacts on workers and increased demand.

- **Traffic & Visibility:** Reduced visibility from haze can impact traffic safety, especially at dawn/dusk or for high-speed roadways.

Dust is generally not at concentrations to cause direct mechanical problems for most vehicles, but traffic advisories and reduced speed limits may sometimes be needed.

- **Historic Impacts in the Americas:** Caribbean islands, Gulf states (especially Texas, Louisiana, Florida), and as far as the eastern U.S. regularly experience the dust.

Notable impacts include increased asthma ER visits, changes in beach water quality, and temporary dips in solar power generation.

Positive impacts include nutrient delivery to rainforests like the Amazon and possible temporary suppression of hurricane activity.

- **Negative vs.

Positive Impacts:**
  - **Negatives:** Air pollution, worsened respiratory health, reduced visibility, solar power efficiency loss, minor soil/airborne dust deposition, psychological discomfort from gloomier skies.

- **Positives:** Delivers nutrients (like iron and phosphorus) to depleted soils in the Americas, may suppress storm/hurricane formation, and sometimes leads to unique sunsets.

- **Appropriate Preparations:**
  - **Health Advisories:** Issue public alerts encouraging at-risk populations to limit outdoor activity and use HEPA-type air filtration.

Ensure medical facilities are staffed for increased respiratory complaints.

- **Traffic & Visibility:** Consider traffic advisories during periods of lowest visibility.

Prepare for potential accidents due to driving conditions.

- **Power Grid:** Monitor grid load, advise on heat mitigation indoors, and inspect/maintain air filtration on critical infrastructure.

- **Communication:** Provide clear public messaging about staying indoors, monitoring symptoms, and scheduling outdoor activities to avoid heavy dust periods.

- **Urban Planning:** Encourage long-term air quality monitoring; support green infrastructure to help trap airborne particulates.

- **Resilience:** Given increased frequency and climate interactions, the city should adopt disaster resilience strategies that are flexible for compounding events—dust plus heat, plus storms—focusing on communication, healthcare capacity, and infrastructure adaptation.

**References:** Texas Public Radio, NOAA, historic observations on past dust events, and contemporary city planning best practices.

**Saharan Dust Storm Impacts & Preparations: City Planner Summary**

**Weather & Air Conditions:**
- Saharan dust storms (SDS) can transport vast plumes of fine dust across the Atlantic Ocean into parts of the Americas, including Texas.

- Their arrival often leads to muted sunlight (“milky” skies), stunning sunsets/sunrises, and temporary reduction in direct solar heating, sometimes lowering daytime high temperatures slightly.

- Dust particles serve as cloud condensation nuclei, potentially suppressing local rainfall during dust episodes, but can also sometimes enhance storms if enough moisture is present.

- Reduced visibility is common during high-dust events, impacting ground and air traffic safety.

- Air quality typically declines, sometimes reaching "unhealthy" levels (AQI >100), especially dangerous for persons with respiratory illness, the elderly, and young children.

**Historical Impacts in the Americas:**
- Significant SDS events have affected the Gulf Coast (Texas, Louisiana, Florida), Caribbean, and Central America.

- Large events in the past (e.g., June-July plumes) have caused notable AQI spikes in San Antonio and Houston, and have reached as far as Tennessee and the southeastern U.S.
- Similar transatlantic dust events have indirectly impacted South America and the Amazon Basin, bringing both positive and negative consequences.

**Human/Economic Impacts:**
- Power grid: Reduced solar insolation can slightly lower solar power production; airborne dust can coat panels, diminishing output further.

- Traffic: Reduced visibility raises accident risk for road and airport traffic; advisories or flight cancellations may occur.

- Health: Increased ER visits/hospitalizations for asthma, COPD, or other respiratory/cardio complaints during dust events; dust can trigger allergies.

- Operations: Schools/child care centers may need to restrict outdoor activities.

**Negative & Positive Impacts:**
- *Negative*: Worsened air quality and associated health risks, disrupted solar energy and aviation, possible increase in traffic accidents, infrastructure strain during concurrent weather extremes.

- *Positive*: Dust deposition adds nutrients (notably iron and phosphorus) to Gulf and Caribbean ecosystems; suppresses tropical cyclogenesis (fewer hurricanes) temporarily, as dry, dusty air deters storm formation; stunning visual phenomena.

**Geographies Impacted:**
- Main: Texas Gulf Coast, South & East Texas, Central America, southeastern U.S., Caribbean islands.

- Secondary: Amazon rainforest (nutrient deposition), parts of South America under trade wind influence.

**Recommended Preparations:**
- **Public Health:** Issue air quality alerts; advise vulnerable residents (asthma, elderly) to stay indoors, close windows, use air filtration/AC if possible.

- **Grid Operations:** Communicate with utility companies—consider impacts on solar arrays, monitor energy demand shifts if residents stay indoors.

- **Traffic/Aviation:** Alert DOT/aviation authorities to possible visibility issues, update traffic management plans and flight schedules as needed.

- **Communications:** Prepare clear, multi-lingual info for citizens: what to expect, basic precautions (masks if outdoors, limit exposure, etc.).

- **Infrastructure:** Recommend increased air filter checks on public facilities; clean solar panels after dust events.

- **Long-Term:** Consider integrating SDS impacts into emergency preparedness, health response planning, and urban air quality improvement initiatives.

**Data Needs:**
- Real-time AQI and PM10/PM2.5 data; historical dust event records (NOAA, NASA, TCEQ); hospital admission records for respiratory/cardiovascular complaints during previous SDS events.

---

**Key Takeaway:**
Prepare for temporary spikes in air pollution and reduced visibility.

Prioritize health advisories and operations for critical services and vulnerable populations.

Recognize both threats and occasional ecological benefits.

Integrate Saharan dust storm planning into broader city emergency protocols.

**Summary of Extracts: Saharan Dust Storms & Extreme Weather Impacts (San Antonio, TX Context)**

**Climate Trends & Heat Impacts:**
- July 2023 was likely the hottest month ever recorded, with global temperatures about 1.2°C higher than pre-industrial levels due to fossil fuel emissions.

- Globally and in the U.S., heatwaves are hotter, longer, and more frequent, intensifying health risks (heatstroke, dehydration) and straining power infrastructure.

- Heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the U.S., with more than 600 annual fatalities; cities like Phoenix and San Antonio are "on the front lines" of climate change.

**Recent Extreme Weather & Power Disruptions:**
- Hurricane Beryl in Texas killed at least 2, prompted evacuations, and left millions without power—highlighting cascading infrastructure risks from severe weather.

- Strong winds cause more traffic accidents by reducing visibility through dust and are also associated with power outages, damage to weak structures, and transport disruptions.

**San Antonio Case in Heat Waves/Drought:**
- San Antonio, sitting at a critical highway crossroads, has endured deadly consequences from heat, including the death of 46 migrants in a truck during a heatwave and ongoing drought conditions.

- Intense heat and drought raise risks for dehydration, public health emergencies among vulnerable populations, and threaten water and power systems.

Rapid spring thaws and drought-flood cycles create ongoing hazards (flash floods, infrastructure stress).

**Health and Daily Life Impacts from Dust & Extreme Weather:**
- Dust storms (accentuated by heat) have led to fatal traffic accidents, obscured visibility, collapses of inadequate structures, increased numbers of respiratory emergencies, and fainting spells among teachers.

- Air quality deterioration during dust events exacerbates respiratory illnesses (asthma, COPD), especially in sensitive groups (children, elderly).

**Impacts and Responses Across Americas:**
- Saharan dust storms regularly impact the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, and the southeastern U.S., with effects traced as far as the Amazon.

- Prepare hospitals and emergency services for surges in respiratory issues.

**Summary of Key Nuggets on Saharan Dust Storms and San Antonio:**

- **Annual Arrival & General Impact:** Saharan dust travels across the Atlantic to Texas and the Americas between late spring and early fall every year.

Title:

Content: Hurricane Killer? Here are some things you may not know about Saharan dust

Dust from Africa moves across the Atlantic every year from late spring to early fall

It’s a common visitor in the summer months: dust from the Saharan Desert. Hazy skies and occasional allergies are common issues caused by the dust. But did you know that this layer of dust is more interesting than it appears? Here are some things you may not know about Saharan dust:

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Millions of tons of dust are transported across the Atlantic every year
  • Nutrient-rich Saharan dust plays a crucial role in the global ecosystem
  • Dust suppresses hurricane development

WHOLE LOTTA DUST!

Every year, from late spring to early fall, trade winds transport 180 million tons of dust from the Saharan Desert across the Atlantic Ocean. Impressively, that’s as much as 4.5 million 18-wheelers full of dust!

NATURE’S BEST FRIEND

Saharan dust is often rich in nutrients like iron and phosphorus. As the dust settles over the ocean, it fertilizes algae and plankton, allowing them to grow and flourish in an otherwise barren environment. These organisms are vital sources of food for ocean life.

Similarly, as the dust settles over land, areas like the Amazon rainforest benefit from the extra nutrients.

HURRICANE EXTINGUISHER

The African dust that moves across the Atlantic Ocean is also called the Saharan Air Layer (SAL). The SAL occurs in waves at the same time as Atlantic hurricane season, from June through November.

It’s known that the SAL limits hurricane development and strength. This is because tropical storms like hurricanes need deep, rich moisture from the surface to the top of the atmosphere to survive. Since the air carrying Saharan dust is usually dry, it can prevent storms from forming and suppress existing storms from growing and strengthening.

DUST’S IMPACT ON TEXAS

While a dense plume of dust sometimes causes minor allergy-like symptoms for some, the most noticeable impact is on Texas skies. A haze often forms on the horizon, giving an ordinarily clear, blue sky a milky hue during the day.

At sunrise and sunset, the horizon can appear brilliantly orange because, with dust in the air, sunlight has more particles to bounce off.

About the Author

Sarah Spivey is a San Antonio native who grew up watching KSAT. She has been a proud member of the KSAT Weather Authority Team since 2017. Sarah is a Clark High School and Texas A&M University graduate. She previously worked at KTEN News. When Sarah is not busy forecasting, she enjoys hanging out with her husband and cat, and playing music.

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Content: Editorial: A supreme blow to addressing climate change

It’s summertime, and one way to beat the scorching heat is to head to the cool confines of a movie theater to catch the latest blockbuster.

Now, imagine a story about how humanity faces an existential threat, but the heroes trying to save the day are stripped of their strongest and best powers. Suddenly, the story hinges on whether they can find other ways to save future generations from looming catastrophe.

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Carbon dioxide is the leading contributor to climate change, lingering in the atmosphere for as long as 1,000 years. The burning of coal and natural gas at power plants releases vast amounts of this heat-trapping gas (as well as methane). The Biden administration had sought to prepare sweeping rules to limit the power sector’s carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act, but the U.S. Supreme Court said it was beyond the EPA’s scope to do so.

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“Capping carbon dioxide emissions at a level that will force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal to generate electricity may be a sensible ‘solution to the crisis of the day,’” he wrote. But “a decision of such magnitude and consequence rests with Congress itself, or an agency acting pursuant to a clear delegation from that representative body.”

The consequences of this decision are wide-ranging. First, let’s be honest about Congress. It is, in this political moment, incapable of passing any meaningful legislation to address climate change. Second, the ruling potentially puts the clamps on other regulatory actions well beyond environmental concerns. Third, it leaves no room for agency expertise, much less for Congress to delegate regulatory powers to these experts.

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Climate change is often written about and discussed on a global scale — terrifying United Nations reports, melting polar ice caps, extreme weather, habitat destruction and potential diaspora — but it is also a local issue.

San Antonio is warming — an obvious reality underscored by this particularly searing spring and summer. June was the hottest on record in San Antonio, with 17 days reaching triple digits. May was also the hottest on record here, with five days in triple digits.

This is in part due to La Niña, which produces warmer, drier weather. But it is also climate change. In March 2020, the Office of the Texas State Climatologist at Texas A&M University released a report showing the number of triple-digit degree days in Texas doubled over the past 40 years and would likely double again by 2036.

And this will come at a cost. The recent extreme heat has played a role in increased CPS Energy bills. Flow rates in many area rivers are nonexistent. Drought threatens the Edwards Aquifer, our primary water supply. High temperatures can be fatal.

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Content: Skip to Content

The architect making friends with flooding

One Chinese landscape designer has pioneered a new approach—working with water instead of trying to bend it to our will.

December 21, 2021

For years, Beijing landscape architect Yu Kongjian was ridiculed by his fellow citizens as a backward thinker. Some even called him an American spy—a nod to his doctorate from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and his opposition to dams, those symbols of power and progress in modern China.

Yu’s transgression: he advised working with water, rather than trying to control it.

Yu is at the forefront of a movement that aims to restore the ebb and flow of water to urban environments. His landscape architecture firm Turenscape, which he cofounded in 1998, creates flexible spaces for water to spread out and seep underground, both to prevent flooding and to be stored for later use. His vision is to heal the natural hydrology that we’ve disrupted by tightly confining rivers with levees, putting buildings or parking lots where water wants to linger, or erecting dams that have, to varying degrees, dried up 333 rivers in the Yangtze area. “Those gray infrastructures are actually killers of the natural system, which we have to depend on for our sustainable future,” Yu has said. By trying to solve one problem at a time—flooding here, water scarcity there—the 20th-century approach to water management has undermined itself. “Drainage is separated from the water supply; flood control is separated from drought resistance,” he wrote in 2016 for a paper he presented at a Harvard symposium.

Since the 1700s, we’ve filled or drained as much as 87% of the world’s wetlands, which would otherwise be flexibly absorbing and releasing water. It’s a key reason urban flooding is increasing worldwide: as populations grow and cities expand, builders pave floodplains and farmland, fell forests, and channelize rivers, leaving stormwater that once filtered into the ground with nowhere to go. The land area lost to cities has doubled worldwide since 1992. When a city increases the area of roads, sidewalks, or parking lots by 1%, stormwater runoff boosts annual flood magnitude in nearby waterways by 3.3%.

In dense cities, only around 20% of rain actually infiltrates the soil. Instead, drains and pipes carry it away—lunacy, Yu thinks, in places with water shortages.

In the early 2000s, Yu and a research team created a map of Beijing showing where land was at high risk for flooding, which he called the “ecological security pattern.” His recommendation was that this land should remain undeveloped, and should be used instead to absorb stormwater.

Government officials ignored him. But then, in July 2012, disaster struck. Beijing’s largest storm in more than 60 years chucked down as much as 18 inches of rain in places, flooding roads three feet deep and filling underpasses. Yu barely made it home from work. “I was lucky,” he says. “I saw many people abandon their cars.” Almost 80 people died, most of them drowned in their vehicles, electrocuted, or crushed under collapsed buildings. The damage stretched across 5,400 square miles and cost nearly $2 billion.

“The 2012 flood gave us the lesson that the ecological security pattern is a life-and-death issue.” Yu says.

Climate change has worsened these threats. With every 1 °C increase, the atmosphere holds 7% more water vapor. So when clouds burst into rain, it pours. Meanwhile, dry areas get drier as the warmer air evaporates more water out of soil and plants.

Now we’re starting to see the impact on the water cycle. Summer and fall 2021 brought deadly flooding to New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, Alabama, Germany, Belgium, India, Thailand, and the Philippines. At the same time drought, crop failures, and forest fires plagued the American West, Syria, Guatemala, Greece, and Siberia. Global economic losses from flooding rose from $500 million annually, on average, in the 1980s to $76 billion in 2020. When it comes to drought, more than 2 billion people around the world already live with severe or high water insecurity. Researchers predict that as the climate continues to warm, two-thirds of the global population—more than 5.25 billion people—will experience progressively worse and more frequent drought conditions.

These recent disasters have brought home to many people the truth of what climate scientists have been saying for years: climate change is water change.

Less than a year after the 2012 storm, President Xi Jinping announced a nationwide program dubbed “sponge cities” (because a sponge absorbs water and then releases it slowly). The idea of giving water space was thus elevated from fringe concept to national mission. In 2015 the central government began demonstration projects in 16 cities, and it added 14 more in 2016. Each project covered at least five square miles, although some were larger, with the goal of retaining 70% of the average annual rainfall on site by 2020.

In November of that year, the state-controlled broadcaster China Central Television reported completion of the 30 pilot projects. It said they were preventing and mitigating urban disasters, increasing environmental benefits to waterways, and reducing water pollution. CCTV further reported that between 2016 and 2020, the sponge city concept had been implemented in 90 provincial-level cities and included in the master plans for 538 cities. A new goal aims for 100 cities with more than 1 million people to meet the 70% rainwater capture target by 2030.

Two views of Tongnan Dafo Temple Wetland Park in Chongqing City. Below, a structure inspired by the Dafo Temple. At right, an aerial view of the park. In 2020, Chongqing faced a 100 year storm, but the landscape protected nearby farms from flooding.

“It is, of course, a success story,” says Chris Zevenbergen, an expert in urban flood-risk management at the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands and a visiting professor at China’s Southeast University. Chinese government reports are best viewed with skepticism, but Zevenbergen says he’s cautiously optimistic that the rosy assessment will be borne out.

Sponge cities are part of a worldwide movement that goes by various names: green infrastructure in Europe, low-impact development in the United States, water-sensitive urban design in Australia, natural infrastructure in Peru, nature-based solutions in Canada. In contrast to industrial management, in which people confine water with levees, channels, and asphalt and rush it off the land as quickly as possible, these newer approaches seek to restore water’s natural tendency to linger in places like wetlands and floodplains.

Yu is concerned that China may be applying a cookie-cutter approach to sponge cities: “Every patient needs a different solution.”

Because of that common thread, I’ve come to think of them collectively as the “Slow Water” movement. As in the Slow Food movement, solutions are tailored to local ecology, climate, and people. The most ambitious Slow Water projects involve conserving or restoring wetlands, river floodplains, and mountain forests, simultaneously safeguarding carbon storage and protecting homes for threatened plants and animals. But there are also small urban projects, shoehorned between buildings or in narrow corridors along streets.

In April 2018, on a day with a “very high” air pollution rating, I visited Yu at Turenscape’s headquarters in Beijing. A slim, intense man with shrewd eyes and just a bit of gray at the temples, he told me that his passion for repairing humans’ relationship with water comes from his childhood during the Mao years, spent on an agricultural commune in Zhejiang province southwest of Shanghai. The youngest of five children, he spent his days observing Chinese “peasant wisdom” for managing water, techniques that had been practiced for thousands of years. To cope with scarcity, farmers maintained little ponds and berms to help rainfall infiltrate the ground, storing it for a dry day. The seasonal creek next to his village swelled and retreated with the seasons. “For me, flood is a time of excitement because the fish come to the field, the fish come to the pond,” he said. But as the country urbanized, the Chinese abandoned that knowledge and followed the Western path. Now, he believes, they need to reclaim that ethos: “We need to make friends with flooding.”

Yu has built Turenscape into an empire, with 600 employees in three offices. The company has more than 640 projects completed or underway in 250 Chinese cities and 10 other countries. Turenscape also publishes a magazine called Landscape Architecture Frontiers, in both Chinese and English, and supports master’s and PhD candidates and postdocs who are researching hydrology or ecology, or measuring the efficacy of completed projects.

The founder and dean of the College of Architecture and Landscape at Peking University, Yu has also taught periodically at Harvard. He lectures regularly at the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and his 2003 book Letters to the Leaders of China: Kongjian Yu and the Future of the Chinese City is in its 13th printing. He’s been asked to consult in other countries: Mexico, for example, is hoping he can help solve Mexico City’s water problems, which are similar to Beijing’s.

When planning a project, designers first must figure out what water did before people built a city. In a large white room at Turenscape’s offices, young men and women sit at desks separated by a jungle of plants, focused intently on that question. They construct models of how water behaves within the built environment, factoring in each place’s specific ecology, geology, hydrology, and culture—a kind of computational geography. The data allows Yu and other Slow Water practitioners to model how reshaping the land and available space in various ways affects how water flows and slows.

Yu is now something of a hero to young landscape architects. Accompanying us to various sites was Geng Ran, an employee who exudes intense excitement to be working for him. Throughout the day, we were perpetually trotting after Yu as he rushed ahead. “He’s always like this,” said Geng, laughing.

While Yu retains his farmer’s values, he is a man of modern China. He bought and renovated a building in one of Beijing’s few remaining historic hutong neighborhoods, turning it into a private club for fellow Harvard grads, Beijing politicians, and other power brokers. This move is in keeping with his modus operandi, according to Niall Kirkwood, a professor of landscape architecture and technology at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design who has known Yu for many years. Kirkwood says Yu is a political animal, and that this—along with his vision and ambition—accounts for his success.

I got a chance to observe Yu in his natural habitat that evening. He escorted me and Geng into the club through a set of engraved metal doors and across the courtyard, where the traditional stone floor had been replaced with thick glass. Inside he ushered us downstairs to a massive table underneath that transparent floor. As we sat in ornate, carved chairs sipping bright-green cucumber juice, I looked at the moon above. Finance ministers were also visiting the club that evening, so Yu rotated between our tables. Before we left, he gave me a souvenir: a heavy tome titled Designed Ecologies: The Landscape Architecture of Kongjian Yu. After dinner, his driver chauffeured us in a brand-new Mercedes minivan to my hotel, where Yu got out to walk home—his daily constitutional.

A week later I visited one of Turenscape’s projects in progress: Yongxing River Park, located in Daxing, a far-flung exurb of Beijing. “Before” satellite pictures from three years earlier showed a  river straightened and confined by steep concrete walls. “Now” pictures were chock-a-block with buildings around a more generous, meandering path for water.

The project was nearly complete when I saw it. About two and a half miles long and perhaps two city blocks wide, the park follows the river. Workers removed concrete along the river channel and excavated soil to widen the riverbed. That dirt was then molded into a large berm running down the center, creating two channels. The river flows on one side; the other channel has big holes of varying depths that act as filtration pools. During the dry season, the filtration side is filled with partially cleaned effluent from a sewage treatment plant. Wetland plants in the pools clean it further, and the slow pace allows some water to filter underground. During the monsoon season, that channel is reserved for floodwaters, and the effluent is treated industrially.

Geng and I walked a slim concrete path atop the central berm. Many of Turenscape’s designs feature walkways such as this, soaring above wetlands, so people can enter the landscape year-round and appreciate changes from season to season. The broader riverbanks, newly freed from concrete, are dotted with thousands of small sedges planted in closely set rows to hold the earth, like a pointillist-rendered landscape. We passed young willows, a native streamside plant that can survive flooding. Elsewhere, reeds, dwarf lilyturf, and other native plants stabilize the soil. Turenscape mostly uses native plants in its designs because they thrive on the water, weather, and nutrients available.

In summer 2020, during heavy summer rains, Yu sent me photos of Yongxing River Park. The trees and grasses had grown up considerably since I’d visited. The channel contained a lot of water but was nowhere close to overtopping. Turenscape does not yet have data on Yongxing’s flood capacity, infiltration rate, or water-cleaning services, but Yu called its management of that year’s monsoon a “great performance.”

It can be hard for people to conceive of making space for water in a populated area, but it’s possible. Taking advantage of space in growing exurbs like Daxing is one approach. Another is to stop building atop protective wetlands and coastal habitats—absorption capacity that is continually squandered.

Other opportunities to make space for water and reduce future losses are found even in city centers, where buildings are torn down more frequently than people assume. Disasters can also be a catalyst, such as when governments use emergency funds to buy and remove flooded buildings and convert the area to an absorbent park. Cleaned-up former industrial sites can offer up a lot of space too—often right alongside rivers. Other techniques to accommodate water in compact cities include bioswales (ditches lined with water-loving plants), infiltration ponds, rain gardens, and seepage wells. Where human space is nonnegotiable, designers sometimes use features such as permeable pavement and green roofs that can absorb water.

Yu has converted his house, a duplex he shares with his sister, into a living laboratory for some of these techniques. In the hallway are photos of his family back on the farm, Yu and his Harvard mentor, Yu with two Chinese presidents. Between the apartments, he built a living wall of porous limestone. Water captured from the roof dribbles down its face, from which maidenhair ferns and philodendrons sprout. The green wall cools the two homes enough to make air-conditioning unnecessary, although he concedes that it gets a bit warm in summer. Plants on decks off the bedrooms are watered with roof-caught rain, stored in tanks under the raised plant beds. “We collect 52 cubic meters of stormwater [annually], and I grow 32 kilograms of vegetables,” Yu says proudly. His efforts also reduce runoff from his building’s roof and decrease his personal water usage from city sources.

Though Xi’s sponge cities initiative is based on principles that mirror his own ideas, Yu fears that in some cases, China may be doing it wrong. The country has sometimes used cookie-cutter solutions for other programs, Yu says, but for sponge cities to be successful, each project must be place-specific. As Yu puts it, “Every patient needs a different solution.”

Monsoon rains across China have been heavy the last couple of summers, challenging not only standard water infrastructure, such as dams—several of which have failed or come close to it—but also the fledgling sponge cities. In summer 2021, one pilot project city with a population of around 7 million, Zhengzhou, suffered significant flooding when more than eight inches of rain fell in one hour and almost 300 people died, leading some to ask whether sponge cities were working.

Zevenbergen notes that designs may need to be tweaked to better match local needs. But the bigger factor may be that the interventions simply aren’t ambitious enough. Absorbing 70% of rainfall across five square miles of a city that spans 2,900 square miles won’t prevent flooding. Slow Water projects work best when they can absorb water across the full landscape, so planners need to think beyond the urban footprint. A city is part of a larger watershed. Restoring space for water upstream in natural river floodplains can lower the water levels downstream.

In this, too, Yu is hard at work. He’s creating a landscape master plan for all of China. At his office, he showed me a series of maps that document China’s elevation, watersheds, flood paths, biodiversity, desertification, ecological security, soil erosion, and cultural heritage. As urbanization spreads, as estuaries and deltas silt up, as water starts to move differently across landscapes and cityscapes, he identifies the spots where his projects will have the biggest impact.

“This is a philosophy for taking care of the continental landscape,” Yu says. “It’s time to expand the scale.”

Erica Gies is a journalist based in Victoria, British Columbia, and San Francisco. This story has been adapted from her book Water Always Wins: Thriving in an Age of Drought and Deluge, available for preorder at slowwater.world.

Deep Dive

Climate change

How rising groundwater caused by climate change could devastate coastal communities

Higher sea levels will push the water table up with them, causing flooding, contamination, and all manner of unseen chaos.

The Atlantic’s vital currents could collapse. Scientists are racing to understand the dangers.

So far, the efforts to observe the currents directly show they're weirder and more unpredictable than expected.

The lurking threat to solar power’s growth

Plummeting sunny day solar prices are undermining the economic case to build more solar farms – and putting climate goals at risk.

The Soviets turned the Volga River into a machine. Then the machine broke.

Too many dams have made Russia's most important river dysfunctional. Here's how the mother river can be fixed.

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How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

Positive impacts include nutrient delivery to rainforests like the Amazon and possible temporary suppression of hurricane activity.

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Weekend rain provides little relief to severe water shortage on the Rio Grande

A rainy weekend across the Texas-Mexico border region provided little relief to the dangerously depleted International Reservoirs in the region.

On Thursday, a tropical wave moved inland from the northern Gulf near the Louisiana Coast. It brought heavy showers and flash flood warnings into early Monday as it moved northwest along the Rio Grande, according to the National Weather Service in Brownsville (NWSB).

While many took to social media to give thanks for what seemed like an answer to the drought in the region, experts say the weekend rain will not make a significant difference to the water shortage that community leaders along the border are calling “a threat of imminent disaster.”

RELATED | Scorched border counties downstream of depleted Falcon Lake face ‘threat of imminent disaster

Barry S. Goldsmith, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for NWSB, explained that while the current rains will provide temporary relief to local water supplies by filling up detention ponds and drainage canals, the capacity levels at Falcon International Reservoir will only see “a small percentage rise” as a result.

“In order to fill each reservoir to levels that can preclude community water supply issues, it would require several more waves,” said Goldsmith. “Waves like this one, but through September and into early October.”

Falcon International Reservoir, at only 9.5% capacity on Monday according to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), represents the only surface water source that connects all downstream border communities to running water, from Zapata to Brownsville.

Farther northwest along the Rio Grande, the Amistad International Reservoir, at 30.3% capacity on Monday, serves communities downstream from Del Rio to Laredo, and received no significant inflows from rainfall over the weekend.

Last week, two county judges in the Rio Grande Valley issued declarations of disaster in response to the increasingly severe water shortage and ongoing drought in the region.

Multiple municipalities throughout the region are currently under mandatory stage 2 and 3 water restrictions, with plans for increased restrictions on the way.

Texas Public Radio is supported by contributors to the Border and Immigration News Desk, including the Catena Foundation and Texas Mutual Insurance Company.

Adan Oceguera is an instructional aide in the City of San Benito in Cameron County, which entered a second stage of water restrictions on Aug. 6, currently enforced under penalty of a $200 fine.

“The restrictions are personally manageable,” said Oceguera. “But I can’t help but notice the modest response from our local government compared to the dire, impending water crisis.”

While some have expressed a wish for rainy weather to put an end to the current regional crisis in the short-term, Oceguera–like many others in the region–is becoming more concerned about the long-term prospects of the public water infrastructure that depends on the Rio Grande watershed.

“We can’t depend on hurricanes or tropical storms to save us,” said Oceguera. “We need solutions. If things don’t get better, it’s going to be really rough for communities like ours that are already in desperate need for resources and infrastructure."

RELATED | Water becomes a black market south of the border, experts say scarcity could impact Texas border communities soon

Goldsmith agrees that a different approach needs to be taken.

“The Rio Grande Valley has often been described as being in a state of perpetual drought broken by the occasional devastating flood,” said Goldsmith. “Because drought is a fact of life here, and warming temperatures are now increasing the rapid onset of drought conditions, water conservation is a persistent need.”

Goldsmith says that rainwater harvesting across the region would be a good residential starting point, while large scale approaches could include more desalination plants and smarter irrigation.

In San Benito, Oceguera says he’s also concerned about the future general stability of the region as climate change accelerates globally, and brings more severe weather conditions in the long-term.

“For the first time, we had days last year where we couldn’t take kids outside to play because it would’ve been hazardous to their health,” said Oceguera. “What’s most concerning to me is a future where extreme weather becomes commonplace. This is climate change. It’s not necessarily a tidal wave that upends society, but what we’re seeing here in the Rio Grande Valley now and across the world."

In 2010, Hurricane Alex devastated communities in North Mexico as it made landfall in Tamaulipas and moved west. But the Hurricane also delivered up to 70 inches of rain north of those areas along the Rio Grande watershed.

“There was actually too much runoff,” said Goldsmith about the effects of Hurricane Alex. “Each dam had to release large quantities of water to maintain solvency.”

But Goldsmith says even a similar event would still not be enough to return both reservoirs to full capacity today.

“A similar event this year would fill the reservoirs but be short of capacity,” said Goldsmith. “This is due to the near-record low starting levels both in the U.S. and in Mexico.“

“I’m hoping that the city and county are taking steps now to prepare,” said Oceguera. “For this crisis and the others sure to come.”

TPR was founded by and is supported by our community. If you value our commitment to the highest standards of responsible journalism and are able to do so, please consider making your gift of support today.

Pablo De La Rosa is a Northern Tamaulipas-Rio Grande Valley native where he works as a writer and multimedia producer of stories from the Texas-Mexico border region.

What are the positive effects of Saharan dust on the environment?

carries microorganisms and nutrients that act as fertilizer

- **Negative vs.

Title:

Content: SUPPORT THIS INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM
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Surfrider Foundation’s State of the Beach Report gives Golden State an A for its coastal protections

By Jake Howard

The San Clemente-based Surfrider Foundation released its annual State of the Beach Report earlier this month, and there were some promising findings for the State of California.

Out of the 30 states (plus the territory of Puerto Rico) surveyed, California was one of only 11 to receive an A or B grade. Unfortunately, the report found that an eye-popping 67% of coastal areas are performing at adequate or poor levels.

To make its assessment, Surfrider leveraged a set of 12 different criteria broken up into four categories. This included sediment management, development, coastal armoring, and sea-level rise.

The states and territories that received the highest marks were those that feature “strong policies regarding coastal building setbacks, restrictions on coastal armoring, limiting development and redevelopment, and the advancement of progressive sea-level rise policies that encourage local governments to incorporate climate adaptation measures into land use plans.”

“Rising seas and more powerful storms are already damaging community infrastructure, shrinking coastlines and diminishing the public’s ability to enjoy our favorite beaches across the country,” Stefanie Sekich-Quinn, Surfrider’s senior manager of the Coast and Climate Initiative, said in a prepared statement.

“It is imperative that local, state and federal governments work together to protect our coastal communities from the growing impacts of climate change. Long-term climate planning not only safeguards our coastal communities, but it also makes economic sense,” Sekich-Quinn continued.

Not taking significant action against climate change, Sekich-Quinn noted, citing a recent report, could cost the U.S. economy $14.5 trillion over the next 50 years.

“Surfrider’s report provides a road map for states to improve coastal management and proactively plan for climate change impacts,” she said.

One of the biggest findings, and one that we’re seeing play out right before our eyes here in Orange County, is that 50% of U.S. beaches are under threat from coastal erosion. It’s a subject we tackled in this column a few weeks ago, and continues to be extremely pressing, especially along Beach Road and further south at Trestles and San Onofre.

“Surfrider has intentionally been increasing our work on climate change mitigation and adaptation to help provide solutions to this global issue,” Sekich-Quinn said. “In addition to the graded assessments, we have also included targeted suggestions for improvements for each state in our report.”

“While the climate emergency is daunting, Surfrider is working around the country every day with our network of volunteers and local representatives to help protect our communities, ecological resources and recreational access,” she added.

It isn’t all doom and gloom. There were some positive findings. Surfrider points to both the Biden administration and Congress as taking important steps to protect our coastlines and prepare for climate change.

The report highlights two important federal bills that will, hopefully, make a difference. The first is the bipartisan infrastructure bill, as well as the Inflation Reduction Act. Both will provide financial resources to communities so they can invest in infrastructure that is more resistant to the effects of climate change.

Surfrider also celebrated the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act, which is still working its way through Congress. If it is signed into law, it will “improve ocean protection, increase Blue Carbon Ecosystems, promote responsible renewable offshore energy and help communities to adapt to sea-level rise.”

The first State of the Beach report was released in 2017, and it’s important to remember that a lot of areas are moving in the right direction. The fight to preserve and protect our beaches and oceans is one that can be won.

Since the first report, Surfrider has found that 12 states have improved their coastal policies as they develop strategies to deal with the effects of climate change, including coastal erosion and sea-level rise. California continues to be a leader in this effort, and we should all be proud of that.

Jake Howard is local surfer and freelance writer who lives in San Clemente. A former editor at Surfer Magazine, The Surfer’s Journal and ESPN, today he writes for a number of publications, including Picket Fence Media, Surfline and the World Surf League. He also works with philanthropic organizations such as the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center and the Positive Vibe Warriors Foundation.

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About The Author Dana Point Times

Positive Impacts:**
  - **Negatives:** Air pollution, worsened respiratory health, reduced visibility, solar power efficiency loss, minor soil/airborne dust deposition, psychological discomfort from gloomier skies.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

harms solar energy production
Worsens visibility on roads

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

- **Positives:** Delivers nutrients (like iron and phosphorus) to depleted soils in the Americas, may suppress storm/hurricane formation, and sometimes leads to unique sunsets.

Title:

Content: Heavy rain potential this week in San Antonio with Tropical Storm Watches along Texas Coast

Rain around San Antonio will begin midday Wednesday, ending late Thursday

As we’ve been reporting, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring the Gulf of Mexico for tropical storm development. Regardless of development, the impact to San Antonio will be times of heavy rainfall Wednesday and Thursday this week. Here’s what you need to know:

KEY POINTS

  • Latest indications continue to suggest that this system would move west towards Mexico, with the higher wind impacts staying well south of our area
  • However, the area of low pressure will throw deep, tropical moisture and rain north into San Antonio and South Central Texas
  • As of now, scattered tropical downpours are forecast to develop on Wednesday and Thursday, along with cooler temperatures
  • The highest rain totals will be near the coast, but totals in the range of at least 2″-5″ are looking possible closer to San Antonio

HOW MUCH RAIN?

Highest rainfall totals will be near the Texas Coast with up to 7″of rain possible from Tuesday through Thursday. Farther inland, near San Antonio, the number is closer to 2″ to 5″. In the Hill Country, 1″ to 3″.

Please be mindful that it won’t be raining all day Wednesday and Thursday. Rather, there will be times of heavy rain. Still, this could lead to street flooding so please be cautious and check the radar before driving Wednesday and Thursday.

THE LATEST

As of Monday evening, “Potential Tropical Cyclone One” (PTC 1) was located over the Bay of Campeche and is expected to strengthen into a weak tropical storm named Alberto with winds of 45 mph by Wednesday. It is anticipated to stay relatively weak and make landfall in northeastern Mexico by Thursday morning.

If the storm were to take a more northerly track than anticipated, it would result in gusty winds and minor storm surge along Coastal Texas. As a result, Tropical Storm Watches have been issued for areas from South Padre Island to Galveston/Coastal Houston.

IMPORTANT: Even though San Antonio and Texas are not in the direct path of the potential tropical storm, we will still see impacts from this system, mainly in the form of heavy, tropical downpours. Times of drought-denting rain would begin midday Wednesday and end by Thursday evening.

TROPICAL STORM NAMES FOR 2024

While details will still need to be fine-tuned in regards to how this system will evolve, we know that it’s forecast to be a busy season across the Atlantic Basin. Here is the list of names that will be used for tropical storms and hurricanes this season.

About the Author

Sarah Spivey is a San Antonio native who grew up watching KSAT. She has been a proud member of the KSAT Weather Authority Team since 2017. Sarah is a Clark High School and Texas A&M University graduate. She previously worked at KTEN News. When Sarah is not busy forecasting, she enjoys hanging out with her husband and cat, and playing music.

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How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the positive effects of Saharan dust on the environment?

carries microorganisms and nutrients that act as fertilizer

- **Appropriate Preparations:**
  - **Health Advisories:** Issue public alerts encouraging at-risk populations to limit outdoor activity and use HEPA-type air filtration.

How can people protect their health during Saharan dust storms?

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

public awareness & education
implement a warning system

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Ensure medical facilities are staffed for increased respiratory complaints.

Title:

Content: Equilibrium/Sustainability

Equilibrium/Sustainability — Presented by Southern Company — Migration, security threats run together in warming world

Today is Thursday.  Welcome to Equilibrium, a newsletter that tracks the growing global battle over the future of sustainability. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup.

The Biden administration issued an ominous forecast for the planet on Thursday morning, with one official declaring that “no country will be spared from the challenges directly related to climate change,” according to CNN.

The official was introducing a series of reports from key federal agencies on impacts of climate change, which ranged from a White House study on the rise in global migration, to a Defense Department review of security risks, to upcoming reports from the Director of National Intelligence and Department of Homeland Security.

The White House migration report dissects a feedback loop in which heightened migration can result from — as well as lead to —  greater instability and violence by “non-state armed groups,” creating a cycle that erodes the ability of destination countries to respond effectively to climate disruption.

The study “was very careful not to frame migration as a purely negative coping mechanism” but stressed the need for it to become a “safe, orderly and humane pathway,” the official said.

Today we’re looking at other causes and effects of that climate disruption. First, a report finds that plastics are on track to contribute more to global warming than coal plants by the end of the decade. Then, the head of disaster operations for the Red Cross discusses how his organization is preparing for a world in which we can expect crises to keep getting worse.

For Equilibrium, we are Saul Elbein and Sharon Udasin. Please send tips or comments to Saul at selbein@thehill.com or Sharon at sudasin@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @saul_elbein and @sharonudasin

Let’s get to it.

Plastic will soon trump coal as climate threat: study

The U.S. plastics industry’s contribution to climate change is on course to surpass that of coal-fired power plants by 2030, a new study has found.

Plastics are responsible for generating at least 232 million tons of carbon-based emissions per year — equivalent to the average emissions from 116 average-sized coal-fired facilities, according to the report, published by Bennington College’s Beyond Plastics initiative.

In 2020 alone, the plastic industry’s reported emissions rose by 10 million tons over 2019, the authors found. Meanwhile, construction is currently underway on another 12 facilities, with 15 in planning processes — meaning that altogether, the new sites could emit more than 40 million additional tons of greenhouse gases annually by 2025, according to the study.

“The fossil fuel industry is losing money from its traditional markets of power generation and transportation,” Judith Enck, former Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator and president of Beyond Plastics, said in a statement.

‘Petrochemical buildout’ outweighs other gains: The petrochemical industry, according to Enck, is “building new plastics facilities at a staggering clip so they can dump their petrochemicals into plastics,” she added. “This petrochemical buildout is cancelling out other global efforts to slow climate change.”

Praising the recent closure of 65 percent of the nation’s coal-fired power plants, the authors stressed that the increase in plastics production is outweighing those gains.

“A severe undercounting” of emissions: Although the U.S. plastics industry reported releasing 114 million tons of greenhouse gases in 2020, an analysis by the Maine-based firm Material Research identified “a severe undercounting of plastics’ climate impacts,” a news release from Beyond Plastics said.

That analysis examined data from federal agencies, including the EPA, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Energy, and identified an additional 118 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions generated from other stages of plastics production — the equivalent of another 59 average-sized coal-fired power plants, the report said.

“This report represents the floor, not the ceiling, of the U.S. plastics industry’s climate impact,” Jim Vallette, president of Material Research and the report’s author, said in a statement.

A MESSAGE FROM SOUTHERN COMPANY

At Southern Company, we achieved our interim net zero energy goal ten years early. Today, we continue our work toward a net zero future.

MOVING TOWARD A ‘CIRCULAR ECONOMY’

Environmental benefits of plastics: In response to the report, Joshua Baca, vice president of plastics for the American Chemistry Council (ACC) — which represents major oil and chemical firms — said that the study “fails to recognize the many environmental benefits plastics provide that move society toward a lower carbon future.”

Baca touted plastic’s potential to drive forward “a more circular economy,” or one that focuses on extending the lifecycle of products and reducing waste. Advanced recycling is “gaining momentum,” while plastic packaging requires less material to perform the same function as glass, metal or paper, according to Baca.

“Like other manufacturing processes, plastics manufacturing does emit greenhouse gases,” Baca said, noting that plastics enable the production of lighter vehicles, wind turbine blades and foam insulation.

“Plastics can ultimately result in a net savings of greenhouse gas emissions over their lifecycles compared to the use of many alternatives,” he added.

An opportunity in plant-based plastics: Jessica Bowman, president of the Plant Based Products Council (PBPC), voiced her support for the report, which she said “confirms our perspective that plastics and other products we use every day have significant climate impacts.”

“Plant-based products present an opportunity to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels,” she added.Bowman, who was not involved with the study, stressed that plant-based products “are the epitome of the circular economy,” particularly when made to be compostable or recyclable.

Last words: “We’re not going to get rid of all the products that we need and use every day,” Bowman said. “We certainly could use less products — but for things we need, being able to make them in a better way, making them from renewable inputs, is really critical.”

To read the full story, please click here.

In chaotic world, planning for disaster is everyone’s job

As the country’s climate becomes more unstable and its social fabric more strained, small nonprofit disaster relief organizations are springing up to help communities deal with crises.

“Maybe they pivoted from supporting schools, or distributing supplies” to giving out meals after a hurricane, Trevor Riggen, head of disaster operations at the American Red Cross, told Equilibrium.

Cooperating with these groups is a crucial part of the future of emergency preparedness, Riggen said. “Those agencies bring huge resources to the table, and know the community much better than someone coming from outside.”

Riggen sat down with Equilibrium on Thursday to share his thoughts on preparing for the disasters of the future.

What led to the rise of these organizations? Need. Disaster has become a “chronic condition for a lot of communities,” Riggen said, forcing existing local-level organizations to adapt.

How do big agencies like the Red Cross and FEMA work with these groups? “Presence is key,” Riggen said. “It’s an age-old thing in disaster work: ‘Don’t exchange business cards in the middle of a disaster.’”

For example, relief organizations can leverage lower-scale, more frequent incidents — emergencies rather than disasters — to build a network. Among the 60,000 events the Red Cross finds itself responding to every year are 200 single-family house fires per day, Riggen said.

These give the organization “a starting point” to help gauge individual and communal readiness to inevitable disasters, and to meet local emergency responders and community groups, he added.

A MESSAGE FROM SOUTHERN COMPANY

At Southern Company, we achieved our interim net zero energy goal ten years early. Today, we continue our work toward a net zero future.

IMAGINING TOMORROW’S CRISES TODAY

What else can emergency managers do? “Understand the forecast,” Riggen said. “In decades past, we focused on fighting the next disaster like it would be much like the last one. After Katrina, we focused on averting the next Katrina.”

What’s wrong with that? The future will not be like the past, he said. Meanwhile, Riggen added, the level of vulnerability in communities is “changing every day, and in most communities it’s getting worse.”

With “inequality, food security, healthcare and education — we have to assume we’re starting from a different starting point on the next disaster,” he said.

Then there’s climate change. The 2016 floods in Baton Rouge, which killed 60 people and caused $10 to $15 billion in property damage, “were a watershed for us: since then, large-scale, complex, climate-driven disasters have been happening across the country, and it’s getting faster and more severe,” Riggen said.

There were 22 natural disasters in 2020 that cost over $1 billion — a number that Riggen predicted will be matched this year and passed in future years.

That means that plans for the 2030s and 2040 should assume many communities have to plan for a “much worse” level of local vulnerability and scale of climate disaster — and not simply how to solve current-level problems with current-level resources, Riggen said.

How do you plan for unpredictable disasters, like Texas ice storms or Northwest heat waves? You build the kinds of resilience that work whatever the disaster is, according to Riggen.

“Take a hurricane: the visible impacts are storm surge, flooding, the house that’s blown down,” he said.

But the storm itself, he explained, doesn’t demonstrate a community’s vulnerability to a hurricane. Rather, that vulnerability “starts with asking where are people starting before the disaster happened,” according to Riggen.

“Do they have the resources to evacuate? A preparedness plan? A couple days of food?” he asked. “All those vulnerabilities make us think about that response differently.”

How so? Because to some extent, it doesn’t matter if you can’t live in your house because of a wildfire, hurricane or long-term power failure.

“Food banks, healthcare, emergency housing — we can put that suite of services into almost any disaster scenario, because they’re focused on the person, not how that displacement was caused,” Riggen said.

That approach to planning, he said, “gets you out the disaster-based box,” he added.

Last words: “In thinking about vulnerability, we have to ask: how do we get people who start in a different place to end up with the same result?” Riggen said.

Thursday Throwdowns

Boris Johnson, Bill Gates ‘throwing money’ toward green energy, but provide minimal details

  • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Bill Gates launched a £400 million ($552 million) partnership on Tuesday to boost green energy investment, with half the funds coming from the U.K. government and the other half raised from the private sector, the Prime Minister’s Office announced.
  • But Tom Peck, a political sketch writer for the Independent, ridiculed the partners, writing that they “will definitely save the world — just don’t bother with the details.”
  • The prime minister and the billionaire, according to Peck, may simply be “throwing the money at the problem, generating headlines, but with no real clue what to actually do.”
  • Peck criticized Gates for his “guilty pleasure” of flying around the world in his private jets and Johnson for writing climate denial columns just a decade ago. He also pointed out how the two men seemed confused about the amount they were investing.
  • At the end of their announcement, Johnson declared that the U.K. was “putting in £200m, I think Bill is putting in £200m,” while Gates then corrected him that it was actually “four hundred each,” according to Peck. But then, he wrote, it turned out that “Johnson had been right the first time.”

Document leaks show pushback against U.N. climate recommendations

  • A document leak uncovered by BBC News demonstrated how several countries are working to change a key scientific report on how to combat climate change.
  • Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia have demanded that the U.N. play down the urgency to transition away from fossil fuels — pushing back on previous U.N. recommendations that could keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), the BBC reported.
  • Within the documents are more than 32,000 submissions from governments, companies and other global parties, sent to a U.N. team of scientists that is collecting scientific evidence as to how to tackle climate change, according to the BBC.
  • An adviser to the Saudi oil ministry asked that “phrases like ‘the need for urgent and accelerated mitigation actions at all scales’” be eliminated, while an Australian official rejected the idea that shutting down coal-fired plants is necessary, the BBC reported.

Please visit The Hill’s sustainability section online for the web version of this newsletter and more stories. We’ll see you on Friday.{mosads}

Tags Nancy Pelosi

The Hill has removed its comment section, as there are many other forums for readers to participate in the conversation. We invite you to join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

- **Traffic & Visibility:** Consider traffic advisories during periods of lowest visibility.

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

Prepare for potential accidents due to driving conditions.

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

- **Power Grid:** Monitor grid load, advise on heat mitigation indoors, and inspect/maintain air filtration on critical infrastructure.

How can people protect their health during Saharan dust storms?

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

- **Communication:** Provide clear public messaging about staying indoors, monitoring symptoms, and scheduling outdoor activities to avoid heavy dust periods.

How can people protect their health during Saharan dust storms?

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

- **Urban Planning:** Encourage long-term air quality monitoring; support green infrastructure to help trap airborne particulates.

- **Resilience:** Given increased frequency and climate interactions, the city should adopt disaster resilience strategies that are flexible for compounding events—dust plus heat, plus storms—focusing on communication, healthcare capacity, and infrastructure adaptation.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

**References:** Texas Public Radio, NOAA, historic observations on past dust events, and contemporary city planning best practices.

**Saharan Dust Storm Impacts & Preparations: City Planner Summary**

**Weather & Air Conditions:**
- Saharan dust storms (SDS) can transport vast plumes of fine dust across the Atlantic Ocean into parts of the Americas, including Texas.

Title:

Content: A terrible natural disaster raged in Oklahoma on April 28, killing four people, including a small child.
At least 100 people were injured and more than 20,000 were left without electricity.
See also Dust from the Sahara, heat in spring and heavy rains in Dubai: how the climate in Ukraine and the world is changing
Effects of a powerful tornado in the United States
The American city of Sulfur, home to about 5 thousand people, experienced the greatest destruction.
The tornado destroyed buildings in the center, overturned vehicles and tore roofs, leaving behind ruins.
You just can't believe the destruction.
It seems that all the businesses in the city center (Sulfur Canal 24) have been destroyed.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said.
U.S. President Joe Biden has already held a telephone conversation with Governor Stitt, assuring the full support of the federal government.
At the same time, state authorities report additional casualties and significant material losses in other areas.
In particular, near the city of Holdenville, two people were killed and many houses were destroyed.
How to restore it?
It's a total devastation.
It's crazy, you want to help, but where to start,
Kelly Trussell, a local resident of Sulfur, said.
In the United States raging destructive tornadoes: destroyed hundreds of homes, there are victims
What to do in case of natural disaster
In southern China in Guangzhou on April 27, a powerful tornado claimed 5 lives and injured 33 people.
The strong element had a third level of intensity, resulting in damage to 141 factory buildings.
Rescue services went to the scene and subsequently completed rescue work.
A tornado is one of those elements that you should carefully be prepared for if you live in an area where this phenomenon is possible.
Experts advise: keep an eye on weather forecasts, be attentive to the warnings of meteorological services and prepare a stock of food, water, clothes and medicines just in case.
• When the whirlpool is approaching, you should find the nearest shelter.
During a tornado, it is best to be in the basement or in an interior room without windows on the lower floor.
You can use mattresses, blankets or pillows to protect yourself from debris caused by destruction.

What areas of the Americas have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

What areas of the US have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

- Their arrival often leads to muted sunlight (“milky” skies), stunning sunsets/sunrises, and temporary reduction in direct solar heating, sometimes lowering daytime high temperatures slightly.

Title:

Content: All news
In schools of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk extended distance learning until January 20
In the city eliminate the effects of the cyclone
SOUTH SAKHALINSK, January 17.
/ TASS /.
The authorities of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Monday decided to extend distance learning for all schoolchildren of the city until Thursday in connection with the clearing of roads and access roads from snow accumulated as a result of the past cyclone.
This was reported to journalists on Monday in the press service of the municipality administration.
"On January 18 and 19, classes in all South Sakhalin schools will be held using remote technologies.
The mayor of the city Sergey Nadsadin set a task these days to check the quality of clearing access roads to all educational institutions of the city district, as well as to organize the removal of snow as quickly as possible, "the press service said.
According to the mayor ’ s office, also in the city continues to clean up the territories of kindergartens.
Today, in 16 preschool institutions, these works will be carried out with the involvement of military personnel.
During the day, the clearing of access roads to all kindergartens of the city district will be completed.
A powerful cyclone with blizzards and strong wind raged in the Sakhalin region from Wednesday to Friday.
Children in a number of urban districts, including Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, are still on distance learning, employees of some institutions are on remote work.
During bad weather, the work of all types of transport was disrupted, as well as the power supply of some settlements, many enterprises did not work.
On the Kuril Islands, the wind damaged the roofs and facades of houses.
Situation in the region
Over the weekend, all modes of transport resumed in the Sakhalin region, all roads were also opened for passage, and damage to the roadway on the section of the federal highway Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk-Okha, washed out by a strong sea wave, was eliminated.
Power supply has been restored in full in all settlements of the region.
In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the work of public transport resumed - 220 buses came to the line.
However, road conditions remain difficult.
On the roads of traffic jams, people can not leave the yards in private cars, as the surrounding areas are covered with snow.
The height of snowdrifts in some places reaches two to three meters.
According to the press service of the government of the Sakhalin region, every day more than 150 units of equipment work in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, twice as much at night.
Clearing from snow is carried out around the clock from January 12.
Now in the Sakhalin region warm sunny weather.
In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the air temperature is minus three degrees, there is no precipitation and no wind.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the positive effects of Saharan dust on the environment?

- Dust particles serve as cloud condensation nuclei, potentially suppressing local rainfall during dust episodes, but can also sometimes enhance storms if enough moisture is present.

Title:

Content: “Cyclones will be more destructive ”: the Russian climatologist about the storm in the south of Russia
Russian climatologist told about the causes of the storm in the south of Russia
On the night of November 27, the Crimea was hit by the most powerful storm in the history of observations.
According to the authorities, such a storm the peninsula has not yet seen.
The hurricane also affected the Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov region.
In an interview with RT, Acting Director of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics named after A.M. Obukhov of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Climatology of the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Semenov noted that the cause of the cyclone that brought the storm may be temperature contrasts associated with seasonal changes in the autumn-winter period.
According to the expert, it is necessary to lay in advance the risks of such natural anomalies in the work of the construction industry, energy and other sectors of the economy.
• Felled as a result of the hurricane tree in Simferopol
• RIA News
• © Dmitry Makeev
On the night of November 26 to 27, the most powerful storm in the history of observations hit the Crimea.
Where and why did this storm come from?
What is the climate mechanics of this phenomenon?
— It is appropriate to first talk about meteorological mechanics, because the climate is the average weather for several decades.
In this case, we were dealing with an intense cyclone that passed from the south-west over the Black Sea and led to such cataclysms.
Now the transition period from autumn to winter, the water in the ocean has not yet cooled, and the air above the continental zone is already actively cooling.
This leads to strong temperature contrasts and to the instability of the atmosphere.
As a result, cyclones are often generated at this time of year.
This is when we talk about the events of last night from a meteorological point of view.
• RIA News
• © Max Vetrov
And if we talk from a more global, climatic standpoint, it is known that since the 1970s the Black Sea has warmed by about two degrees.
Accordingly, from its surface evaporation is more intense.
And when a cyclone passes over the sea, it scoops up more water in the form of water vapor, which moves and spins along with this cyclone in a whirlwind.
This gives the cyclone extreme, because water vapor has a lot of energy.
— If the reason is increasing climate change, then such storms will be repeated?
The past cyclone, of course, has yet to be investigated to determine the role of global warming in this case.
For this, scientists will need to use climate models.
However, even without this, it is clear that when the climate warms, there will be more evaporation from the ocean surface and cyclones of this type will be more destructive.
In recent years, the air temperature on the planet has been increasing, the temperature of the seas and oceans, including the Black and Mediterranean Seas - the main sources of moisture in the Black Sea region.
So the trend towards more intense cyclones fits into the concept of global warming.
Let me give you an example.
When we investigated the causes of extreme rainfall, which led to severe flooding in the Crimean region of the Krasnodar region in 2012, it turned out that these extreme weather manifestations were indeed caused by global warming.
We simulated the cyclone that passed over Krymsk at that time in the temperature conditions of 2012 and the 1980s, and it became obvious that in the past the same cyclone would not have caused such devastating consequences.
• View of the city of Krymsk, affected by flooding
• RIA News
• © Press Service of EMERCOM of Russia
— Do the measures that are being taken in the world today have any inhibitory effect on warming, or would the process go even faster without them?
— The measures that are being taken now will have an impact only in the perspective of 20-30 years.
And this is provided that all countries will pursue active policies to reduce emissions.
But, frankly, while a noticeable trend to this in the world is not observed, and after all, this is the main measure of the fight against global warming.
Yes, in 2015, countries signed the Paris Agreement, committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to achieve carbon neutrality.
But so far we have not seen a significant effect, and I am not sure that this goal will be achieved at all.
Also on the subject
“This process can not be stopped ”: a Russian scientist about the melting of glaciers and rising sea levels
Global warming and melting glaciers threaten the possible flooding of such large urban agglomerations as New York and Hong Kong.
Pre...
— Isn ’ t it time for emergency services, builders and utilities to include such anomalies in their work plans in advance?
- It's time.
And we have long said that, in addition to efforts to reduce anthropogenic impact on the climate, it is necessary to take measures to adapt and prevent risks.
That is, it is necessary to take into account the probability of weather anomalies when planning in different areas.
But this, of course, requires financial investments, so we need solutions at the state level.
It is simply necessary to take into account the factor of climate change in long-term development plans, in standards for construction, etc. It is necessary to realize that such events will be repeated more often.
I repeat: between the current storm and the flood in Krymsk – only 11 years, while earlier such events occurred once in several decades.
For such climate-sensitive regions, future risks need to be carefully assessed so that they are properly prepared for the recurrence of such events.
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How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

- Reduced visibility is common during high-dust events, impacting ground and air traffic safety.

Title:

Content: In particular, flights have been canceled or rescheduled at airports in Washington, New York, Chicago and Denver.
According to the American media, a total of about 150 million people in the country were affected by the weather.
In more than half of the states established extremely low temperature for the region, announced an increased level of danger.
In some areas, the air temperature dropped below 45 degrees Celsius.
Several state governors have introduced additional security measures.
In Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, New York introduced emergency mode.
About 100 National Guard officers have been deployed in Colorado to help residents.
Texas authorities instructed emergency services to intensify work due to the threat of storm, flooding and "other extreme weather conditions."
Local meteorological services warn of the risk of an "explosive cyclone", which is characterized by a sharp drop in atmospheric pressure at the epicenter.
The snow storm also affected Canada and led to the cancellation of a number of flights at Vancouver International Airport.
It is expected that on Saturday night the wind speed in Toronto will reach 100 km / h.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

- Air quality typically declines, sometimes reaching "unhealthy" levels (AQI >100), especially dangerous for persons with respiratory illness, the elderly, and young children.

Title:

Content: How to prepare for a possible flood?
If you look at the list of risk zones in Estonia on the website of the Ministry of the Environment, you can find almost all the settlements located along the large water bodies from Kuressaare and Kärdla, as well as from the coastal areas of Tallinn (Haabersti, Pyhja-Tallinn, Kesklinn and Pirita) to Pärnu and Tartu.
Since we are on a relatively flat plot of land, in addition to rising sea levels and river levels, there is also a risk of flooding due to increasing rainfall.
Sewerage can not cope with all the water - and it spreads through the streets.
Areas at risk of flooding can be seen on the Geoportal of the Land Department.
The most effective way to avoid flooding or reduce risks is planning.
One of the possibilities for this is the development of general and detailed plans by the local government, with the help of which it is possible to determine where and on what conditions it is possible to build.
The location of buildings and structures is important, as well as the choice of construction solutions - so that the influence of floods does not increase and the buildings are resistant to possible flooding.
It is not recommended to build on low-lying coastal areas and in floodplains of rivers.
During construction, it is important to determine the height of the first floor of buildings and engineering networks, ensuring the safety of residents and property.
Landowners, entrepreneurs and developers need to reasonably adhere to planning restrictions and involve appropriate experts in planning.
Otherwise, the economic and reputational damage from correcting errors may be greater than it would be in choosing the right place and preventive measures.
It is important for residents to know when heavy prolonged rains are approaching and at what water level the household will be in danger.
In order for the water to rise to a large level, several unfavorable conditions must coincide - frequent cyclones, accompanied by abundant torrential rains, as well as, for example, spring floods, when rivers come out of the banks, have the greatest impact.
If flooding due to high water levels can be predicted, flooding due to rains is difficult to predict.
Opportunities for innovative solutions are increasingly being taken into account, which is not only welcome, but also essential to cope with climate change and create a sustainable future.
In recent years, attention has been paid to close to natural storm water management options.
In addition to creating perhaps more famous ponds and storage channels, as well as wet areas, it is possible to weigh the possibility of coating with rubble stone or gravel, when the stone alternates with grass strips and all sorts of landscaping elements, for example, boxes for growing plants, landscaping roofs, green-covered walls.
These technologies and materials work on the principle that in the event of a flood, water will be able to return to the ground, to the stormwater system and, eventually, back to the water bodies at a rate that reduces the risk of flooding and associated damage.
At the same time, they bring the absolutely necessary diversity and habitat to the urban space.
Your household can be strengthened: make first of all water barriers, waterproofing of low-lying holes, move electrical panels higher.
And in the case of real danger, it is also possible to place, for example, bags of sand in front of doors and windows, disconnect the drainage pipes leading to the sewer, and block the taps of the drain pipes and sewer pipes with bushings.
If there is a risk that water will get into the electrical system, it must be turned off.
As in the case of a strong storm, you need to be prepared for possible power outages, charge your mobile phone, stock up on a flashlight, a battery-powered radio and a sufficient amount of drinking water, food and car fuel.
If the threat of more severe flooding is real, it is worth moving household belongings and polluting chemicals higher from the ground.
What to do during a flood?
Flooding can lead to many serious dangers: drowning, hypothermia, electric shock, contamination of drinking water, damage to buildings and property, as well as interruptions in the operation of vital services such as electricity, sewage and communications.
It is important to monitor the current situation and evacuate before the water reaches your home.
When water enters the building, the logical step is to retreat to a higher level: to the second floor, attic or roof.
Be sure to bring items needed in an emergency – such as a telephone, warm weatherproof clothing and blankets, food, medicine and drinking water – and make yourself or your household visible and audible to rescuers.
To be aware of the development of the situation, the battery-operated radio needs to be tuned to the local radio frequency.
If you need to leave the house, keep in mind that the mass of flowing water is dangerous, it is impossible to move around flooded places.
To measure the depth of the water, use a stick or a branch.
Avoid contact with water that penetrates the house, and if the ground goes from under your feet, do not flounder, but try to swim on your back to a hard surface.
Be sure to stay away from flooded substations, electrical equipment and cables conducting electricity in the water.
For injuries and immediate danger, call the emergency number 112.
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How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

**Historical Impacts in the Americas:**
- Significant SDS events have affected the Gulf Coast (Texas, Louisiana, Florida), Caribbean, and Central America.

Title:

Content: "Bomb cyclone" will hit the United States
"Bomb cyclone", which may hit the United States later this week, may interfere with the holidays and rest of Americans.
"Bomb cyclone" is a natural phenomenon in which a cyclone in the middle latitudes rapidly intensifies within 24 hours, in the atmospheric pressure drops by at least 24 millibars.
A winter storm is forecast to hit cities, including Chicago.
This is reported by the New York Post.
Heavy snowfall is expected to hit much of the Midwest — all the way to Jackson, Mississippi — from Thursday evening until the end of the holiday weekend.
Strong winds will blow on the east coast, and cold air will reach the south, all the way to the usually warm states of Texas and Florida.
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What areas of the Americas have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

What areas of the US have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

- Large events in the past (e.g., June-July plumes) have caused notable AQI spikes in San Antonio and Houston, and have reached as far as Tennessee and the southeastern U.S.
- Similar transatlantic dust events have indirectly impacted South America and the Amazon Basin, bringing both positive and negative consequences.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What areas of the Americas have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

What areas of the US have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

**Human/Economic Impacts:**
- Power grid: Reduced solar insolation can slightly lower solar power production; airborne dust can coat panels, diminishing output further.

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

- Traffic: Reduced visibility raises accident risk for road and airport traffic; advisories or flight cancellations may occur.

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

- Health: Increased ER visits/hospitalizations for asthma, COPD, or other respiratory/cardio complaints during dust events; dust can trigger allergies.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

- Operations: Schools/child care centers may need to restrict outdoor activities.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

**Negative & Positive Impacts:**
- *Negative*: Worsened air quality and associated health risks, disrupted solar energy and aviation, possible increase in traffic accidents, infrastructure strain during concurrent weather extremes.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

harms solar energy production
Worsens visibility on roads

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

- *Positive*: Dust deposition adds nutrients (notably iron and phosphorus) to Gulf and Caribbean ecosystems; suppresses tropical cyclogenesis (fewer hurricanes) temporarily, as dry, dusty air deters storm formation; stunning visual phenomena.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the positive effects of Saharan dust on the environment?

carries microorganisms and nutrients that act as fertilizer

delivers essential minerals for phytoplankton

What areas of the Americas have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

**Geographies Impacted:**
- Main: Texas Gulf Coast, South & East Texas, Central America, southeastern U.S., Caribbean islands.

What areas of the Americas have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

What areas of the US have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

- Secondary: Amazon rainforest (nutrient deposition), parts of South America under trade wind influence.

What are the positive effects of Saharan dust on the environment?

carries microorganisms and nutrients that act as fertilizer

**Recommended Preparations:**
- **Public Health:** Issue air quality alerts; advise vulnerable residents (asthma, elderly) to stay indoors, close windows, use air filtration/AC if possible.

How can people protect their health during Saharan dust storms?

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

- **Grid Operations:** Communicate with utility companies—consider impacts on solar arrays, monitor energy demand shifts if residents stay indoors.

Title:

Content: Not only utilities are trying to cope with unusual flooding.
Residents, armed with hoes and shovels, clear the streets of South Jordan.
As reported in the administration, this is not the first invasion of the rolling field.
A day later, the city was covered by snowfall, which, according to the townspeople, will help to defeat the “babi mind ”.
An error occurred during loading.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

- **Traffic/Aviation:** Alert DOT/aviation authorities to possible visibility issues, update traffic management plans and flight schedules as needed.

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

- **Communications:** Prepare clear, multi-lingual info for citizens: what to expect, basic precautions (masks if outdoors, limit exposure, etc.).

How can people protect their health during Saharan dust storms?

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

- **Infrastructure:** Recommend increased air filter checks on public facilities; clean solar panels after dust events.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

- **Long-Term:** Consider integrating SDS impacts into emergency preparedness, health response planning, and urban air quality improvement initiatives.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

**Data Needs:**
- Real-time AQI and PM10/PM2.5 data; historical dust event records (NOAA, NASA, TCEQ); hospital admission records for respiratory/cardiovascular complaints during previous SDS events.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

respiratory issues
cardiovascular diseases

---

**Key Takeaway:**
Prepare for temporary spikes in air pollution and reduced visibility.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

Prioritize health advisories and operations for critical services and vulnerable populations.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

Recognize both threats and occasional ecological benefits.

What are the positive effects of Saharan dust on the environment?

carries microorganisms and nutrients that act as fertilizer

delivers essential minerals for phytoplankton

Integrate Saharan dust storm planning into broader city emergency protocols.

**Summary of Extracts: Saharan Dust Storms & Extreme Weather Impacts (San Antonio, TX Context)**

**Climate Trends & Heat Impacts:**
- July 2023 was likely the hottest month ever recorded, with global temperatures about 1.2°C higher than pre-industrial levels due to fossil fuel emissions.

Title:

Content: Hottest July ever, UN warns of 'global boiling'
T + T - normal size
July is likely to be the hottest month on record, scientists said Thursday, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the Earth is now in a “global boiling age. ”
A heatwave exacerbated by global warming has hit parts of Europe, Asia and North America this month, as well as wildfires that have ravaged swathes of Canada and southern Europe.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters in New York that "climate change is here, it is terrifying and this is just the beginning," calling for swift and strong action to end greenhouse gas emissions.
"The era of global warming is over.
The age of global warming has arrived. ”
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the European Union ’ s climate observatory Copernicus, “July 2023 is very likely to be the hottest and hottest month on record. ”
Copernicus director Carlo Pontimbo said the temperatures recorded during this period were so "extraordinary" that scientists were confident the records had been broken even before the end of the month.
Beyond official figures, indirect climate data — such as tree rings that determine their age — suggest that the temperatures recorded in July 2023 may be “unprecedented in our history in the last few thousand years, ” says Pontimbo.
He added that these grades may have been standard even "about 100,000 years ago."
With about 1.2 degrees Celsius of global warming recorded since the late 19th century driven by the burning of fossil fuels, heat waves have become hotter, longer and more frequent, as have other extreme weather events such as storms and floods.
An existential threat.
Extreme temperatures and devastating wildfires recorded in July in parts of the northern hemisphere have raised concerns about their impact on health, ecosystems and economies.
As large swathes of the United States were hit by an unprecedented heatwave, President Joe Biden said on Thursday that rising temperatures caused by climate change were an "existential threat".
“I don ’ t think anyone can deny the impact of climate change anymore, ” Biden said at the White House, revealing that measures were being taken to ensure the safety of people working outdoors more broadly as funding for meteorological services increased.
His comments came during a video call with the mayors of Phoenix, Arizona and San Antonio in Texas, which is known for its high temperatures.
Heat is the "number one weather-related killer" in the United States, killing 600 people each year.
An alarm related to extreme heat was issued in New York on Thursday and Friday as the city opened 500 centers equipped with refrigerators.
In Beijing, which has seen four weeks of record-breaking temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius, the government has urged elderly people to stay indoors and asked children to reduce outdoor play time to reduce exposure to heat and ozone pollution at ground level.
In many Mediterranean countries, wildfires have broken out as extreme heat has caused vast areas of land to dry up.
Hundreds of Greek firefighters are battling deadly wildfires that have raged for two weeks in several parts of the country.
Shallow water warming
The Copernicus Observatory and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said global mean sea surface temperatures, which have been much higher than previously recorded at similar periods of the year since May, contributed to the exceptional heat in July.
Pontempo said a "large area" of the central Mediterranean was approaching or exceeding unprecedented levels.
Shallow water temperatures off South Florida, which exceeded 37.8 degrees Celsius for several hours Monday, are also likely to set new global records and threaten coral reefs.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the eight years ending in 2022 were the hottest on record, despite the implications of the La Niña weather phenomenon linked to lower temperatures.
This has now given way to the El Niño phenomenon, which is generally associated with increasing global temperatures, although it is not expected to intensify until later in the year.
Global temperatures are likely to rise temporarily by 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for at least one of the next five years.
But experts stress that this would not be a permanent breach of the Paris agreement ’ s path of limiting climate warming to 1.5 degrees, which signals long-term warming.
Scientists say the world will need to adapt to the heat and other impacts caused by emissions, and that carbon pollution must be drastically reduced this decade to avoid the worst in the future.
Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said: “The extreme weather conditions that affected millions of people in July are unfortunately the harsh reality of climate change and a preview of the future.
“The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is more urgent than ever.
Climate action is not a luxury but a necessity. ”
Members of the WorldWeather Atribition, a group of climate scientists, concluded this week that heatwaves in parts of Europe and North America would have been nearly impossible without climate change.
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- Globally and in the U.S., heatwaves are hotter, longer, and more frequent, intensifying health risks (heatstroke, dehydration) and straining power infrastructure.

Title:

Content: Illegal immigration: 46 migrants die in abandoned truck in San Antonio due to heat and drought
Angelica Casas in San Antonio and Leo Sands
• BBC News
At least 46 people have been found dead in an abandoned truck on the outskirts of San Antonio, Texas.
A fire department official said 16 people, including four children, were also taken to hospital.
Survivors were overheated and had symptoms of heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
San Antonio, 250km from the Mexican-American border, is a major transit route for people smugglers.
People smugglers often use trucks to transport undocumented migrants after they meet them in remote areas as soon as they can cross the border into the United States.
Ron Nirnberg, mayor of San Antonio, said: “They had families.
They were probably looking for a better life.
It ’ s just a terrible human tragedy. ”
San Antonio fire chief Charles Hood said emergency service workers first arrived at the scene around 6 p.m. local time (11pm GMT) after receiving reports of a body.
“We ’ re not supposed to open a truck to see piles of bodies inside.
None of us came to work imagining it. ”
The truck, abandoned by the driver, was without air conditioning and had no drinking water inside, he said.
Heat wave
The weather in San Antonio is very hot in the summer months, with temperatures reaching 39.4 degrees Celsius on Monday, and there are suspicions that the victims may have died of heat exhaustion and drought.
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said two Guatemalans were among those taken to hospital.
The nationality of the other victims was not immediately clear.
Three people were arrested and the investigation into the case was handed over to federal agents.
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Mexican Consul General Ruben Menotti was sent to the scene and the consulate in San Antonio said it would provide "all forms of support" if Mexican nationals were among the dead.
A security guard named Edward Reina, who works in a lumber yard just yards from the scene, said he was not surprised to hear the news when he came to work on his night shift.
He said he had seen migrants jump from the train passing by where the truck was found on countless occasions.
Reina said: “I thought sooner or later someone would get hurt.
The gangs that bring them here don ’ t care about them. ”
This story has been repeated in San Antonio before, but not on this scale.
In 2017, 10 migrants were found dead inside a similar tractor trailer outside Walmart – on the southern side of the city.
The southernmost side of San Antonio is a crossing with two major highways that connect the city to border towns in Texas.
The presence of mostly rural communities, a few junkyards, and a host of growing neighborhoods in this part of the city makes it easy for a truck of this size not to catch anyone ’ s attention — until the opposite happens.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorcas, whose department investigated the incident, said: "People smugglers are ruthless people who have no regard for vulnerable people who exploit and put them at risk for profit."
Texas Governor Greg Abbott blamed the deaths on President Joe Biden, calling them “the result of his murderous policies on open borders. ”
But Beto O'Rourke, the Democratic candidate running against Abbott, said reports of the incident were devastating and called for swift action to "dismantle the people-smuggling rings and replace them with expanded sites to receive legal immigration."
Immigration is a divisive political issue in the United States, where a record 239,000 undocumented migrants were detained in May as they tried to cross the country from Mexico – many of them on extremely dangerous and unsafe routes.
U.S. law enforcement officials appear to be on track to surpass the 2021 record of 1.73 million border arrests as large numbers of migrants from Central American countries such as Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador continue to cross.
Many illegal immigrants fleeing poverty and violence in Central America end up paying people smugglers to help them cross the U.S. border.
Repeated incidents
In recent years, there have been many similar incidents involving migrants who died on their journey, but none were as large as the two were discovered in terms of death toll.
Following the discovery of the tragedy, the Catholic Archbishop of San Antonio, Gustavo Garcia-Seller, tweeted: "Have mercy on them, Lord.
They were hoping for a better life. ”
“Once again, the lack of courage in dealing with immigration reforms is killing and destroying lives. ”
Speaking to the BBC from San Antonio, Matt Houston, a local correspondent for Keynes 5, said: "Our understanding of the situation at the moment is that if this was a human smuggling incident, as it seems, it would be the deadliest such incident in American history."
The risks faced by families crossing the border into the United States are enormous — in recent days the region has been hit by a heatwave, he said.

- Heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the U.S., with more than 600 annual fatalities; cities like Phoenix and San Antonio are "on the front lines" of climate change.

Title:

Content: Climate change
Biden: Climate change is an existential threat that no one can deny
China, U.S. agree to continue close climate communication
Posted in: Last Updated:
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US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that rising temperatures caused by climate change were an “existential threat. ”
“I don ’ t think anyone can deny the impact of climate change anymore, ” Biden said in a speech at the White House, announcing measures to ensure the safety of people working outdoors more broadly as funding for meteorological services increases.
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His comments came during a video call with the mayors of Phoenix, Arizona and San Antonio in Texas, which is known for its high temperatures.
Heat is the "number one weather-related killer" in the United States, killing 600 people each year.
The president also announced measures to strengthen heat-related safety rules for workers, especially farmers, construction workers and others working in open spaces, as well as additional funding for meteorological services.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego Biden said her desert city is "famous for the heat.
But this summer was truly unprecedented. ”
"It is doing real damage to our society and we feel we are on the front lines of climate change."
Chinese and U.S. climate envoys said on Thursday during a video call that the two countries agreed to continue close communication on issues including climate change.
Referring to the talks between China ’ s climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and his U.S. counterpart John Kerry, China ’ s environment ministry said in a statement that the two sides exchanged views on topics such as strengthening China-U.S. dialogue on climate change and enhancing cooperation in the global climate multilateral process.
Kerry, who visited China earlier this month, said more work was needed to reach agreements with China on major issues.
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**Recent Extreme Weather & Power Disruptions:**
- Hurricane Beryl in Texas killed at least 2, prompted evacuations, and left millions without power—highlighting cascading infrastructure risks from severe weather.

Title:

Content: Swiss news and insights in 10 languages
Hurricane Beryl hits Texas coast
Hurricane Beryl hit the southern U.S. state of Texas on Monday, killing at least two people and causing power outages for millions of people, while evacuation orders were issued in several coastal areas.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Beryl hit the town of Matagurda with the force of a Category 1 hurricane before retreating to a tropical storm a few hours later.
Perell was a Category 2 hurricane when it hit Mexico on Friday, but has been in decline since then.
In Houston, a city of about 2.3 million people where torrential rains and strong winds hit, the center warned in its latest bulletin of “life-threatening windstorms, destructive winds and flooding rains ” in southeastern Texas.
Houston Mayor John Whitmeyer said ahead of the hurricane's arrival: "We have to take Beryl seriously.
“Forgiveness is our worst enemy. ”
Some 2.6 million households have been without power since Monday morning, according to the monitoring website Power Outdge.
Two people died from falling trees in the Houston area: a 53-year-old man who was trapped under the rubble when a tree fell on a house, and a 74-year-old woman who was injured when a tree fell on a house, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on the X platform.
Flight Owar said George Bush's airport had canceled more than 1,000 flights, and weather forecasters warned of the risk of a whirlwind.
Hurricane and storm warnings were issued in several coastal areas of Texas over the weekend.
Authorities in Newsys County have asked tourists to leave the city, while neighboring Rifugio County, which has yet to fully recover from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, has issued mandatory evacuation orders.
The city of Galveston, southeast of Houston, has issued voluntary evacuation orders for some areas, and video footage circulated on social media showed queues of cars leaving the city.
Beryl is the first hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean.
A weather phenomenon of this magnitude is extremely rare early in the season, which runs from the beginning of June to the end of November in the United States.
Scientists say hurricanes are becoming more frequent, with their intensity and duration increasing due to the impact of climate change, which is warming ocean waters.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned at the end of May that this season would be exceptional, with four to seven Category 3 hurricanes and above likely.
The forecast is particularly related to the expected evolution of the El Niña weather phenomenon as well as extremely high temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, especially in the North, where it has been rising steadily for more than a year to record levels.
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- Strong winds cause more traffic accidents by reducing visibility through dust and are also associated with power outages, damage to weak structures, and transport disruptions.

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Site Management
Choking and fainting.
Broken and disabled ways to study
Sand storms trigger a state of emergency in the west
Al Shorouk Reporters
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The strong winds that hit many parts of the country during the past two days, caused two fatal traffic accidents in Glizan, and this is because dust storms obscured the vision.
Hospitals were overwhelmed with asthma, allergies, and others who suffered from suffocation.
Shell also recorded vital roads and sporadic losses under the prevailing weather conditions.
On Monday evening, a fatal traffic accident occurred in Glizan after the deviation and coup of a motorcycle and this at the level of the bridge of Sayyid al-Haj on the national road No. 07, Ben Dawood Municipality, and resulted in the injury of the motorcyclist seriously at the level of the head where he died in the place. A Hyundai truck collided with a Renault truck loaded with sand from behind. The accident resulted in the injury of an unidentified man of about 25 years old, who sustained injuries to the head, face and chest. He was confined to the truck and died on the spot.
According to our sources, traffic accidents were caused by bad weather and poor visibility.
Al-Shorouk learned that due to strong sandy winds and air fluctuations recorded in the state of Glizan, the city protection units in the state carried out 13 interventions, represented by the fall of trees, on the edges of the roads, and the fall of some columns and electrical strands, and the civil protection evacuated 13 cases of both sexes, ranging in age from 18 to 93 years, due to shortness of breath.
The dust storm that has been raging in the province of Oran and its surrounding areas for the past 48 hours has created a state of emergency among families who are suffering from asthma and allergies. Emergency medical services have become the number one destination for ambulances that were transporting the injured and the health crisis, both towards Ibn Zergab Hospital and early November. Strong winds of 70 km per hour have caused several serious collapses. In addition to material damage to cars and shop fronts.
Fainting among students
According to the communication cell at the level of Ibn Zarjab Hospital in the district of El Balato, more than 100 cases of shortness of breath have been recorded during the past 48 hours, and the number is still likely to rise, without talking about the rest of the neighboring hospital institutions, whose staff spent hours without interruption to take care of patients, most of the cases belong to people with asthma and allergies and age between 21 and 80 years.
At the level of the educational sector, several cases of fainting among teachers as a result of difficulty breathing have been recorded. The injured have been referred to hospitals in order to receive the necessary treatment and undergo artificial respiration, while many managers have resorted to canceling the rest session and preventing students from going out so as not to suffer respiratory crises, especially since the sand storm has transformed the day at night.
For reference, the strong winds caused the registration of some partial collapses of some buildings, most notably what happened in the building located in the approach of the National Liberation Army on the sea side when part of the facade of the building fell, leaving the crash of some cars and fortunately, the accident did not leave victims.
In the wilaya of Sidi Bel Abbes, many educational institutions dismissed their students in the three phases because of the sandstorms that swept the state in the past 48 hours, especially in the southern regions, where the wind accompanied by heavy dust, which reached 80 km per hour, completely blocked the visibility, and the interventions of the protection services of 26 in the removal of trees falling due to high winds.
The sandstorms forced many municipalities to suspend the study until the weather improved after the sand swept through the classrooms.
Winds have also caused many trees to fall, paralyzing traffic on a number of municipal and even state roads, as well as frequent power outages in some municipalities.
Power outages
The storms caused the entire territory of the state of Beidh, partially closed a number of national and state roads, especially linking the north of the state to the south, while there was no movement completely through roads and unpaved paths, and the municipality of Beidh witnessed the fall of a large number of trees, which paralyzed traffic for several hours.
On the other hand, many villages have experienced a complete power outage.
In a happy state, the force of the wind brought down giant trees, electric cables and blackouts on many happy neighborhoods.
These winds, which decreased somewhat on Tuesday, caused the fall of an electrical column in the neighborhood of 500 housing peace next to the annex of the municipality of Saïda, and fortunately the incident did not record any significant losses, and caused the collapse of the roofs of some old houses.
Tlemcen witnessed several incidents due to bad weather, where a building crane threatened the security of residents and passers-by in the neighborhood of Kifan.
The wind led to the fall of an electric column in the Sidi Taher neighborhood in the upper city of Tlemcen near the mosque and fortunately no casualties were recorded, and the wind caused damage to an archaeological wall dating back to the Zayanid period, threatened with collapse.
In the municipality of Awlad Maimoun, east of Tlemcen, the wind caused the fall of a public lighting pole on the external wall of the Bakhti Abdul Razak without registering casualties, and in the municipality of Shatwan, the wind led to the fall of iron sheets from a balcony on the fifth floor of a building in the neighborhood of Bouarfa, and the wind led a tree in the municipality of Beni Sanous on the roof of a house without registering casualties.
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What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

**San Antonio Case in Heat Waves/Drought:**
- San Antonio, sitting at a critical highway crossroads, has endured deadly consequences from heat, including the death of 46 migrants in a truck during a heatwave and ongoing drought conditions.

- Intense heat and drought raise risks for dehydration, public health emergencies among vulnerable populations, and threaten water and power systems.

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Content: Heavy rain and snow after a long drought.
The Great Melt in California Could Cause Heavy Floods
Spring in California this year has been a welcome respite, given the record rainfall and historic snowfall the state has seen in recent weeks.
But the new danger from hot weather looms large.
The state ’ s massive ice will begin to melt soon, and communities are preparing to deal with the water, as trillions of gallons of snowwater covering the Sierra Nevada mountain range are expected to rush into rivers and reservoirs as the weather warms.
This will increase the risk of flooding in areas already saturated with the state ’ s rainstorming winters.
Climate scientist Daniel Swain said in an online briefing this week that the mass of ice, 233 percent of the April 1 average, contains enough water to fill reservoirs downstream several times.
Danger.
"Conditions can be risky even without a large heatwave or warm rain in the late season, and a combination of warm spring weather and sunny skies can be sufficient for rapid surface runoff," Swain said.
It is a challenge facing many countries across the West, all of which have had to contend with a drastic shift in climate conditions, after years of devastating drought.
The climate crisis, which exacerbates extreme events, is expected to fuel large swings in the future.
Less reliable models and forecasts
Rapid spring thawing has already wreaked havoc from the southwest to the Rocky Mountains, emergency crews in New Mexico have been forced to conduct water rescues of submerged vehicles, and Arizona residents have spent days working to drain floodwaters from their homes.
The climate crisis has made models and forecasts based on historical data less reliable, and even with good data, the information doesn ’ t help much, according to California Water Resources Administration officials.
Jenny Fromm, of the US Army Corps of Engineers, said: “We don ’ t really know how the ice will melt, ” explaining:“ Small shifts in solar radiation and groundwater flow can make a big difference to the results. ”
Dealing with Extreme Volatility
David Rizardo, director of the California Department of Water Resources Hydrology, said: “Climate change has had other plans over the past 10 years, ” explaining how the increase in external events has made statistics and models less reliable.
It is difficult to know at this point whether conditions will change for better or for worse, "he said, adding:" Maybe there will be more snow or rain.
We may go through a really warm and very dry period that causes the water to evaporate in the system.
Both affect. ”
“However, what officials know is that many of the areas at risk of being the hardest hit have long had to deal with extreme weather conditions, including years of devastating drought and extreme heat. ”
Jose Pablo Ortiz, a senior scientist at the non-profit Union of Climate Scientists, said many of these communities have been affected for years by the weather.
Scientists, officials and activists are particularly interested in communities in California ’ s San Joaquin Valley, an agricultural center that embraces the state ’ s mountainous center.
Winter storms, which hit the region in March, caused devastating flooding, damaged homes, farmland and critical infrastructure, counties estimate billions of dollars in damage, and millions more are needed to fund the most urgent repairs.
Repair of dams and drainage
Besides resources, it will take time to repair damaged dams, drain the water still flooding streets, and dry up homes and businesses.
Recovery has been slow, and time is running out, as in April and May, snowmelt runoff peaks in many of these areas.
Access to clean water
Even as the region races to prepare for dangerous water flows, the effects of drought persist there.
“For some, it ’ s a water quantity problem, but for others it ’ s a water quality problem, ” Ortiz said, noting that many communities in this region are still struggling to get clean water for drinking and hygiene.
Experts have warned that the risks facing California and the wider U.S. West will only get worse as the climate crisis intensifies.
“Drought risks – as well as severe flooding – are rising as the climate warms. ”
While it is difficult to attribute any single weather event to the climate crisis, the extreme swings between wet and dry fit the pattern predicted, by models and scientists ’ conclusions, as the climate scientist pointed out.
Meanwhile, the impact of these extreme weather events has been felt for a longer time, Swain said, with the risks posed by a series of storms that have hit California, which persist into the summer.
But the winter is not over yet.
Winter storms, which hit the region in March, caused devastating flooding and damaged homes, farmland and critical infrastructure.
Experts warn that the risks facing California and the wider U.S. West will only get worse as the climate crisis intensifies.
Drought risks – as well as severe flooding – are on the rise, as the climate warms.
Rapid spring thawing has already wreaked havoc from the southwest to the Rocky Mountains, emergency crews in New Mexico have been forced to conduct water rescues of submerged vehicles, and Arizona residents have spent days working to drain floodwaters from their homes.
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Rapid spring thaws and drought-flood cycles create ongoing hazards (flash floods, infrastructure stress).

**Health and Daily Life Impacts from Dust & Extreme Weather:**
- Dust storms (accentuated by heat) have led to fatal traffic accidents, obscured visibility, collapses of inadequate structures, increased numbers of respiratory emergencies, and fainting spells among teachers.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

- Air quality deterioration during dust events exacerbates respiratory illnesses (asthma, COPD), especially in sensitive groups (children, elderly).

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

**Impacts and Responses Across Americas:**
- Saharan dust storms regularly impact the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, and the southeastern U.S., with effects traced as far as the Amazon.

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28 May 2024
Floods and tornadoes in the US, India and the Philippines
Deaths and extensive destruction.
The Indian and Bangladeshi coasts were hit by heavy storms and heavy rains due to the impact of Hurricane Rimal, which caused extensive destruction and extensive damage to infrastructure and public and private property.
This is the first hurricane of its kind this season, which has led to the alert of authorities and repeated warnings to citizens to take the necessary safety measures.
The effects of the hurricane were clear and devastating, causing power outages for hundreds of thousands of people and destroying a large number of homes and farms.
In addition, the typhoon caused the death of many people and the loss of others, as a result of floods, landslides and boat accidents.
Heavy rains and strong winds have exceeded the limits of probability, flooding several coastal villages and damaging flood protection dams.
Authorities evacuated hundreds of thousands of residents to keep them safe and provide medical aid and support to those affected.
Schools were closed and air operations suspended in affected areas to reduce the risk of injury and facilitate evacuations and relief.
With rain and cold expected to continue in the coming days, the challenges facing the affected authorities and communities remain significant, requiring cooperation and joint efforts to overcome the effects of these natural disasters.
Authorities in the southern United States say at least 21 people have died from powerful tornadoes that have hit the region, which is currently moving toward the east of the country.
Since Saturday, the Great Plains in the southern United States have seen a round of hurricanes, starting from northern Texas and heading east, destroying buildings and infrastructure en route.
Bad weather continues as it advances toward the Atlantic coast, with “major thunderstorms ” and“ isolated hurricanes ” forecast in several areas from the Great Lakes to the southeastern United States.
In Kentucky, Governor Andy Bashir announced the deaths of four people due to several hurricanes, noting that one of the hurricanes hit the state in particular, causing “serious damage ” to power lines, cutting power to hundreds of thousands of homes.
An emergency agency said eight people had died in Arkansas from the tornadoes, and images taken in the area showed destroyed buildings and electricity poles lying on the ground.
Seven people died in Cocovey County, north of Dallas, Texas, from another tornado, while two people in western Oklahoma were killed by another tornado.
Authorities are also continuing their efforts to provide assistance and support to those affected, with constant warnings to residents to take precautions to protect themselves from the threat of hurricanes and adverse weather events.
Philippine authorities reported at least seven deaths from tropical storm Iwenyar that swept the country at the beginning of the week, and in the United States, a tornado in Texas killed and injured 62 people.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday that search and rescue efforts were continuing to find victims of the storm.
According to Reuters, the storm caused strong winds and heavy rain in provinces south of the capital, leading to the closure of airports and seaports and power outages.
The storm moved towards the east coast of Japan with winds at 130 kilometers per hour and storms at 160 kilometers per hour.
A 14-year-old girl died in the eastern province of Misamis after a tree fell on a parked car, another student was injured, and in Quezon province, east of the capital, six people were reported killed.
The storm affected about 27,000 people and disrupted operations at three airports and nine seaports over the weekend.
Iwenyar is the first tropical storm to hit the Philippines this year, and the country is one of the Southeast Asian nations to experience an average of 20 storms a year, often resulting in heavy rainfall, strong winds and landslides.
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What areas of the Americas have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

- Prepare hospitals and emergency services for surges in respiratory issues.

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How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

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