Tiempo Climate Newswatch

South Asia has been hit by the worst floods in 15 years. Torrential rains have inundated parts of India, Bangladesh and Nepal, with over 300 people killed and more than eight million homeless.

Speaking to Reuters, SR Islam, flood control officer in Guwahati, India, reported that "most of the rivers are overflowing and fast changing course, submerging large areas of human population." The capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka, has been hard-hit, with over one million people stranded in low-lying areas. Heavy rains have also affected China and Japan.

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• BBC
• BBC
• Straits Times

A new study has shown that rice crops are seriously at risk from climate change. An average daily increase of one degree Celsius produces a 10 per cent drop in yield, outweighing any benefits from increased carbon dioxide in the air.

Data from thirteen years of field trials at the International Rice Research Institute Farm in the Philippines has shown that the decline in yield is related to higher night-time temperatures. Commenting on the results, Professor Tim Setter, from Cornell University, noted that higher temperatures at night "could consume carbohydrates in a nonproductive way, and by reducing the reserves of carbohydrates, particularly at time of flowering and early grain filling, would decrease the number of kernels that would be set."

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• CBS
• BBC

A study of the formation of high-altitude clouds, cirrus, generated by thunderstorms has revealed they have a key role to play in influencing global warming rates. "We've got some amazing results that no one anticipated," said Anthony Del Genio from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

The results of the study, which was based on aircraft observations, satellite data and ground stations, show that, when newly formed, the thick cirrus clouds reflected much more sunlight back to space than had been expected. In contrast, as they thin and disperse, these clouds act like a blanket, trapping heat close to the Earth's surface. The study showed that, here too, the effect was much stronger than previously thought to be the case. Both mechanisms could affect rates of global warming, with the net effect dependent on just how cloud cover responds to the changing climate. Further experiments are needed to see how representative these findings are of cirrus world-wide.

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• Christian Science Monitor
• Wikipedia