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| The listings below are traumatic weather events that may or may not be attributable to the phenomena of the'warming of the planet', as caused by human created air-born wasteproducts. As such, those with the political power and otherwise, able to begin to curb these emissions but refuse, could be said to be liable for the damage so incurred. However since the evidence probably would likely never amount to anything more than circumstantial, there could probably not be made a full proof case that would stand up in an 'international weather crimes court of law'. |
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GlobalWarning Wednesday, January 07, 2004 PACIFIC'S NIUE (Reuters) — 'The worst cyclone in memory has flattened the capital of the tiny South Pacific island state of Niue, killing a woman and seriously injuring several people including her baby, officials said Wednesday...Tropical cyclone Heta, packing winds of almost 186 mph, slammed into the island of about 2,100 people just east of the international dateline Monday, local time. Thursday, January 01, 2004 Philippines (AFP) — 'A senior aide of President Gloria Arroyo blamed global warming for the series of landslides and floods that wrought death and destruction in the central and southern Philippines last month...The disasters killed more than 200 people on the islands of Panaon, Leyte, Mindanao and Bohol shortly before Christmas... Environment Secretary Elisea Gozun said that while the massive loss of forest cover and geologic factors were partly responsible, these areas had so far avoided landslides even though farmers started clearing upland areas in 1928 for coconut and other cash crops...She said the new elements were the record heavy rains that fell on Panaon and the Surigao region in Mindanao..."One should, however, point out that this unusually heavy rain is one concrete manifestation of climate change," Gozun wrote in the Philippine Star newspaper.' Tuesday, December 16, 2003 GLOBAL (Wild Weather) — 'The past year is shaping up to become the third hottest on record according to a report issued Tuesday by the World Meteorological Organization. Temperatures averaged .81º F above the long term trend. The organization blames global warming for the recent surge in temperatures. The three hottest years since records began in 1861 have occurred since 1997. Friday, December 12, 2003 UK (Wild Weather) —'The Hadley Center for atmospheric research reports that stormy weather in the United Kingdom has doubled in the past 50 years as atmospheric patterns have changed. The findings were presented at a climate change meeting in Milan, Italy. The scientists also think winds are on the increase as pressure gradients have become steeper.' Friday, December 12, 2003 Global Warming (Independent UK) — 'Global warming is killing about 150,000 people a year, mostly in deprived and tropical areas, and the toll could rise dramatically if efforts are not made to combat climate change, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned yesterday.' Wednesday, December 10, 2003 GLOBAL (Wild Weather) — 'A report by experts with the Finance Initiative of the United Nations suggests natural disasters will cost the global economy more than $60 billion in 2003. Most of those loses were attributed to weather. Notable events included the European heat wave ($10 billion), floods in China ($8 billion) and a U.S. tornado outbreak ($3 billion).' Wednesday, December 03, 2003 MARSEILLE, France (AFP) — 'France's second-biggest city Marseille and its surrounding area was declared a disaster zone as lashing rain caused floods that have claimed at least five lives and forced mass evacuations... France Meteo warned the rain and winds of up to 150 kilometres (90 miles) per hour that persisted since Monday would continue until Thursday, with the city of Montpellier particularly at risk...The central square of that city was underwater, with just the tops of park benches visible and the empty main street inundated up to the doors of shops. Cars were left abandoned in the torrents that had formed over other roads. Army trucks were used to transport people whose homes had been flooded...Local authorities said the Rhone river, which runs from Lyon, in the southeast of France, to Marseille, was channeling a fearsome level of water -- 12,000 tonnes a second -- and was at a dangerous level. Meteo France said the river was overflowing under the heaviest rainfall seen in the region in half a century. Tuesday, December 02, 2003 MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — 'Australia's second biggest city was battered overnight by a freak storm that dumped more than 10 centimeters (4.0 inches) of rain on some areas within two hours, officials said...Parts of the north and eastern suburbs of Melbourne had more than 100 millimetres of rain over two hours," he said. "This is a once in 100 year event... Callers to local radio stations reported hail the size of golf balls pummelled the eastern suburb of Lilydale while the Victoria State Emergency Service said hundreds of homes and businesses had been hit by flooding or damage from collapsed roofs or falling trees.' Friday, November 20, 2003 GLOBAL (Wild Weather) — 'Global warmth continued its record setting pace in October as temperatures soared to record levels. The average global temperature was 1.2º F (0.7° C) above the long term average. The warmest October since records began in 1880. Locally, temperatures in Europe were below normal while the western United States, Asia, and Africa enjoyed plenty of warm temperatures.' Monday, November 17, 2003 Texas USA (AP) — 'Storms packing heavy rain swept across Texas on Monday, forcing two high water rescues and injuring at least 20 people as wind in the Houston area overturned cars and damaged buildings. In southern Texas, parts of Harris County, which includes Houston, received as much as 10 inches of rain in 24 hours, said Charles Roeseler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.' Friday, November 14, 2003 Puerto Rico (AP) — 'SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Hundreds of people fled their homes as relentless rains unleashed floods across Puerto Rico, swelling rivers and setting off landslides. The storm has dumped at least 15-18 inches of rain in Puerto Rico and 10-15 inches in the U.S. Virgin Islands since Sunday, said Scott Stripling, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in San Juan.' Friday, November 14, 2003 Beijing, CHINA (AFP) — ' A raging snow storm that hit China's capital Beijing last week damaged a total of 13 million trees, state media reported. The impact of the unusually early and heavy snowfall on the city's trees alone is expected to leave municipal authorities with a bill of 110 million yuan (13 million dollars), the Beijing Today newspaper said.' Thursday, November 13, 2003 Los Angeles USA (AP) — 'A freak storm pummeled parts of Southern California with up to 5 inches of rain and hail, forcing motorists to abandon swamped cars at the height of rush hour and leaving thousands of residents without power... 5 inches of rain was recorded in just two hours in southern Los Angeles, nearing the previous record for the area of 5.9 inches — "but that was in an entire day.' Sunday, November 02, 2003 TAIWAN (Wild Weather) — 'The remnants of typhoon Melor dumped extremely heavy rain over southern Taiwan on Sunday. The city of Hengchun received nearly 14" of rain in less than 24 hours four times the average rainfall for the month of November. The heavy rain has flooded roadways and caused structural damage to several homes. No reports on injuries or fatalities.' Monday, October 27, 2003 THAILAND (Wild Weather) — 'Torrential rain across Thailand in recent days has led to the evacuations of more than 200,000 people. Rainfall totals have exceeded 15 inches in some areas. Flooded roadways and train tracks have virtually brought the country to a halt. One death has now been blamed on the storm. Several others are missing and feared dead.' Tuesday, October 21, 2003 Seattle USA (Seattle Times) — 'Record rain fell on the Seattle area in unrelenting, if not quite biblical sheets yesterday, bringing flood warnings for 10 Washington rivers, closing roads, unleashing a few mudslides — even prompting the distribution of sandbags for Seattle homeowners trying to keep water from seeping into their garages and basements. All day, all night, rain fell, with the National Weather Service reporting an all-time record for a single day. The old record of 3.41 inches, set Nov. 20, 1959, was surpassed — almost laughably early — shortly after 5 p.m. at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. By 1 a.m. today, 5.02 inches had fallen, which set the record. Monday, October 20, 2003 GLOBAL (Wild Weather) — 'Global temperatures were the warmest on record this past September as temperatures averaged 1.0 F (.6 C) above the long term average. Accurate record keeping started in 1880. The three warmest Septembers on record have all occurred since 1997.' Friday, October 03, 2003 ARGENTINA (AFP) — 'The farm exports Argentina desperately needs to climb out of its four-year-old recession have been drying up during the worst drought in decades, experts said. Experts of the Intercooperative Farm Confederation meeting here said some regions of the country were drier than historic lows recorded in 1929.' Tuesday, September 23, 2003 EUROPE (AFP) — 'Europe this year experienced its hottest summer for at least 500 years, providing further evidence of man-made global warming, Swiss university researchers said... The study spanned an area reaching from the Arctic Circle to Crete, and from Iceland to the Ural mountains.' Monday, September 15, 2003 WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — 'Hundreds of residents were evacuated Monday morning after an overnight downpour caused streams to flood their banks in Philadelphia's far western suburbs. Basements were inundated, schools shut down, motorists had to be rescued from their cars and thousands lost electrical power after more than 8 inches of rain fell overnight, causing the Brandywine Creek and its tributaries to rise above flood stage.' Monday, September 15, 2003 PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — 'The death toll from flash flooding in western Haiti two weeks ago has risen to 24, officials said Tuesday. Hours of torrential rains caused rivers to burst over their banks and flood the town of St. Marc, about 45 miles northwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince.' Monday, September 15, 2003 SEOUL, South Korea (USA TODAY) — 'South Korea's worst-ever typhoon caused $1.3 billion in damage, battering the nation's main port and industrial southeastern coast and leaving 121 people dead or missing, the government said Monday.' Saturday, September 13, 2003 RUSSIA (Earthweek) — 'The worst drought in 40 years across parts of Russia's Far East has left more than a million people without regular drinking water. Tue port of Vladivostok was forced to restrict water supplies to only four hours every two days because of dried-up rivers and reservoirs.' Saturday, September 13, 2003 SOUTH KOREA (Wild Weather) — 'Typhoon Maemi raced through South Korea Friday evening unleashing 135 mph wind gusts that toppled cranes and ripped apart homes. At least 62 people have died as a result of the storm with 25 still missing. Rainfall totals reached 17.8 inches. Korean meteorologists are calling Maemi the most powerful storm to strike the country in nearly a century of record keeping.' Thursday, September 11, 2003 Rome, ITALY (AP) — 'The heat wave that scorched Europe this summer may be to blame in the deaths of more than 4,000 elderly Italians, the Health Ministry said Thursday, offering its first official figures related to the searing temperatures.' Wednesday, September 10, 2003 FRANCE (Wild Weather) — 'French medical authorities now estimate nearly 15,000 people died in France's grueling heat wave during the first half of August. Temperatures topped 100° F (40° C) for weeks. Most of the victims were elderly residents of the country with little access to air conditioning. The heat wave is considered one of the worst in France's history.' Tuesday, September 09, 2003 CHINA (Wild Weather) — 'Chinese officials report eight deaths have been attributed to the recent spate of severe weather to hit southwest parts of the country. Rainfall totals exceeded 7" in less than 12 hours in China's Sichuan province. Since the end of August 38 people have died and 34 remain missing from flood related mishaps.' Saturday, September 06, 2003 BERMUDA (Reuters) — 'Four people were missing and feared dead, power was out in 25,000 homes, roofs were missing from buildings and many roads were impassable in Bermuda on Saturday after Hurricane Fabian's fierce assault. Fabian, the most powerful storm to hit the mid-Atlantic British colony in 50 years, swept across on Friday, lashing the island with winds of up to 120 mph, ripping off roofs, destroying beachside tourist restaurants, felling trees and power lines and causing flooding in some areas.' Thursday, September 05, 2003 CHINA (Reuters) — 'Floods, landslides and the strongest typhoon to hit China in a quarter of a century have killed at least 86 people and many others are still missing, residents and provincial officials said on Thursday. The severe weather had caused losses of more than $700 million, state media reported.' Friday, August 22, 2003 EUROPE (AP) — 'Results of an Associated Press survey of 18 European countries for official estimates of the death toll from the August heat wave: Three nations compared mortality rates this summer to last, using the difference to help them determine an official estimate of this year's toll._ France: 10,000. _ Portugal: 1,300._ Netherlands: 500 to 1,000. Four nations did not use mortality comparisons to help determine the death estimates this year._ Spain: 101_ Germany: 30_ Croatia: 3 _ Serbia/Montenegro: 3. Italy has yet to release an official estimate. Calls by the AP to officials in several cities found marked increases in deaths compared with last year, although the causes weren't certain. Eleven other countries reported no deaths directly related to the heat: Austria, Bosnia, Britain, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland.' Wednesday, August 20, 2003 LAS VEGAS, USA (AP) — 'Flood waters receded Wednesday and residents began the messy job of cleaning up after intense storms swamped some neighborhoods, knocking out power to thousands and leaving motorists stranded atop their cars. The deluge Tuesday caught many by surprise, as it dumped 3 inches of rain in 90 minutes, severely flooding the city's northwest section. Casinos along the Las Vegas Strip saw only light rainfall.' Wednesday, August 20, 2003 Paris, France (Reuters) — 'French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin ordered an inquiry Wednesday to find out how many deaths were caused by a heatwave after a top funeral services group said thousands more may have died than previously thought. The OGF group estimated that 10,416 more people died in the first three weeks of August than in the same period last year. So far, the government has put the number of deaths linked to the heatwave at 3,000 and said a final toll as high as 5,000 was possible. Raffarin's government was criticized for failing to act fast enough to deal with the plight of the country's elderly and frail as temperatures soared above 104 Fahrenheit.' Saturday, August 09, 2003 PAKISTAN (EARTHWEEK) — 'One of the most severe monsoon seasons in a decade has left at least a million people in southern Pakistan marooned, with outbreaks of disease and invasions of snakes occurring across the disaster zone. The death toll from 24 days of severe flooding in Sindh province rose to 153 with nine more perishing in the North West Frontier province. The inundations occurred as most across the Indian subcontinent were just recovering from several years of severe drought.' Wednesday, August 06, 2003 ASIA (COMMON DREAMS) — '...The intense heat in some places has given way to some of the most severe monsoon rains on record, a phenomenon also consistent with climate change models which predict extremes of weather. The heatwaves are fueling concern that climatologists may have underestimated the temperature changes expected with global warming. According to the UN's intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) - the consensus of the world's leading 2,000 climatologists - the expected increase is up to 5C over the next century...' Wednesday, August 06, 2003 EUROPE (COMMON DREAMS) — '...Temperatures across parts of Europe have been a consistent 5C warmer than average for several months, but the heatwaves have extended across the northern hemisphere. Temperatures in some Indian states reached 45-49C (113-120F), with more than 1,500 people dying as a direct result. There have been near-record temperatures in Canada and the US, Hawaii, China, parts of Russia and Alaska...' Monday, August 04, 2003 EUROPE (AP) — 'Large parts of Europe continued to swelter under a record-breaking heat wave that has already caused deadly forest fires, a crisis for many farmers and dangerously high ozone levels...In Portugal, nine people have been killed in the worst wave of forest fires in recent history. With 15 out of the country's 18 regions affected, the government was preparing to announce a state of emergency to allow aid funds to be unblocked...Fires were also raging in parts of southern and central Spain, where temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) were blamed for the deaths of at least seven people in recent days...In France -- but also in the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Serbia, Spain and other countries -- farmers were predicting a drastic fall in cereal and milk yields...In Switzerland the heat was being partially blamed for the large number of deaths this year in Alpine climbing accidents -- 58 so far compared to 28 in the same period in 2002. Officials said the weather drew hikers higher into the mountains, while melting ice made large areas unstable.' Tuesday, July 29, 2003 BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — 'A heat wave and a drought are gouging a multibillion-dollar hole into Europe's economy, crippling shipping, shriveling crops and driving up the cost of electricity... Croatia's major rivers — the Sava, Drava, Kupa and Danube — were reported at their lowest levels ever, threatening water and electricity shortages, while Serbia's ecology minister, Adjelka Mihajlov said his republic's major rivers were at their lowest in 100 years... Heralding potential ecological disaster, Grigore Baboianu, the director of the Danube Delta Reservation, said 10 percent of the delta's unique wetlands, home to rare waterfowl and other animals, had dried up, while about 40 percent of the delta's water had evaporated ... The worst drought in years, brought on by a prolonged heat wave that has kept temperatures well above 86 degrees for weeks, agriculture ministers from the European Union web were demanding compensation from EU headquarters for affected farmers. Tuesday, July 29, 2003 CHINA (Wild Weather) — 'Hot dry conditions continue to plague much of southeast China. Shanghai recently shattered a 60 year old temperature record when the thermometer topped 103° F(40° C). The heat wave has resulted in severe drought in east China's Fujian, Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces.' Saturday, July 26, 2003 Europe (Earthweek) — 'A combination of unrelenting heat and drought played havoc across much of southern Europe for anther week. Rivers reached their lowest levels in 100 years across parts of Italy, where official imposed a 100-euro fine for watering plants. The drought also threatens to destroy much of this seasons's crops in several countries...Wildfires made worse in part by tree diseases from last year's floods and the current dry spell, blackened large stretches fo Albania, Corsica, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Some areas along the Mediterranean saw the highest use of air conditioning on record due to the heat, threatening power blackouts.' Saturday, July 26, 2003 USA (Wild Weather) — 'Another round of scorching hot weather is forecast across the western United States this week as building high pressure dominates the region. Hundreds of heat records have fallen in recent weeks. In Phoenix, Arizona the city is experiencing its hottest July in more than 100 years of record keeping. The average high temperatures of 110° F is more than six degrees above normal.' Monday, July 21, 2003 Europe (VOA) — 'A heat wave has been baking much of Europe for most of the month, with daily temperatures exceeding 37 degrees Celsius in many places. The extreme heat and scant rainfall have cost European farmers more than $5 billion as fruit and vegetable crops wither under the brutal sun. Italian authorities are deciding whether to impose a state of emergency after the River Po shrunk 80 meters below normal levels. Farmers along the Danube and Rhine River are also suffering. Meanwhile, firefighters from Portugal to Greece are battling dozens of blazes and forest fires -- some man-made and others caused by lightning, but all made worse by the scorching heat. The flames are threatening one of Europe's largest virgin pine forests in Serta, Portugal, north of Lisbon. Fires have already destroyed two-thousand hectares of forest on Corsica.' Friday, July 11, 2003 USA (AP) — 'WILLSHIRE, Ohio - President Bush issued a disaster declaration Friday for 25 counties in storm-ravaged Indiana as flood water began receding from hundreds of homes there and in neighboring Ohio... South of Willshire in Mercer County, where 100 people have been evacuated, more than 15 inches of rain had fallen since last Friday, officials said.' Sunday, July 6, 2003 New Zealand (Wild Weather) — 'A powerful blast of Antarctic chill spread cold and snow across New Zealand this weekend. One local newspaper called the storm the worst snow event to hit the country in the past 50 years. The winter weather forced several major roadways to close and cut off power to thousands of residents. Snowfall totals approached 12" in mountainous areas.' Saturday, July 5, 2003 USA (Wild Weather) — 'Strong thunderstorms hit northern Illinois Saturday morning damaging several homes and knocking out power to 100,000 homes. Wind gusts were estimated at more than 85 mph. Rainfall totals in northern Indiana approached 10" from the system in the 24 hour period ending Saturday morning. No serious injuries were reported.' Saturday, July 5, 2003 WORLD (Earthweek) — 'Average temperatrures over land areas of the world climbed to the highest levels ever recorded in May according to the Wold Meteorological Organiation. The average global land temperature reached 52.15 degrees Fahrenheit, 1.7 degrees above the month's average while the combined global land and sea average for May was the second highest since observations began in 1880 the UN agency said. Examples of the recent exceedingly warm conditions are the all-time record heat waves across parts of Western Europe and the Indian subcontinent, which caused outbreaks of heatstroke and widespread power disruptons.' Tuesday, June 24, 2003 USA (Wild Weather) — 'The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on Tuesday the spring of 2003 would be one for the record books. Parts of the Southeast U.S. including Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, experienced their wettest spring in more than 100 years. South Carolina recorded 19.2 " of rain in the three month period while Virginia was swamped by 16.8 " of rain, over 6 inches above normal for the period.' Monday, June 23, 2003 Florida USA (Wild Weather) — 'Weather conditions are forecast to be much drier on Monday along Florida's Gulf Coast. This weekend, rainfall totals in excess of 15" caused widespread flooding after rain swollen creeks and roadways seeped into several hundred homes. More than 600 residents living near Lake Manatee Dam were able to return to their homes after officials were able to open a jammed floodgate.' Saturday, June 21, 2003 Portugal (Wild Weather) — 'A building ridge of high pressure has sent temperatures soaring in Portugal this week. Lisbon reached 103° F (39.3° C) on Friday over twenty five degrees above average. Temperatures will slide into the 80's during the next few days.' Saturday, June 21, 2003 France (Earthweek) — 'Record heat across France and Italy killed more than a dozen people and caused widespread power failures...in St. Peter's Square as the temperature soared to 98 degrees - the hottest June reading in Rome since record keeping began in 1782. Similiar records were broken elsewhere in Italy and in parts of France.' Wednesday, May 28, 2003 FLORIDA, usa (Wild Weather) — 'The heavens opened up on southern Florida late Tuesday unleashing record rainfall across the region. Between 6 -7P.M. Fort Lauderdale, Florida received in excess of 6" of rain. Total rainfall for the twenty four hour period was 10.18" of rain shattering the old record of 3.10" set in 1954.' Saturday, May 24, 2003 HYDERABAD, Inkdia (Reuters) — 'A heat wave has killed at least 143 people in southern India where temperatures hit 47.5 degrees Celsius, officials said on Saturday. A heat wave killed more than 1,000 people in Andhra Pradesh last May.' Tuesday, May 20, 2003 AMERICAN SOMOA, Pago Pago (AP) — 'Heavy rain swept across American Samoa over the weekend, causing the worst flooding here in 20 years and mud slides that killed at least four people, officials said. Two more people were missing. Gov. Togiola Tulafono declared a state of emergency Monday.' Tuesday, May 20, 2003 RATNAPURA, Sri Lanka (AP) — 'Sri Lanka appealed for international assistance Tuesday after reports that at least 300 people have died in the nation's worst flooding in five decades. Another 200 people are missing, including those buried by landslides, officials have said. At least 60,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed in three districts.' Saturday, May 17, 2003 CROATIA (Earth Week) — 'The worst drought in Croatia's history has devastated the country's spring crops and brought about an acute water shortage...Croatia's farmer's union warned that the drought was threatening the livelihoods of a million people.' |