England on alert - the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) warns flooding from heavy rainfall could double in the next three decades

This is a wakeup call for England. The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) cautioned that many properties could face risk of flooding from heavy rainfall. This could double in the course of the next three decades and the government has to tackle the issue on priority. The NIC says hundreds of thousands homes and businesses are already in high danger of flooding from so-called "surface water flooding" from heavy rain. The situation is serious. Rains are intensifying due to climate change and is growing. Therefore, unmanaged developments risk putting many more properties at high risk of this sort of flooding by 2055. Hence, the government has to increase investment in relevant areas. Two of these are river pollution and drought. These have dominated public discussion about water recently. The commissioners say, "But we risk ignoring a problem that can literally drop out of the sky at any moment." The head of the Environment Agency warned a failure to adapt to climate breakdown will threaten all aspects of life in Britain. English properties at risk of flooding to double in next 30 years without urgent investment, government warned. Delays in action on adaptation would mean our children would have to bear the burden.

The nature of adaptations could be to plant trees to keep cities cooler in the face of heatwaves, or develop more heat-resilient crops. Incidentally, nature of flooding from heavy rain varies from place to place. Widespread flooding in London in July 2021 damaged more than 1,500 properties, as well as health infrastructure and public transport. Another issue is concreting of roads. Concrete increases the risk of flooding because it prevents rainwater from reaching natural drains like streams. Instead, the rainwater flows down the street and into gutters. The NIC calls for adequate investment over the next 30 years to tackle risks associated with heavy rainfall.

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Egypt is building the “Green River” - a giant belt of lakes and parks deep in the desert

The “Green River” will come up on the easternmost outskirts of Cairo. The government of Egypt plans to build a giant belt of lakes and parks deep in the desert. Once completed, it will cut through Egypt’s brand new, ultra-modern metropolis: the New Administrative Capital. A digital simulation shows the “river” extending throughout the length of the New Capital branching out into smaller lakes and pools. This video five years ago by Egypt’s prime minister depicted lush riverbanks dotted with trees and occupying vast landscapes of greenery. This was in spite of the fact that the site is in the middle of a desert and there is no natural sources of water nearby. Incidentally, this oasis will come up in the midst of a worsening climate crisis. The problems magnify with increase in temperature, population, and water scarcity. This is a critical concern for Egypt, host of this year’s COP27 climate summit. Under the circumstances, universal access to clean water is the country’s top priority. The authorities have repeatedly sounded alarms over the country’s water problems. Egypt faces an acute water crisis, but it’s building a ‘Green River’ in the desert. Egypt’s population now stands at 104 million and most of it is crowded along the narrow Nile River. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi recently said the country’s water resources could no longer meet the needs of the rapidly growing population. He noted that his government was taking strategic steps to conserve the water supply. He also mentioned about launching a new initiative called “Water Adaptation and Resilience” in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) at COP27.

Egypt needs an estimated 114 billion cubic meters of water per year. It means the country has to evolve methods to bridge the gap with groundwater, rainfall and treated wastewater. Saker El Nour is an Egyptian sociologist who researches agrarian issues, rural poverty and the environment in Arab countries. He admitted to a section of the media - “We are in a dry area, and so we don’t have enough rain and our main source of water is the Nile. This will get worse with climate change.” Obviously, Egypt has to think out of the box. Experts put the blame on the government’s own water management strategies. These are contributing to its pressing water crisis. On top of that, the Green River project is a luxurious project that envisages an artificial body of water that will mimic the Nile and become a key centerpiece of the New Capital project. It certainly has its plus points but the average farmer is still struggling to find enough water to sustain small plots of land, which for many represent their main source of income.

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A mini tornado in Croydon, South London, left a beer garden in shambles

The sudden gust of wind from this climatic disorder threw heavy garden tables into the air. It even ripped up slabs of concrete. The incident happened at the Forestdale Arms in Croydon, South London. A witness described the sequence of events. It seems “one of the tables in the garden was in the air swirling round and so was the gazebo. The doors blew in and one of the windows caved inwards. One of the tables ended up on the other side of the road. Slates were falling off of the houses opposite and one landed on one of the regulars' van. The wind was so strong it even ripped up concrete slabs." It appeared to be a one-off situation. Beer garden completely destroyed as 'mini tornado' swirls tables and rips up concrete. There is no confirmation from the Met Office about whether it really fell in the category of a tornado.

A spokesperson for the weather service explained - "There are a lot of active thunderstorms moving across parts of the UK, particularly the southern and southeastern parts of the UK that has been the case for the last few hours. So it’s certainly possible that a small tornado has formed in Croydon because we have the right atmospheric conditions for that to happen. We do see approximately 100 tornadoes in the UK a year.” Incidentally, it lasted for around a minute before the winds calmed down slightly. Apart from the above damages, there were also damages in Forestdale and New Addington. These involved brick walls torn down by the winds and roofs damaged. The Met Office had put a yellow weather warning in place. It had also warned of a chance of "sudden flooding" as rain poured down on London over the weekend. The warnings included possibilities of floods, power cuts, lightning strikes, hail and strong winds in London. A meteorologist from the Met Office added that storms could lead to 20 to 30 millimeters of rainfall in one hour. These could, in turn, lead to flash floods.

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The mighty Mississippi River south of St. Louis is drying up because of drought

Tower Rock is a massive island in the middle of the Mississippi River south of St. Louis. It is usually surrounded by water and access to it is by boat. However, with the severe drought spreading across the Midwest, levels of rivers have literally touched rock bottom. It has reduced to such a level that people can now reach the rock formation on foot. Water levels could continue to drop for at least the next two weeks. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, it is possible to reach the Tower Rock on foot when the water level is below 1.5 feet. This level dripped to a near zero and there are no signs of any significant recovery. The US Drought Monitor cautions that more than 55 percent of the contiguous United States is in drought. More than 133 million people live in those drought-stricken areas – the biggest population affected since 2016. Severe drought covers large areas of Arkansas and Missouri. Many locations have seen record-low precipitation over the past few weeks. The forecast from the Climate Prediction Center indicates a dry weather with below-average rainfall in the outlook through at least October 23. The mighty Mississippi is so low, people are walking to a unique rock formation rarely accessible by foot. Drought situation in the central US affected the Mississippi River. In Memphis, it was at its lowest level since 2012 this week and fifth lowest on record. It could decline further.

There are more than 40 river gauges in the Mississippi River Basin. These are reporting low water levels, as per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Photos reveal the river has moved away from its banks. The mighty river resembles a trickle in some areas, with dry sand exposed where several feet of water usually flows. Such a situation at a crucial time of the year is undesirable for the transport of crops from the nation’s heartland. The authorities have undertaken dredging of the river to ensure movement of traffic. Hundreds of barges and vessels are in queue to pass through the treacherously low river.

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Huge sea waves damage a portion of the Marine Drive between Digha and Mandarmani

The 16-Km long Marine Drive between the popular sea beaches Digha and Mandarmani includes three bridges. Completed a few months ago, chief minister Mamata Banerjee was scheduled to inaugurate it. However, huge waves have damaged a portion of the Marine Drive just three days before the inauguration. It seems a well-marked low-pressure area over the west-central and northwest Bay of Bengal intensified into a “deep depression.” This led to a turbulent sea. Cyclone Yaas had washed away a portion in May last year. That led to the construction of a metal road. Mamata Banerjee was expected to visit riding vehicles during the proposed inauguration on September 14. However, heavy rainfall in the last week of August led to damages making it difficult for the movement of traffic. It was repaired but was again damaged by strong sea waves. Waves damage stretch of Marine Drive at Digha. A senior official of the district administration said: “The Marine Drive will be inaugurated informally by the chief minister on September 14 as scheduled during her administrative meeting. But her visit to and ride at the Marine Drive has been postponed for obvious reasons.”

The police administration had “strictly prohibited” sea bathing in Digha and adjacent areas until Tuesday. Other popular sea beaches like Bakkhali, and Kakdwip were closed to tourists. Local sources informed about damages to agricultural production on large areas due to inundation. Irrigation department informed about damages to earthen dykes along many rivers. These included the Kalindi, Gourseshwar, Ichhamati, and the Choto Kalaghachi. The irrigation department has undertaken repair of the dykes on priority.

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The India Meteorological Department IMD cautions about intense rainfall activity in Odisha and West Bengal

Odisha and West Bengal would experience heavy rainfall activity over the next few days. The India Meteorological Department IMD mentioned about a fresh low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, off the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. It might intensify. Under its influence, there would be widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls along with thunderstorms and lightning. The affected regions would be over Gangetic West Bengal from Sept 10-13 and over Odisha from Sept 10-14. Both these states are under orange alert. This means they could face rough weather for the periods mentioned. There are orange alerts in some districts of Odisha but not for Bengal yet. However, southern districts of Bengal, including Kolkata, will be on a yellow watch. This means ‘be aware’ of the weather situation. Odisha and West Bengal In for Very Heavy Rains from September 10-14 Thanks to Bay of Bengal-Born Low Pressure.

Areas with forecast of very heavy showers might have to tackle localized flooding, waterlogging on roads and in low-lying areas, disruption of traffic, damage to weak roads and structures, localized landslides/mudslides, reduction in visibility and damage to crops. This means the residents need to abide by weather and traffic advisories and avoid remaining in vulnerable structures and visiting flood-prone areas. The impacts caused by the Bay of Bengal low-pressure could extend to other areas like western, central, southern and northeastern parts of the country. So far, both Odisha and Bengal are in the below-average rainfall category. This deficit could have long tern effects.

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Nearly half of the European Union faces worst drought in a 500-year record

Countries in the European Union are in a crisis. Severe drought is affecting agriculture, energy production and water supply. The picture is grim. France is handing out water; Serbia faces death of fish while Germany sees an evaporating river. In addition, Spain and Italy watch olive trees withering. This is the scenario of the EU as it suffers from the worst drought in a 500-year record. According to the EC's European Drought Observatory (EDO), nearly 47 percent of its land is now under drought conditions. Insufficient rainfall is the prime factor that led to drying out of the soil and consequent loss of plants and crops. In case dry weather continues, the situation could deteriorate. Climate crisis: Drought hitting nearly half of Europe - and it could last for months. Water levels in rivers, lakes and reservoirs across Western Europe are running low. Some have even dried up. As a result, there is stress on supplies of drinking water. This, in turn, hampers tourism and threatens the yield of crop. These have cascading effects.

These are the ill effects of global warming. Reasons of drought are many and the most serious one is lack of rainfall due to climate change. When rainfall comes in shorter and more intense bursts, the soil is unable to retain it. The result is flash floods and mudslides that wash away the soil. Moreover, the dry weather can and often does result in forest fires. These mean loss of greenery in the form of trees. The rise in temperatures lead to evaporation of water. Heatwaves are linked to global warming, and increase the demand of water as people seek to cool off. Right now, high temperatures and scant rainfall have drained the water levels of the Rhine. This is the commercial artery of Germany. Low water level is leading to delay in transporting the goods. These are pushing up freight costs several times. Moreover, low water levels in reservoirs lead to lower output of hydropower. Some countries that face this issue are Italy, Serbia, Montenegro and Norway.

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