Tag: Climate Variability
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Biosecurity, Trade Disruptions And Climate Variability Define SA Agriculture In 2025
Overview: A Sector in Recovery with New Frontiers South African agriculture entered 2025 with a cautious optimism following a turbulent 2024. At the Nedbank Agriculture Webinar held on 28 January, Dr. Tracy Davids delivered a detailed assessment of how the sector moved from crisis to recovery while facing fresh challenges. The conversation centered on three…
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Biosecurity, Trade Disruptions And Climate Variability Defined SA Agriculture In 2025
Overview: A Sector in Transition South African agriculture in 2025 emerged from crisis into a phase of cautious recovery, shaped by three enduring forces: biosecurity challenges, shifting trade dynamics, and pronounced climate variability. During the Nedbank Agriculture Webinar held on 28 January, Dr. Tracy Davids laid out a nuanced portrait of how farms, markets, and…
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Australia Braces for a Prolonged Heat Dome: Why Temperatures Could be 20°C Above Normal
Overview: A Stubborn Heat Dome Over Australia Parts of Australia are enduring an extraordinary, multi-day heat event driven by a persistent high-pressure system known as a heat dome. This pattern traps hot air over large swaths of the continent, suppressing cloud formation and rainfall while pushing daytime temperatures well above seasonal norms. Forecasters warn that…
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Orange and Zambezi rivers show higher January water levels in 2026 vs 2025
January 2026 river levels up for Orange and Zambezi, down for Kavango and Kunene Water authorities have reported that water levels in the Orange and Zambezi rivers were higher in January 2026 than in January 2025, signaling a shift in regional hydrology. In contrast, the Kavango and Kunene rivers experienced declines over the same period,…
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Orange and Zambezi River Water Levels Rise in January 2026
Understanding the January 2026 Increase in Orange and Zambezi Water Levels Hydrological data released by the Hydrological Services of Namibia indicates that water levels in two major southern African rivers—the Orange and the Zambezi—were higher in January 2026 than in January 2025. By contrast, the Kavango and Kunene rivers showed declines compared with the previous…
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Polar Vortex Ice Over Chicago: Ethereal Lake Michigan Swirls
Overview: A City Braces for Record Cold As an Arctic-inspired polar vortex settled over the Midwest, Chicago faced an unprecedented cold snap that captivated scientists and residents alike. A satellite image captured the dramatic scene: rippling ribbons of ice twisting and turning across the surface of Lake Michigan, edges frilled with frost while the city…
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Gulf Country Braces for Weeks of Isolation as Queensland Faces Recurring Flood Threat
Heavy rainfall returns to Queensland’s Gulf Country As floodwaters recede in parts of north-western Queensland, residents in the Gulf Country are bracing for another round of heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding. The latest forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warn that weeks of isolation could follow if rain patterns persist, threatening already strained…
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Anatomy of a Phytoplankton Bloom North of Hawai’i: What the Swirls Reveal
Introduction: The Summer Swirls Above Hawai’i Every summer, satellite images reveal vast swirls of color drifting north of the Hawaiian Islands. These phytoplankton blooms, driven by a complex mix of light, nutrients, and water movement, illuminate the upper ocean in hues of green and brown. Yet the precise mechanisms that spark, sustain, and dissipate these…