Monday, October 13News That Matters

Tag: climate change

Cyclone Remal Devastates Northeastern States in India: 36 Dead, Widespread Disruptions

Cyclone Remal Devastates Northeastern States in India: 36 Dead, Widespread Disruptions

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
The onslaught of Cyclone Remal has resulted in the tragic loss of 36 lives across four northeastern states in India, with Mizoram, Nagaland, Assam, and Meghalaya bearing the brunt of heavy rains and landslides on Tuesday. The severe weather conditions have brought daily life to a standstill across the region, disrupting transportation and utilities. Mizoram: The state suffered the highest casualties, with 27 people killed, including 21 victims of a quarry collapse in Aizawl district. Multiple landslides in the district claimed additional lives and left ten people missing. Disaster management and police officials have recovered 21 bodies from the quarry site located between Melthum and Hlimen, with several more feared trapped under debris. Other fatalities were reported in Salem, Aibawk,...
Study Links the Heatwaves to Increase in Early Births of Babies

Study Links the Heatwaves to Increase in Early Births of Babies

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Learning & Developments
A new study examining 53 million births over 25 years in the United States has found that early births become slightly more frequent during hotter, longer heatwaves. The study, conducted by University of Nevada epidemiologist Lyndsey Darrow and colleagues, analyzed national birth records between 1993 and 2017 across the 50 most populous metropolitan areas in the US. The research reveals that pregnant individuals, along with newborns and infants, are particularly sensitive to extreme heat, as they cannot cool themselves down as effectively as others. This vulnerability is similar to that seen in the elderly. As heatwaves in the US have become 24 percent more intense and are occurring twice as often as in the 1960s, the researchers found a small increase in daily rates of preterm births (...
Papua New Guinea Faces Catastrophe: Landslide Buries 2,000, Sparks Urgent Evacuations

Papua New Guinea Faces Catastrophe: Landslide Buries 2,000, Sparks Urgent Evacuations

Breaking News, Disasters
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea: A devastating landslide in Papua New Guinea has led to the urgent evacuation of approximately 7,900 people from remote villages, with fears of further landslips looming. The disaster struck on May 24, burying an estimated 2,000 people under a vast expanse of yellow and grey debris. The remote location, severed road access, ongoing heavy rainfall, and nearby tribal violence have severely hindered rescue and relief operations. Enga provincial administrator Sandis Tsaka described the continuing peril as "the tragedy is still active," with continuous rockfalls from Mount Mungalo. Satellite images revealed the massive scale of the landslide, which has cut through verdant bushland and severed the region's only road. Locals have been desperately digging throu...
Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf Calves Massive Iceberg A-83, Signals Ongoing Environmental Shift

Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf Calves Massive Iceberg A-83, Signals Ongoing Environmental Shift

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
On May 20th, 2024, Antarctica witnessed yet another significant iceberg calving event as a massive iceberg measuring 380 square kilometers (approximately 147 square miles) broke off from the Brunt Ice Shelf. This event, designated A-83 by the U.S. National Ice Center, marks the third major iceberg calving in the region within the past four years. The separation of iceberg A-83 was captured by two Earth Observation satellites: the European Space Agency's Copernicus Sentinel-1 and NASA's Landsat 8 satellites. These satellites provided radar imaging and thermal data, respectively, allowing scientists to monitor the effects of climate change on remote regions like Antarctica. Routine monitoring of ice shelves by satellites enables scientists to track changes in ice dynamics and structura...
NASA’s PREFIRE Mission: Studying Earth’s Heat Emissions and Monitoring Polar Climate Change

NASA’s PREFIRE Mission: Studying Earth’s Heat Emissions and Monitoring Polar Climate Change

Breaking News, Idea & Innovations, Space
NASA's PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission has successfully launched the first of two climate satellites designed to study heat emissions from Earth's polar regions. The satellite lifted off on Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand, at 7:41 p.m. NZST (3:41 a.m. EDT) on Saturday. PREFIRE Mission Overview The PREFIRE mission consists of two CubeSats, each the size of a shoebox, tasked with measuring the amount of heat radiated from Earth's poles into space. These CubeSats will provide critical data to help researchers predict changes in Earth's ice, seas, and weather patterns in a warming world. The mission aims to fill a significant gap in our understanding of how the polar regions influence the planet’s energy budge...
Tornado Outbreak Claims 15 Lives in Central U.S., Rescue Efforts Ongoing

Tornado Outbreak Claims 15 Lives in Central U.S., Rescue Efforts Ongoing

Breaking News, Disasters
Washington: At least 15 people have lost their lives across the central United States as a series of tornadoes and extreme storms wreaked havoc in several states, including Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Officials reported ongoing rescue efforts and widespread power outages affecting hundreds of thousands of customers after the severe weather hit the Southern Plains region starting late Saturday. Texas Hit Hard by Deadly Tornado In Texas, the Valley View area, north of Dallas, bore the brunt of a devastating tornado. Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington confirmed that seven people died in the disaster. The twister caused extensive damage, demolishing homes and a gas station, and overturning vehicles on an interstate highway. "The damage is pretty extensive," Sappington said in an inte...
Remal Cyclone Movement Update: Severe Cyclonic Storm “Remal” Over North Bay of Bengal

Remal Cyclone Movement Update: Severe Cyclonic Storm “Remal” Over North Bay of Bengal

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
The Severe Cyclonic Storm "Remal" (pronounced as "Re-Mal") over the North Bay of Bengal has intensified significantly. As of 0830 hrs IST today, May 26, 2024, the cyclone was centered near latitude 19.8°N and longitude 89.3°E. It is positioned approximately 260 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), 310 km south of Mongla (Bangladesh), 240 km south-southeast of Sagar Islands (West Bengal), and 280 km south-southeast of Canning (West Bengal). The storm is currently moving northward at a speed of 7 kmph, with maximum sustained winds of 90-100 kmph gusting up to 110 kmph. Forecast and Expected Impact Movement and Landfall: Remal is expected to continue its northward trajectory, intensifying further. It is predicted to make landfall between Sagar Island (India) and Khepupara ...
Why people should never take Pebbles from Coastal Beach or side space form Rivers: Scientist suggest with scientific reasoning

Why people should never take Pebbles from Coastal Beach or side space form Rivers: Scientist suggest with scientific reasoning

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Idea & Innovations
Cumberland Council in northern England has announced new measures to protect its beaches, imposing fines of up to £1,000 on individuals caught removing pebbles. This decision, while frustrating to some beachgoers, is essential for preventing coastal erosion and maintaining natural habitats, as research has shown. For many, visiting the beach evokes joyful childhood memories, where collecting pebbles as souvenirs seemed harmless. However, these pebbles play a critical role in providing habitats for various creatures and offering natural protection for homes and infrastructure from the sea. While many might have taken the odd pebble or even bags of them for garden rockeries, the removal of beach materials is illegal in the UK. This law, established under the 1949 Coastal Protection Act...
Climate Change Vs Intense Heatwave: Rising Temperatures and Intense Heat Index Explained

Climate Change Vs Intense Heatwave: Rising Temperatures and Intense Heat Index Explained

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Opinions
The heat in Delhi is becoming increasingly unbearable. On May 23, 2024, the temperature reached 41 degrees Celsius, but it felt like a scorching 50 degrees Celsius. In the coming days, the perceived heat may rise to an astonishing 56 degrees Celsius. Despite being just one degree above the normal temperature, the heat feels extraordinarily intense. Recent data from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) shows a discrepancy between recorded temperatures and the heat people actually feel. This is backed by a recent study indicating that the temperatures tolerated by Indian citizens already exceed the set limits. Why Does the Heat Feel More Intense? The sensation of intense heat is not solely due to high air temperatures. Humidity plays a significant role in how hot it feels. The...
How Climate Change Escalating Risk of Extreme Heat stress Amid National Elections in India

How Climate Change Escalating Risk of Extreme Heat stress Amid National Elections in India

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Opinions, Thoughts & Talks
India is experiencing searing heat earlier than usual for the third consecutive summer, with extensive regions suffering from humid conditions. Scientists warn that climate change is increasing the frequency, duration, and severity of heatwaves, potentially endangering more than a billion lives. As national elections progress, the impact of this heatwave is more acute compared to 2023, the hottest year on record. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted an unusually high number of heatwave days from April to June. Defining Heatwaves and New Indices There is no global standard for defining heatwaves, but the IMD considers temperatures above 40°C in low-lying areas or 30°C in mountainous regions as heatwave conditions. The IMD has introduced a Heat Index that factors in ...