[Coral-List] record heat in Australia

[Douglas Fenner]

Australia is currently having record heat.  That makes me wonder if perhaps
coral reef areas in the southern hemisphere might have some bleaching this
year.

Temperatures of over 50°C (122°F) have been recorded in Australia.
Australia is so hot the weather bureau has had to add a new color to its
temperature maps to show these new, unprecedented high temperatures.
Temperatures are still rising at this point.

"‘The current heatwave – in terms of its duration, its intensity and its
extent – is now unprecedented in our records,’’ Jones was quoted as
saying<http://www.theage.com.au/environment/get-used-to-recordbreaking-heat-bureau-20130108-2cet5.html>in
*The Age*."

"Responding<http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2013/jan/08/australia-bush-fires-heatwave-temperature-scale?CMP=twt_fd>to
the news from Australia,
*The Guardian*'s Damian Carrington put the heat and fires in a global
context:

"We already know that climate change is loading the weather dice.
Scientists have shown that the European heatwave of 2003, that caused over
40,000 premature deaths, was made at least twice as likely by climate
change<http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/jul/26/science.g2>.
The Russian heatwave of 2010, that killed 50,000 and wiped out $15bn of
crops, was made three times as likely by global
warming<http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/feb/21/climate-change-russian-heatwave>and
led to the warmest European summer for 500 years.

The extreme weather forecast is even worse. Mega-heatwaves like these will
become five to 10 times more
likely<http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/17/deadly-heatwaves-europe>over
the next 40 years, occurring at least once a decade, scientists
predict."
This is from:

 "Burning 'Deep Purple': Australia so hot new color added to index.  An
'unparalleled setting of new heat extremes' continues."

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/01/08

 Cheers,  Doug

-- 
Dept. Marine & Wildlife Resources, American Samoan Government
PO Box 7390
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799  USA