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- Currently en Puerto Rico — 27 de octubre 2023: Fin de semana comenzará lluvioso
Currently en Puerto Rico — 27 de octubre 2023: Fin de semana comenzará lluvioso
Plus, a scary new prognosis for ice in Antarctica.
John Morales & Eric Holthaus
October 26, 2023
Onda tropical y vaguada causarán lluvias
A Puerto Rico le espera un fin de semana muy lluvioso debido a la llegada de una onda tropical del este el viernes y sábado y la presencia de vaguadas tanto cerca de la superficie como en los niveles superiores de la atmósfera. Las lluvias serán incesantes a lo largo de la costa este y sobre Culebra y Vieques, pero habrá fuertes aguaceros y tronadas para el resto de la isla también, especialmente en la costa sur. Al final de la semana, las precipitaciones totales podrían ser de más de 3 pulgadas en el este y el sur, y es posible que la mitad norte de la isla reciba alrededor de 2 pulgadas. Habrá riesgo de inundaciones repentinas y urbanas, así como deslizamientos de tierra en zonas de terreno empinado. Las condiciones marinas y costeras también serán motivo de preocupación durante el fin de semana, ya que una marejada del norte generará olas de altura peligrosa que provocarán inundaciones costeras, corrientes de resaca que amenazan la vida y mares peligrosos para las embarcaciones pequeñas.
—John Toohey-Morales
What you need to know, currently.
Ocean warming will triple for the rest of this century near the vulnerable West Antarctica ice sheet, according to a new study out this week. Even more worrying, over the next ~20 years, there is no statistical difference between the course global emissions take and the melt rates of key ice shelves which hold back enormous Antarctic glaciers.
We’ve spent the last few years modelling the future of the Amundsen Sea in West Antarctica, and I regret to inform you that it’s not good news.
— Dr Kaitlin Naughten (@kaitlinnaughten)
3:12 PM • Oct 23, 2023
Here’s more, from The Guardian:
Accelerated ice melt in west Antarctica is inevitable for the rest of the century no matter how much carbon emissions are cut, research indicates. The implications for sea level rise are “dire”, scientists say, and mean some coastal cities may have to be abandoned.
The ice sheet of west Antarctica would push up the oceans by 5 metres if lost completely. Previous studies have suggested it is doomed to collapse over the course of centuries, but the new study shows that even drastic emissions cuts in the coming decades will not slow the melting.
It’s times like these that I always refer back to the original scientists that conduct these important studies. In this case, I’ll give the final word to Kaitlin Naughten, the scientist for the British Antarctic Survey that led the study’s research: “I would hate for people to read this story and think “we should give up on climate action, we’re all doomed anyway”. We must remember that West Antarctica is just one cause of sea level rise, and sea level rise is just one impact of climate change.”
Basically: It is never, ever too late.
Naughten’s parallel essay on her team’s findings is worth a read for everyone — and a worthy call to courage in a time of bad climate news.
What you can do, currently.
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One of my favorite organizations, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, serves as a hub of mutual aid efforts focused on climate action in emergencies — like hurricane season. Find mutual aid network near you and join, or donate to support existing networks:
