Fire Tornado (Fire Devil) in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

Posted on July 5, 2026 by rapidclimatechange_tfkjps

Fire tornado in chernobyl zone

chernobyl map shows distance from Kyiv — Chernobyl map shows distance from Kyiv

Combine nuclear disaster and the forever war then mix in a hint of global warming and things could start to seem a little apocalyptic.

Sixty miles from Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities have been battling out of control blazes in the highly contaminated Exclusion Zone surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant since late June.

One of the blazes erupted into a terrifying phenomenon known as a fire tornado or fire devil. Specifically, a fire tornado combines flame and dust driven by extreme winds. With cataclysmic wildfires increasing yearly and extreme heat becoming common, more fire tornados are increasing globally.

Air pollution has been recorded in Kyiv and surrounding region. Satellites have recorded large plumes of polluted air with increased levels of carbon monoxide extending 100 mi. from the epicenter of the fire in the exclusion zone.

The 9 mile radius exclusion zone was established after the 1986 nuclear disaster. The 1,000 square miles forested area remains closed to the public.

Excessive Heat Shuts Down Nukes and Trains In France

Posted on July 2, 2026July 3, 2026 by rapidclimatechange_tfkjps

Europe’s infrastructure isn’t ready for global warming

Three French nuclear plants halted production during this week’s record-breaking heatwave as rivers became too warm to cool them, raising questions over the long-term future of Europe’s biggest nuclear fleet.

“Nuclear power is clearly a 20th-century technology that is ill-suited to the 21st,” said Yves Marignac, an independent nuclear expert and spokesperson for the think tank négaWatt.

“The warning signs are becoming stronger every year.”

During the record heat wave, some railroads were shut down due to concerns about buckling tracks.

HOSPITALS, FUNERAL HOMES AND SCHOOLS ARE NOT AIR CONDITIONED

The extent of the looming challenge is not necessarily obvious. For example, as hundred die of heat related causes, Paris morgues have been overwhelmed. Let’s think about that for a bit. Few homes in France are equipped with air-conditioning units, and most schools are not designed to cope with extreme heat.

107°F smashes all time German high

Records fall across Europe

Germany recorded a new all-time high of 107°F, in Coschen, near the Polish border in eastern Brandenburg, according to preliminary data from the national weather service.

French nuclear reactor shut down amidst lethal heat wave — **Ambulance services responded to more than 122,000 callouts during the hottest period of the heatwave.**

Germany, Czechia, Poland and Hungary reached record temperatures of more than 105°F as a heatwave linked to thousands of deaths in western Europe spread east.

105°F Słubice, Poland | 113°F Spain | 107°F Coschen, Germany 105°F Budakalász, Hungary | 107°F Doksany, Czechia

World’s oceans break June heat record:

Global average sea surface temperature in June reached a record 20.98°C, capping six months of near-record ocean warmth and widespread marine heat waves that affected 82% of oceans. The long predicted El Niño, combined with ongoing greenhouse gas–driven warming, is expected to push temperatures higher, intensify weather extremes, accelerate sea-level rise, and increase coral bleaching and marine ecosystem stress.

Although Western Europe has seen some relief after record June temperatures, Mercalli said another surge of hot weather is expected from July 5 or 6, affecting France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and parts of Britain. Early estimates of excess deaths range from 1,500 to 2,000.

Fire and Rain: Sicily’s climate whiplash

Sicily goes from fire to hail in a matter of hours. After days of African heat, scorching temperatures, and muggy weather, the island is dealing with wildfires in several areas and the first violent thunderstorms heralding the change in weather.

200 evacuated in Andalusia: 113°F record

The country has just emerged from a record-breaking heatwave that left hundreds dead and pushed temperatures beyond 113°F.

Following a record dry spell in May, topsoil has been stripped of moisture, eliminating the land’s natural ability to cool itself – and creating near-ideal conditions for fires to ignite and spread. Authorities have warned of a high risk of wildfires amid a worsening drought, with the accumulated heat expected to persist into early July..

Morrocco issues red alert as temps hit 116°F

The fire risk warning comes alongside a weather alert issued by the General Directorate of Meteorology regarding a heat wave from Tuesday through Thursday, with temperatures reaching up to 46 °C (115 °F) in some regions of the country….

Lethal wildfires cause evacuations in Greece

Killer wildfires Greece — Burned out home in Greece

A wildfire raging through forest and farmland near the village of Kalapodi in central Greece forced evacuation orders for two villages in the area Wednesday,

Another wildfire on the Methana peninsula of the northern Peloponnese region mobilised about 40 firefighters and three water-dropping aircraft. And at Koufalia near Thessaloniki, 30 firefighters and three aircraft were deployed to deal with two scrub fires.

Croatia hits new high of 103°F as wildfires threaten coast

Croatia’s weather service issued red alerts for several regions, including the capital, Zagreb, and the tourist cities of Split and Dubrovnik. On the Adriatic island of Vis, dozens of firefighters, backed by four aircraft, battled a wildfire burning through pine forests 35 miles southwest of Split. The fires were triggered by lightning as violent storms followed the heat wave.

Much of the Balkans also remained under extreme heat, with temperatures above 95°F forecast across parts of Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Hungary.

Wildfires in France force evacuations

A large wildfire raged in southern France on Wednesday, July 1, forcing scores of people to be evacuated, emergency services said. Hundreds of firefighters mobilized to battle the blaze in the Hérault and Aude departments, fueled by drought and strong winds….

US looming water shortages are a silent crisis

Posted on June 16, 2026 by rapidclimatechange_tfkjps

You can’t see a disaster coming when you turn a blind eye

Western snow drought is making the western water crisis worse

Western snow drought morphs into extended water crisis

Unless you live in the West, it would be easy to miss the fact that the states within the Colorado River Basin are battling for their regional allotments in the culmination of a slow moving disaster decades in the making. Kicking the crisis into overdrive is the current record low snow water equivalent in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. The Colorado River Basin is forecast to produce less than 30% of its average runoff and experienced its warmest March on record. California’s river basins experienced their driest March.

Ogallala aquifer in long term decline

Ogallala aquifer continues to fail as use exceeds replenishment

The Ogallala Aquifer is one of the largest groundwater reservoirs in the world, underlying parts of eight Great Plains states from Texas to South Dakota. It supplies water for about a quarter to a third of U.S. irrigation and supports a major share of American grain, cotton, and livestock production. Large-scale pumping for irrigation since the 1950s has removed water much faster than natural recharge can replace it. On average, groundwater levels have fallen substantially, with some areas experiencing declines exceeding 200 feet and localized declines of more than 300 feet.

Corpus Christi water supply is running on empty

Corpus Christ can’t seem to face its water crisis

Seven straight years of record heat, sporadic rainfall and incompetent leadership has the Texas oil hub in danger of becoming the first U.S. city to run short of water.

YOU CAN’T DRINK OIL, CAN YOU? In addition to the prolonged drought, one of the primary drivers of demand for water is….Rapid growth in industrial water demand, especially from refineries, petrochemical plants, and facilities tied to the Port of Corpus Christi.

Driven by warming oceans, red algae mess on Brittany coast arrives “way early”

Posted on June 15, 2026June 16, 2026 by rapidclimatechange_tfkjps

Early manifestation of a fast growing global ecological crisis

Large quantities of red algae have washed up on beaches in Brittany far earlier than usual this year, a phenomenon local officials say is linked to rising temperatures, warmer spring weather and agricultural pollution. While they traditionally take place around the height of summer – often as late as October – these “blooms” (as they are called) increasingly appear in May and June as spring temperatures rise sooner on the heating planet.

Like green algae, red algae present a health risk when large accumulations begin to decompose during periods of hot weather. Some harmful algal blooms produce toxins that cause stomach pain, skin irritation, headaches and respiratory problems. They also release Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S) gas, a poison and sometimes lethal gas. Jogger Death By Algae: The 2026 event occurs ten years after a jogger died on the Breton coast from inhaling the gas.

In addition to the warming waters that accelerate algae growth, pollution from large scale pig farms in Brittany contribute to the problem

Globally, algae and toxic seaweed incursions are fouling coastlines around the planet, including Florida, Australia, the Pacific Islands and the extended western coast of Europe. READ MORE.\

> JAPANESE SEAWOOD INCURSION: Trengandín beach in Noja has been re-covered by the invasive Japanese seaweed, Rugulopteryx okamurae, a species that reproduces faster as the sea water warms. Last summer, the invasion of this seaweed on the beaches of Cantabria forced the removal of 10,000 tons of algae from the beaches.

Red Algae mess comes to Breton coastline

Super El Niño effects already showing in record temps globally.

It’s pushing 100°F in Portland, OR and 122°F in Pakistan as the long predicted El Nino arrives for the foreseeable future.

Here’s a sample of what’s going on in the rapidly warming world:

LINK.

Thunder Key Music Video

Thunder Key Recounts A Story of Climate Refugee Survival

Posted on May 29, 2026June 1, 2026 by rapidclimatechange_tfkjps

An original music video.

A father and daughter face life as climate refugees.

THUNDER KEY is not a protest song. And it’s not a warning song. It’s about optimism—the kind we need if we hope to get through what is inevitably to come. People say, “Keep hope alive.” Good idea. But maybe add to that: Hope will keep us alive – Phil

Massive marine heatwave + Super El Nino coming at you

Posted on May 27, 2026May 27, 2026 by rapidclimatechange_tfkjps

“I’m out of superlatives…”*

An enormous marine heatwave off the US west coast has got ocean and atmospheric scientists freaking out, although you’d never know it from the news coverage it isn’t receiving. The extreme temperature anomaly is affecting a vast expanse of the North Pacific in May 2026. The latest data shows intensifying ecological and environmental effects affecting marine life as well as weather patterns across North America.

Coastal waters along the U.S. West Coast have been roughly 3–4°F (≈1.5–2.5°C) above normal in places, while satellite analysis shows localized sea‑surface‑temperature anomalies exceeding +4°C in parts of the North Pacific on early‑May maps.

According to NOAA, the phenomenon is comprised of two distinct temperature events: a persistent coastal heatwave and a separate offshore warm pool. and are monitoring whether they will grow and merge later in summer or fall.

Forecasters are also concerned because a strong El Niño is likely to develop in 2026; if El Niño becomes established it would tend to reinforce and prolong Pacific warming. (NOAA/CPC ENSO outlooks in spring 2026 show elevated odds of El Niño by mid‑ to late‑2026.

The unusual area of warm water has persisted since peaking during September 2025 and still stretches thousands of miles from the California coastline – more than halfway across the Pacific – affecting a vast triangle-shaped region of oceanic habitats from Hawaii to British Columbia and southward to Mexico.

As recently as early April, marine scientists had hoped that the heatwave might diminish and the worst of its effects might be avoided. However, new projections released last week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) show it is now expected to expand and strengthen in the months to come.

Either of these climate conditions will create severe negative impacts across a wide swath of the planet. Together, the effects may well be catastrophic as the summer rolls on.

* University of Arizona atmospheric scientist Kin Wood

Marine heatwave combines with super el nino

Marine heatwave lurks in the pacific

Accelerating global warming effects as systems combine

When a very strong (super) El Niño coincides with a marine heat wave, effects amplify and interact across the climate system and ecosystems. Key consequences:

Climate and weather

Global temperatures spike: El Niño raises global mean surface temperature; a marine heat wave adds ocean heat storage—together push global and regional temperatures higher than either alone.
Stronger, more extreme precipitation and flooding in El Niño-favored regions (e.g., western South America, parts of the southern U.S.): heavier storms, landslides, urban flooding.
Worsened drought in regions that typically dry during El Niño (e.g., parts of Australia, Indonesia, India): agricultural stress, water shortages.
Tropical cyclone behavior can change: some basins produce fewer storms, others produce more intense storms because of warmer sea surface temperatures and altered wind shear patterns.
Increased heat waves on land and higher evaporation, raising wildfire risk in vulnerable regions.

Toll on Marine Life and Birds

Ecologists and bird‑rescue groups are already reporting seabird strandings and shifts in species ranges (e.g., subtropical species moving north). Marine‑heatwave conditions raise risks of harmful algal blooms, reduced productivity for fisheries (affecting salmon and other species), and broader ecosystem stress that can cascade for months or years.

Additional effects

Severe coral bleaching and large-scale reef mortality due to prolonged high sea surface temperatures.
Fishery collapse or massive shifts in species distributions as warm-water species move, upwelling weakens, and primary productivity drops.
Hypoxia events and harmful algal blooms may increase, further stressing marine life.

Killer Seaweed and Toxic Algae Coming To A Coastline Near You

Posted on May 13, 2026May 15, 2026 by rapidclimatechange_tfkjps

Harmful algae can ruin your beach vacation…or even kill you

Global algae and seaweed blooms

Fouled oceans, lakes and rivers

Toxic seaweed and algae blooms are rapidly becoming a major environmental, economic, and public health problem worldwide. Driven by global warming and industrial agriculture waste, these incursions are comprised of cyanobacteria (“blue-green algae”), seaweed and other invasive aquatic species as they increasingly propagate exponentially and engulf coastal regions.

These noxious aquatic species aren’t new to our planetary habitat. Under normal conditions, they are natural components of aquatic environments. What happened to change thngs is that humans have provided conditions that are warmer and warmer and full of phosphate or nitrogen runoff. Mmmm. That’s good stuff.

In locations from these blooms can: mess up a coastline or beach for extended periods, fouling the area, killing animals and stinking up the place. Some species are so toxic as to be deadly, such as the incident that killed a man in Brittany.

Global warming and agricultural nutrients pollution:

Both drivers of global algae incursions are directly caused by human activity:

Rapidly heating oceans and lakes provide a hothouse environment in which these aggressive organisms thrive. The warming of the oceans – which continues to accelerate – strengthens marine heatwaves, alters ocean circulation, increases heavy rainfall and runoff and (surprisingly) expands stratified warm surface layers where algae thrive.

In addition to the hothouse environment, humans are providing 24/7 dining for cyanobacteria and various seaweed types.

Industrial scale agriculture is not exactly Old McDonald’s farm, as it spews massive amounts of excess nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers, livestock waste, sewage and Industrial runoff.

Industrial agricultural pollution drives global algae production

Algae on Australia beach

Australia’s unsolvable algae menace driven by unrelenting marine heatwave

A harmful algal bloom (HAB) event that started in March 2025 is ongoing along the coasts of the state of South Australia as of May 2026. It has caused fish kills impacting the marine environment and associated fishing and aquaculture industries, as well as beachgoers and tourism operators along the affected coasts. The extent and duration is unprecedented in both South Australia and Australia, and is probably one of the top ten recorded blooms in the world

Brittany seaweed incursions have killed dozens

The Brittany coastline is famed for its green hills, rugged cliffs and miles of sandy beaches. But over the past few decades, in places, the sand has begun to disappear beneath a carpet of green goo. At certain times of year, when Ulva armoricana, a type of seaweed, blooms, banks of green mass form on the beaches, releasing hydrogen sulphide, a foul-smelling, potentially harmful gas. In recent years, red and yellow warning signs have appeared on stretches of the coastline. And dozens of visitors have died when exposed to the gases emitted by the algae mass.

Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone one of hundreds expanding globally

Every summer, a low-oxygen area, often referred to as a Dead Zone, develops off of the Texas-Louisiana shelf when nutrient-laden fresh water from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

Dead zones are areas of water bodies where aquatic life cannot survive because of low oxygen levels. Dead zones are generally caused by significant nutrient pollution, and are primarily a problem for bays, lakes and coastal waters since they receive excess nutrients from upstream sources..

Global Hotspots

Baltic Sea

One of the world’s most severe recurring cyanobacterial bloom regions.

Lake Erie

Frequent toxic cyanobacteria outbreaks threaten drinking water for millions.

Caribbean and West Africa

Huge Sargassum invasions have intensified since the 2010s.

East Asia

China, Japan, and South Korea regularly face damaging coastal blooms affecting fisheries and aquaculture.

Algae bloom great lakes

New Global Atmospheric CO2 Record Shows No Actual Progress

Posted on May 10, 2026May 12, 2026 by rapidclimatechange_tfkjps

Global Atmospheric CO2 crosses 431

LET’S CLEAR THIS UP: SOME YEARS, CO₂ LEVELS RISE MORE SLOWLY, BUT THEY ARE STILL RISING. CONCENTRATIONS REMAIN IN THE ATMOSPHERE FOR 300 TO 1,000 YEARS.

Based on the misinformation we are fed, we can be forgiven for thinking levels of CO₂ in the atmosphere are decreasing. They ARE NOT. They are increasing. Some years CO₂ rises more slowly than others, but the overall concentration is still going up. There was a reduction of U.S. emission in 2023 and 2024 but that ended in 2025. A reduction of emissions does not equal a reduction of existing levels. In addition to monstrous and growing AI power demands, the geopolitical situation has reversed the illusion of real progress.

MAY UPDATES: GLOBAL CLIMATE CATASTROPHES

**link to Global climate event map May 2026**

The daily average concentration of atmospheric CO₂ at Mauna Loa Observatory first exceeded 400 PPM on 10 May 2013. Now it’s 431 PPM.

The quantity of CO₂in the atmosphere hit a record high in April 2026. Carbon Dioxide levels averaged about 431 PPM (parts per million) over that month, according to data collected at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. The Trump administration is about to close the facility. further eroding climate science in the US.

The daily average concentration of atmospheric CO₂ at Mauna Loa Observatory first exceeded 400 ppm on 10 May 2013.

In 1958, the observatory reported CO₂levels of 320 PPM.

Feel free to do the math.

Great Pacific Garbage Vortex Intensifying Global Heating

Posted on May 8, 2026May 10, 2026 by rapidclimatechange_tfkjps

Twice the size of Texas, this toxic human-made aberration is worse than previously thought

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (or Pacific Trash Vortex) is a 620,000 sq mi, partially submerged mass of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean, bounded by the massive North Pacific Subtropical Gyre.

Micro plastics damage plankton and marine ecosystems

Healthy oceans help cool the planet by absorbing carbon dioxide. Tiny organisms like phytoplankton remove CO₂ through photosynthesis.

Plastic pollution can:

injure marine life
transport toxins
disrupt food webs
reduce plankton health and productivity

As ocean ecosystems become less effective at storing carbon, more CO₂ stays in the atmosphere, increasing warming.

Pacific trash vortex bird stomach

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

* Black Carbon: Or “soot,” is a type of fine particulate air pollution formed by incomplete combustion, for example of wood, waste and fossil fuels. It creates carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds, warming the atmosphere because it is very effective at absorbing light. It exacerbates warming of the air and surfaces in regions where it is concentrated, altering weather patterns and ecosystem cycles.

TV cameras can’t see it, so it doesn’t make the news

A new study shows that the massive gyres of plastic waste floating in the Pacific (as in twice the size of Texas) are also contributing to planetary heating. The two floating continents of toxic marine debris are alarming enough in terms of the ecological havoc they wreak. The new research from Fudan University in Shanghai shows that colored microplastics suspended in the atmosphere over the gyres may contribute more to global warming than previously understood, with some regions near ocean garbage patches showing warming effects greater than black carbon.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch contributes to planetary warming in direct and indirect but ways. It’s not a giant “hot spot” that radiates heat like a power plant, but the plastic pollution inside it affects the climate system by generating greenhouse gases. The amount of ongoing marine ecosystem damage is incalculable.

Sunlight makes plastics release greenhouse gases

As plastics float in the ocean and break down under UV sunlight, they outgas methane (CH4), ethylene and other hydrocarbon gases.

These gases trap heat in the atmosphere. Researchers have shown common plastics like polyethylene emit more gases as they weather in sunlight. The degree of warming from these sites is not as significant as industrial and agricultural sources, but represent yet another contribution factor.

Dark debris changes ocean heating

Large concentrations of floating trash alters how sunlight interacts with the ocean surface, as darker or debris-covered surfaces may absorb more solar energy. The report suggests it may be more damaging than *black carbon events.

Micro plastics are part of the ever growing pollution affecting every phase of our existence

Most of the debris in the patch is plastic derived from oil and natural gas. which releases large amounts of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. It’s all part of the global fossil-fuel-based plastic economy:

extracting oil and gas
transporting them
manufacturing plastics
shipping products worldwide

Each stage emits heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere.

Cleanup and degradation releases additional emissions

As plastics fragment into microplastics and nanoplastics:

cleanup operations use fuel and energy
degradation processes may release more greenhouse gases over time
burning collected plastic waste can emit CO₂ if not handled carefully

Arctic rivers run orange as weakened permafrost releases acids

Posted on April 20, 2026April 22, 2026 by rapidclimatechange_tfkjps

Rivers of the Arctic run orange with sulfuric acid and other toxins

GLOBAL WARMING IS DEGRADING POLAR PERMAFROST, RELEASING heavy METALS, TOXINS AND METHANE LONG STORED BENEATH THE TUNDRA.

Across Alaska and other parts of the Arctic, dozens of once-clear streams and rivers are turning a nasty rusty orange. As documented by NOAA’s 2025 Arctic Report Card, the new phenomenon was evident in over 200 watersheds in the region. The visual result in similar to the waste water generated in waterways by unregulated mining. Images show

As temperatures rise, permafrost frozen for thousands of years is thawing. The heavy metals, acids and viruses trapped below the tundra are quickly leaching into once pristine waterways. Researchers describe the phenomenon as similar to acid rock drainage that occurs in mining regions. The “rusting” reflects fundamental chemical changes in watersheds systems, as once frozen ground and minerals become exposed to oxygen and water.

This accelerating scenario represents a grave threat to marine life, wildlife and drinking water for the indigenous people of the region. But the thawing of permafrost has any number of additional consequences, including methane blowout craters, release of once frozen methane into the atmosphere, landslides, and collapse of the ground itself. The global warming-triggered increase in violent rain events is causing an increase in river flooding, which is further releasing heavy metals embedded in river banks.

HOW WARMING GENERATES SULFURIC ACID

Once permafrost begins to thaw, oxygen seeps into the groundwater, which often changes direction of flow. Once dormant bacteria become active, oxidizing the sulfide minerals. This process breaks them down into dissolved iron and sulfate, which in turn produces sulfuric acid. The acidified water takes on the color of rust.

Thawing Permafrost releasing sulfuric acid into Arctic rivers

Climate driven arctic river pollution

Arctic rivers turn orange with toxics

Hidden Consequences

Methane released from permafrost thaw

Scary Methane feedback cycle as permafrost releases frozen greenhouse gases.

Methane (CH4) is CO2’s meaner older brother, far more destructive but with a shorter attention span. And Methane is indeed a more powerful greenhouse gas (GHG) than carbon dioxide, rated anywhere from 20 to 30 times more potent. Along with Nitrous Oxide and a few others, GHGs trap heat in the atmosphere.

There is a lot of CH₄ trapped beneath the surface of the planet, particularly under the permafrost in Siberia, Alaska and other Arctic regions. As the permafrost thaws, the gases trapped below it spew into the atmosphere, creating a fascinating climate feedback cycle with results that are observable in something close to real time.

Feedback cycles

Megaslump grows in Siberia

Megaslump craters transform Arctic terrain as permafrost thaws

Megaslumps blasting out all over: These wild formations (also known as thaw slumps) are not new, but suddenly they are growing and multiplying. Megaslumps are craters formed by methane gases escaping as the permafrost that once capped it disintegrates. We now see footage of grassland wobbling as the substrata terrain becomes wobbly. When the pressure grows to great, there is a blowout. The resulting thermokarst landscape is expanding.

While megaslumps are not new in places like Siberia, the number has been increasing. Megaslumps include land formations such as the ever expanding Hell’s Gate crater in Siberia and thermotarga landscapes.

Infrastructure collapses as permafrost melts

Northern infrastructure collapsing as the ground shifts beneath it

In Alaska, Siberia and northern Canada, buildings, highways and pipelines are falling down. Humans constructed these artifacts under the assumption that the land would stay solid, but it is NOT staying solid.

As much as half of Arctic infrastructure is at high risk of damage, with estimates of tens of billions of dollars for repairs and replacement. This estimate does not include the cost of re-locating potentially millions of residents as the area becomes untenable.