Newsletter Issue 8 (June 2021)

The Weather of May 2021 – Hottest May ever in Hong Kong
Mainly attributing to the stronger than usual subtropical ridge over southern China, May 2021 was the hottest May in Hong Kong on record. With plenty of sunshine, the temperature recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory soared to a maximum of 36.1 degrees on the afternoon of May 23, the highest of the month, breaking the record of the highest maximum temperature for May.

惠州、澳門 – 破紀錄的雨量 (in Chinese only)

惠州龍門縣龍華鎮錄得最大3小時降雨量400.9毫米 (5月31日05時－08時)，刷新了廣東省3小時雨量極值。
6月1日澳門半島 (大炮台山站) 日總雨量是自1952年有記錄以來最高的日總雨量。

La Niña ends

The 2020-2021 La Niña event has ended and neutral conditions (neither El Niño or La Niña) are likely to dominate the tropical Pacific in the next few months, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

New climate predictions increase likelihood of temporarily reaching 1.5 °C in next 5 years

There is about a 40% chance of the annual average global temperature temporarily reaching 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level in at least one of the next five years – and these odds are increasing with time, according to a new climate update issued by the World Meteorological Organization.

Earth’s carbon dioxide levels hit 4.5 million-year high

The world first passed the 400 ppm threshold in 2013, but took just eight years to climb toward the 420 ppm mark. It’s an indication of how countries are failing so far to bend the emissions curve dramatically downward in order to slow, and eventually reverse, global warming.

Greenhouse gas emissions from reservoirs higher than previously expected

Greenhouse gas emissions from the world’s water reservoirs are around 29% higher, per area, than suggested by previous studies, but practical measures could be taken to help reduce that impact, a new study finds. Much of the increase in emissions comes from previously unaccounted for methane passing through a dam and bubbling up downstream.

Arctic assessment report shows faster rate of warming

New observations show that the increase in Arctic average surface temperature between 1979 and 2019 was three times higher than the global average during this period – higher than previously reported – according to the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme.

NOAA index tracks how greenhouse gas pollution amplified global warming in 2020

NOAA’s Annual Greenhouse Gas Index, known as the AGGI, tracks increases in the warming influence of most heat-trapping gases being added to the atmosphere principally from human activity, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other chemicals.

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