Extreme El Nino events set to double
Extreme bushfires in Australia are just one of the side effects of this climatic phenomenon (Reuters: Daniel Munoz )
Related Stories
- Warming could make El Nino more intense, Science Online, 14 Oct 2013
- Scientists discover early source of El Nino, Science Online, 25 Jun 2012
- Looming El Nino sets up gloomy forecast, Science Online, 20 Oct 2009
Global warming could double the frequency of catastrophic events linked to extreme El Niños, say scientists.
The findings mean not just a rise in the number of devastating droughts and fires in Australia and Indonesia, and major floods in the normally cold and dry Peru and Ecuador, but also a rise in extreme weather events around the world.
"The influence of extreme El Niños reaches every continent," says Dr Wenju Cai, of CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, who is lead author on a new paper published today in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Cai says the last extreme El Niño in 1997/98 led to 23,000 deaths and $50 billion worth of losses globally.
Under the El Niño weather pattern, the ocean in the eastern Pacific heats up more than normal, bringing more rain to that area and less rain to the western Pacific.
When the warming in the eastern Pacific passes a certain temperature, an extreme El Niño results. This causes extreme droughts in the western Pacific and a 10-fold increase in rain in the eastern equatorial Pacific region.
"Imagine an average of 5 millimetres a day everyday for three months," says Cai.
Climate models
read more: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2014/01/20/3927497.htm
Secret funding helped build vast network of climate denial thinktanks
Anonymous billionaires donated $120m to more than 100 anti-climate groups working to discredit climate change science
• How Donors Trust distributed millions to anti-climate groups
• How Donors Trust distributed millions to anti-climate groups
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/14/funding-climate-change-denial-thinktanks-network
I'm over the self motivated ..... they should imo consider spreading harmful information illegal
Silverfaun, LOL you've posted,that nobody wants read what I have to post,taking issue with MY c&p's 
.I've also seen several other posters been told to leave our Country for merely not agreeing with specific poster/s views.
Siggie, there was more going on than fires...
our bodies and our infrastructure didn't cope too well with the extreme heat .
The blackouts during Australia's heatwave didn't happen by accident
Australia broke yet another heatwave record this week while thousands of people suffered from electricity blackouts
from the above article
*train and tram tracks buckled
*Melbourne ground to a halt, when the public transport providers, Metro and Yarra Trams advised commuters to leave work early to avoid massive delays and service cancellations.
*It became so hot that the Australian Open tennis competition had play stopped after players collapsed and hallucinated cartoon characters.
*Emergency services, including paramedics and firefighters have been mobilised in large numbers to respond to the increase in heat-related injuries. Heart attacks surged 300% during the heatwave and authorities expect an increase of 50% in mortalities caused by the extreme heat, mainly the elderly, infirm and children.
*Staged black outs in Melbourne (and black outs in other areas) ...Denis Napthine urging priority is given to electricity supplies for hospitals, nursing homes emergency services, public transport and major infrastructure," he said in a radio interview, and he also noted that essential services "will be exempt" from power cuts.
The black outs were exacerbated by repair delays at one of Victoria's major power stations and problems with the Basslink power cable from Tasmania.
(see full article for private ownership/pricing on electricity )
read in full ;http://www.theguardian.com/environment/southern-crossroads/2014/jan/17/heat-wave-australia-record-br...
Heatwave may have caused 'cosmetic' crack in West Gate Bridge
- AAP
- JANUARY 20, 2014
The heat blast yesterday forced Australian Open officials to suspend matches and about 1000 people were treated for heat stress.
The ambulance service has recorded a spike in heat-related cases, with paramedics treating 243 people between Monday and midday yesterday - an eightfold increase.
The state has also had a leap in cardiac arrests, with 26 cases on Wednesday and another 28 before 4pm on Thursday.
Animals are also suffering, falling from trees due to heat stress on a scale wildlife workers say they have not seen since Black Saturday in 2009.
Up to 500 flying foxes from the Yarra Bend Park colony have died in the past two days and the number is likely to rise.
As temperatures hit the mid-40s in most areas, high electricity use and power plant outages put a major strain on electricity supplies, with Victorians using the most power since Black Saturday.
