GLOBAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

JANUARY 2023

UNITED STATES

Extreme weather hammered California through the first weeks of the year – but also offered a badly needed reprieve (27^th). The deep snow dumped on the Sierra Nevada during a series of strong storms left the state with a robust water savings account of sorts.  As the weather warms over the spring and summer months, the melting snow fills rivers, streams and reservoirs long after California’s rainy season has ended. Considered one of its most important reservoirs, the snowpack provides roughly a third of California’s water supply. That’s why the white-topped mountains and piled-high powder are a signal that the state may be better set up to handle its water woes than it has been in years.

New Zealand

A state of emergency has been declared in New Zealand’s biggest city Auckland after torrential rain caused widespread flooding and brought chaos to the city (26^th).  Residents in the worst-affected areas have been asked to evacuate amid a deluge that has blocked motorways, flooded roads and neighborhoods, forced the closure of city’s airport and huge disruption to flights, and prompted organizers to cancel a scheduled concert by Elton John, leaving many concert-goers stranded.  There is no end in sight yet for the city of 1.5 million, with heavy rain forecast to continue overnight.

Insurers say devastating flooding in Auckland was the “biggest climate event” in New Zealand’s history, as rain eased after days of downpours and a clean-up of the city began.  Friday was the wettest day on record for New Zealand’s largest city, with severe rain leading flood waters to sweep through streets and down highways, killing four people. Schools and businesses closed as buildings and roads were ravaged by the deluge. Auckland International Airport was shuttered temporarily, stranding thousands of travelers overseas.  The finance minister, Grant Robertson, told reporters in Auckland on Wednesday that the deluge would be the “biggest non-earthquake event” in terms of insurance that the country had ever recorded. He did not have estimates yet for the likely cost of the damage.

ASIA

Weather authorities in Japan and the Korean peninsula have issued warnings over freezing temperatures and gales that have killed at least one person, and stranded thousands.  Severe cold weather has already caused fatalities, havoc and record low temperatures across the region in the last fortnight, with at least 124 people dead in Afghanistan and record lows of -53C in northeastern China.  Large parts of Japan are now in the grip of the severe cold spell, with some areas expected to experience their lowest temperatures for a decade. On Wednesday chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said one person had died as a result of the storm, and two other deaths were under investigation. In the Korean peninsula, temperatures of -25C were recorded near the border between North and South Korea on Tuesday. Heavy snowfall was predicted in central Japan and in the country’s north-east for most of Wednesday, while winds could reach up to 126 kph areas across the country, the country’s meteorological agency said. In the 24 hours to Wednesday morning, a record 93cm of snow was recorded in the city of Maniwa.

AUSTRAILIA

Emergency refuges are being opened in north Queensland as flooding isolates towns and cuts off roads including the Bruce Highway, leaving motorists stranded.  The PCYC in Bowen opened its doors to about 80 people, 14 dogs and two cats on Sunday. Locals have pitched in, donating everything from dryers to dog beds, pizzas to impromptu gymnastics performances, with the coastal town’s motels having to turn away dozens of stuck travelers.  The Whitsunday mayor, Julie Hall, said the nearby town of Proserpine has also opened emergency accommodation on Monday.  PCYC manager sergeant Michelle O’Regan said those seeking refuge at the Bowen centre had been “inundated by care, compassion and love” from the community.