Newsletter Issue 24 (October 2022)

The Weather of September 2022 – A dry and exceptionally hot September

With much sunnier weather than usual in the month, September 2022 was exceptionally hot in Hong Kong. There were three days with daily maximum temperatures at the Hong Kong Observatory equal to or higher than 35.0 degrees in the month, the highest number on record for September. With plenty of sunshine, the maximum temperature at the Observatory soared to 35.9 degrees on 13 September, the highest of the month and the highest maximum temperature for September on record.

WMO photo competition attracts record entries

The much-acclaimed WMO calendar competition has attracted record entries, with more than 1 500 entries from all around the world – and from a greater range of countries than ever before. The selection of photographs – many of them amazing – has been narrowed down to 80 images. They all demonstrate the beauty and power of our weather, the need to protect and preserve our water resources, and the impacts of climate and environmental change.

Climate change: World aviation agrees ‘aspirational’ net zero plan

The world has finally agreed on a long-term plan to curb carbon emissions from flying. At a meeting in Montreal, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), pledged to support an “aspirational” net zero aviation goal by 2050. The plan, seen as a compromise by many, was accepted by the 193 countries who are members of ICAO. At the meeting countries also agreed on changes to a scheme that would deal with a large part of the future emissions from airlines through a system of carbon offsets.

New report outlines priorities for global climate observations
High priority actions to gather essential information on our climate system and improve monitoring and understanding of how it is changing are outlined in a new report by the Global Climate Observing System. “Global climate monitoring needs to cover the entire Earth system from the atmosphere to the oceans, from the cryosphere to the biosphere, and encompassing the water cycle and energy and greenhouse gas budgets.

From Vanishing Arctic Sea Ice to Extreme Storms: Why We Can No Longer Ignore Climate Change
A deluge of extreme weather events and ecological disasters have shocked the world. The number of climate-related disasters has tripled in the last 30 years, while the vast majority of weather events between 2015 and 2017 were proven to have been significantly influenced by climate change, and studies point to surging sea levels and continuing catastrophe. We can’t afford to ignore the crisis any longer!

NOAA awards $4 million to advance community resilience through education

Communities continue to contend with hurricanes, wildfires, rising sea levels, and other climate-related impacts. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of climate change impacts is uneven, and long-standing inequities heighten vulnerabilities for underserved groups. “Community resilience is strengthened when communities are well informed of risks, and they are empowered to take action individually and collectively,” said NOAA Administrator, Dr. Rick Spinrad.

Northern Hemisphere’s extreme summer drought ‘virtually impossible’ without human-made climate change

The research, published by the World Weather Attribution initiative, found that without the climate crisis, the drought that hit swaths of North America, Asia and Europe this summer would historically be a 1-in-400-year event — meaning it was a drought that was so intense, it would only be seen once every 400 years on average. But global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels has made a drought of this magnitude a 1-in-20-year occurrence, the scientists found.

,Population is ‘exploding’ in the region hit hardest by Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian slammed into one of the fastest-growing areas of the US, putting hundreds of thousands of people in harm’s way — many of whom had never experienced a hurricane. The influx comes as scientists warn that hurricanes are becoming more destructive, with larger storm surges due to sea level rise and a new propensity for strong storms to rapidly intensify. Those trends combined with the region’s growing population, housing and infrastructure have made the coast even more vulnerable.

Some Chinese cities break October heat records as others shiver

China is facing extreme weather as scorching heat breaks records in some drought-stricken parts of the country, while cool weather sweeps through other regions as the climate crisis makes conditions more unstable. In the south, dozens of drought alerts have been issued for cities and counties in Jiangxi province, warning that crops could suffer from the worst drought conditions in 50 years. “Seasonal weather transitions are becoming more complicated to estimate because atmospheric circulations were being disrupted by rising global temperatures amid the climate crisis.”

《颱風解密：你也可以做天氣達人》經已出版

本書是香港天文台前台長岑智明擔任主編，聯同香港氣象學會編撰，以豐富的氣象圖及插圖，讓我們認識颱風的形成、消散，以及引起的風暴潮及破壞力，以科學化的角度解釋颱風過門而不入及詭異路徑的因素，並借鑑歷年風災紀錄，從個人保護環境做起，應對全球氣候變化、愛護地球。

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