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Charles Thistlethwaite

@charlest.bsky.social
691 followers 1.4K following 3.1K posts

Environmental Planner English/Español California/Perú Signal: CharlesT.100 Mostly #climatechange, #adaptation, and #environmentaljustice.

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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 58m
Only a small fraction of homes in the San Diego metro area are equipped with air conditioning, despite 2026 being the hottest summer on record. 'Cool Zones' in libraries and recreation centers have been limited by budget cuts and power outages, which are often implemented to mitigate wildfire risks.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 3h
COP31 organizers are focusing on improving access to existing funding and seeking support from development banks to address the disproportionate financial barriers faced by vulnerable regions in the Pacific, Caribbean, and Indian Ocean.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 3h
Murat Kurum, Turkey's environment minister and #COP31 president-designate, stated that nations should prioritize climate action with the same level of urgency and determination currently applied to defense spending. www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/...
japantimes.co.jp
Climate needs same urgency as defense spending, COP31 chief says
Turkish Environment Minister and COP31 President-designate Murat Kurum said every country must show the same responsibility and determination.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 3h
The population of sunflower sea stars suffered a catastrophic decline of over 90% due to a #climatechange induced marine heatwave that spread Sea Star Wasting Syndrome, leading to the loss of 95% of California's kelp forests over the last decade.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 3h
Researchers at the Sunflower Star Laboratory are working to restore the critically endangered sunflower sea star, a 24-armed marine predator that plays a vital role in maintaining the health of Pacific coastal ecosystems. www.climatecentral.org/video/to-sav...
climatecentral.org
To Save California’s Collapsing Kelp Forests, Scientists Deploy a 24-Armed Secret Weapon | Climate Central
Climate Central bridges the scientific community and the public, providing clear information to help people make sound decisions about the climate.
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Reposted by Charles Thistlethwaite
Paula 🌹 @paularose.bsky.social · 9h
Colonisation, not climate change, first primed these forests to burn theconversation.com/colonisation...
theconversation.com
Colonisation, not climate change, first primed these forests to burn
For more than 800 years, frequent cultural burning kept this land as stable, open woodland.
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Reposted by Charles Thistlethwaite
Suzanne York @suzanneyork.bsky.social · 3h
“Two groups of plankton form the foundation of the marine food web, and they are so closely linked that a change in one can be profoundly felt by the other. As the ocean warms, both are changing"
oceanographicmagazine.com
Warming seas are reshuffling plankton and the marine food web - Oceanographic
Researchers use AI to track plankton as warming seas change the base of the marine food web, which could mean lower-quality food for fish.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 15h
As an El Niño develops, typical east-to-west trade winds along the equator weaken or even reverse, allowing hotter and higher seas from the far western equatorial Pacific east to the normally cooler part of the ocean near Peru. These seas are trapped along coastlines causing the Kelvin wave. 🌊
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 15h
The Kelvin wave bearing down on Southern California this week is not the kind that draws surfers. By itself, it’s probably not even noticeable. But it can have a profound effect, adding 6 to 12 inches to background sea levels, potentially for months. #climatechange #elniño
latimes.com
Kelvin wave hitting Southern California: What to expect as El Niño threatens the coast again
An El Niño-fueled Kelvin wave is bearing down on the Southern California shoreline, bringing with it the boosted risk of significant coastal flooding and beach erosion.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 23h
Despite Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's success in reducing Amazon deforestation by nearly 50%, this progress failed to translate into significant electoral success for pro-forest candidates.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 23h
Climate and nature campaigners fear for the future of the Amazon rainforest, as Flávio Bolsonaro represents a political legacy that previously oversaw a significant increase in deforestation. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...
theguardian.com
Flávio Bolsonaro’s advance in Brazil’s election is grim jolt for climate campaigners
Inquest under way into why President Lula’s success in curbing Amazon deforestation has not led to success at polls
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Reposted by Charles Thistlethwaite
Suzanne York @suzanneyork.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
“This past year has been the worst that we’ve ever seen on the Colorado River in anybody’s lifetime,” says Mark Squillace of University of Colorado Law School & expert in water law. “What we need of course, and everybody knows this in their heart of hearts, is we need a long-term plan.”
csmonitor.com
Low water levels, high demand force a reckoning for the Colorado River
Lake Powell and the Colorado River are facing historically low water levels, threatening the supply for millions of people as authorities search for solut…
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Reposted by Charles Thistlethwaite
Paul Beckwith @paulhbeckwith.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
My new video… Ice Loss from Greenland and Iceland was 11.3 Trillion Tonnes Over Last 5 Decades: New Science Study youtu.be/t2FqBztpK7c?... #climate #Climatewarriors #ClimateResilience #oceans #Greenland #Antarctica #weather
youtu.be
Ice Loss from Greenland and Iceland was 11.3 Trillion Tonnes Over Last 5 Decades: New Science Paper
YouTube video by Paul Beckwith
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Thirteen-year-old Melelusi Sokotia delivered a poignant plea to world leaders at a summit preceding the UN’s #COP31 climate forum in Turkiye, demanding immediate action to protect her home country of Tuvalu from the impacts of #climatechange. www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfe...
aljazeera.com
Girl pleads for world leaders to save her country from climate change
A 13-year-old girl has called on world leaders to act on climate change and save her country, Tuvalu.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Researchers attribute this significant decline primarily to #climatechange driven changes in ocean food chains, which have forced krill, the chinstraps' primary food source, to migrate toward colder waters that the species cannot tolerate.
cell.com
Population declines and changes in community composition at the world’s largest penguin colony
Ratcliffe et al. use drone and satellite surveys to show that chinstrap penguins on Zavodovski Island have declined rapidly while macaroni penguins have increased. Zavodovski is no longer the largest ...
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
A study by the British Antarctic Survey reveals that the chinstrap penguin population on Zavodovski island has plummeted by 63% between 2011 and 2025, falling from 1.09 million to 402,000 breeding individuals. www.cbsnews.com/news/penguin...
cbsnews.com
Iconic penguin colony sees "population collapse" driven by climate change, study finds
Drone and satellite images show the volcanic island lost more than 680,000 of its chinstrap penguins between 2011 and 2025, experts said.
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Reposted by Charles Thistlethwaite
David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Pakistan expands protected habitat for Indus River dolphin as recovery offers hope 🧪🦑🌎
news.mongabay.com
Pakistan expands protected habitat for Indus River dolphin as recovery offers hope
Between 11 million and 16 million years ago, during the high sea levels of the middle Miocene period, the ancestors of the Indus River dolphin entered the muddy waters of what is the Indus Basin…
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Reposted by Charles Thistlethwaite
Bill Comeau 🇨🇦 @bill-comeau.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
A strong El Nino is expected this Fall/Winter. Impacts will vary across #Canada. Note that the Great Ice Storm of 1997-98 was during a strong El Nino. Warmer winter temperatures can foster more ice events and freeze/thaws with more power outages and flooding. climatedata.ca/news/what-th...
climatedata.ca
What the developing exceptional El Niño means for Canada in 2026-27 – ClimateData.ca
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Climate change threatens biodiversity by altering habitats and disrupting ecosystems through rising temperatures that lead to melting ice and the loss of essential food sources. Polar bears, bees, and songbirds all face increased pressure as plants and animals struggle to adapt at varying speeds.
dw.com
How does climate change affect biodiversity?
Polar bears disappear as sea ice melts, forests face drought, and bees are finding less food. Climate change is causing biodiversity to fall and disrupting ecosystems worldwide.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Patients frequently experience fear, grief, and anxiety regarding the health consequences of environmental disasters, necessitating empathetic clinical support similar to that provided for terminal illness.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Palliative care communication strategies can be adapted to address the health impacts of #climatechange, which the World Health Organization identifies as a primary global threat. This includes active listening, avoiding judgmental responses, and creating a supportive space about planetary decline.
kevinmd.com
How palliative care improves climate change communication
Climate change communication can borrow from palliative care. See how talking to patients about climate change begins with listening, empathy, and agency.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Research highlights that personal experience with extreme weather does not always translate into behavioral changes, as factors such as income and demographics remain the primary drivers of individual choices like flying or water usage. www.nature.com/articles/ncl...
nature.com
Meta-analyses of the determinants and outcomes of belief in climate change - Nature Climate Change
Meta-analysis shows people’s views on climate change have only a small impact on their tendencies to act in climate-friendly ways. These views are affected more by ideology and political orientation t...
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
After experiencing record-breaking temperatures and dry weather during the summer of 2026, a majority of the British public now expresses heightened fear regarding future environmental impacts, particularly concerning wildfires and children's welfare. #climatechange phys.org/news/2026-10...
phys.org
Did the hot summer make more people worry about climate change?
This summer broke records around the U.K. for maximum temperatures and dry weather. According to the U.K.'s Met Office, while it was rare to hit 35°C (95°F) in the 20th century, that temperature has b...
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
At my local market, they play rain sounds with birdsong when the produce misters go off. ⛈️
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Paula 🌹 @paularose.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
‘1.5°C to stay alive’: Pacific countries demand the world makes good on climate promises theconversation.com/1-5-c-to-sta...
theconversation.com
‘1.5°C to stay alive’: Pacific countries demand the world makes good on climate promises
There’s a strong desire for this Pacific meeting to spur the global summit to action.
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Graham Readfearn @readfearn.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
A month of broken records for temperatures around Australia. Hottest September ever for minimums across the continent, scores of places setting records for warmest September. A snow depth gauge in the NSW alps fell to zero - a first for any September since it was deployed in 1954.
theguardian.com
Australia experiences second hottest September on record as El Niño and climate crisis combine
Alpine areas also experience record-breaking heat with snow depth recorded at zero in Kosciuszko national park
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Reposted by Charles Thistlethwaite
Prof Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Dynamic instability of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin Ice Sheet, East Antarctica ...it contains enough ice to raise global mean sea level by 3–4 m. Its marine-based geometry makes it a tipping risk whose temperature thresholds and timing remain poorly constrained. www.nature.com/articles/s43...
nature.com
Dynamic instability of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin Ice Sheet, East Antarctica - Nature Reviews Earth & Environment
The Wilkes Subglacial Basin is a marine-based sector of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet that is vulnerable to ocean-forced melting and climate warming. This Review assesses changes in ice-sheet extent in...
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Expertos como Márcio Astrini, Secretario Ejecutivo del Observatorio del Clima de Brasil, advierten que el abandono de la cooperación regional y la implementación de políticas antiambientales podrían provocar el colapso del ecosistema amazónico.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
El triunfo probable de Flávio Bolsonaro en las elecciones presidenciales de Brasil podría resultar en que el 95% de la #Amazonía quede bajo el control de gobiernos de derecha, marcando un cambio radical en la gestión de este bioma. es.mongabay.com/2026/10/elec...
es.mongabay.com
Un triunfo de Flávio Bolsonaro en Brasil pondría el 95 % de la Amazonía bajo gobiernos de derecha
Elecciones en Brasil podrían poner el 95 % de la Amazonía bajo gobiernos de derecha que priorizan la explotación de los recursos naturales.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
State neglect, #climatechange, and severe droughts are currently exacerbating these health issues. The ongoing drought and predicted El Niño events threaten to further isolate the Matsés and prevent medical brigades from reaching remote communities to deliver necessary care.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
The Matsés Indigenous community in the Peruvian Amazon is suffering from severe malaria and hepatitis B epidemics. The Matsés initially contacted the outside world in 1969 to escape conflict with rubber tappers, but this exposed them to fatal diseases for which they lacked immunological defenses.
news.mongabay.com
A health crisis for Peru’s recently contacted people brings planetary health to the fore
Mongabay staff writer Aimee Gabay joins the Newscast this week to discuss her reporting trip to the Peruvian Amazon, where she spoke with the Indigenous Matsés community. She made the trip initially t...
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Environmental advocates blame the Trump administration. They say the federal government took too much water out of Shasta Lake for farms in the Central Valley, leaving the reservoir too warm for many salmon eggs to survive in a vital spawning area downstream from Shasta Dam.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Chinook salmon have been laying eggs in gravelly nests in the Sacramento River for millennia. But California’s biggest river is now so warm that biologists expect a significant number of the eggs won’t hatch. www.latimes.com/environment/...
latimes.com
This major California river has gotten too warm for its salmon
The Sacramento River has gotten too warm for salmon eggs. Environmental advocates blame the Trump administration for taking too much water out of Shasta Lake.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Researchers used models to simulate global climate patterns through the year 2500, demonstrating that the environment would remain approximately 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels even if emissions were halted immediately.
journals.plos.org
Centuries of global heating from Carbon Majors: Dependence on future emissions pathways
A range of recent studies have developed methods and data to attribute past and present global temperature change to individual emitters. We perform simulations that attribute the amount of global war...
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
A University of Washington study found that past greenhouse gas emissions from major oil, gas, coal, and cement producers will continue to warm the Earth for decades to come, suggesting that future climate disasters are exacerbated by the cumulative historical production of fossil fuels.
koin.com
UW finds past emissions will warm Earth for decades
A recent study from the University of Washington found that past emissions from the top polluters in the world will continue to warm Earth for decades.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Amnesty International has urged world leaders to attend the Pre-COP31 meetings in Fiji and Tuvalu to move beyond rhetoric and commit to concrete climate action. Rising sea levels and extreme weather are already violating human rights, such as access to water and food, in vulnerable Pacific nations.
amnesty.org
Pre-COP31: World leaders must show up for the Pacific through action, not just speeches
Pre-COP31 must turn rhetoric into concrete commitments and action that deliver the climate ambition the world needs at COP31 in November
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Boulder’s lawsuit says the two oil companies, Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy, should help pay for the damage to the state of Colorado — such as worsening heat waves and wildfires — caused by climate change, which is driven by the burning of fossil fuels.
nytimes.com
A Supreme Court Battle Over Climate Change Begins (Gift Article)
The justices are about to hear a lawsuit that could determine whether the oil industry faces billions of dollars in liability for damages caused by global warming.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Looking forward, the researchers aim to bridge existing knowledge gaps by expanding the modern pollen database into unexplored regions of the Amazon and continuing the monitoring of pollen production in various tropical environments. www.project-paloma.com
project-paloma.com
Project PALOMA
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
The PALOMA project is using both fossil pollen records and modern pollen sampling in Ecuador and Peru to understand how Amazonian plants adapt to historical and current #climatechange pressures. cordis.europa.eu/article/id/4...
cordis.europa.eu
Investigating how Amazonian plants respond to climate change
Researchers are using pollen to study the sensitivity of lowland Amazonian plants to climatic pressures.,,,European Commission
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
High-quality Mito habitat loss is projected to increase by over 250% by 2070 due to urban development. Most of the endangered tree's critical habitat falls outside current protected boundaries, highlighting the need for improved conservation strategies and no-build zones.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Assessing Habitat Suitability and Exposure of the Endemic <fi>Vasconcellea candicans</fi> Under Climate Change and Urban Growth in Lima, Peru
This study integrated ensemble species distribution modelling and urban growth projections to evaluate current and future habitat suitability of V. candicans in the lomas ecosystems surrounding Lima ...
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Climate change and rapid urban expansion in Lima, Peru, is leading to the loss of remaining lomas-fog oasis habitat for the Critically Endangered Mito tree (Vasconcellea candicans). bioengineer.org/limas-endang...
bioengineer.org
Lima’s Endangered Fog-Oasis Tree Faces a Pincer of Climate Change and
On the coastal hillsides of Lima, one of the world’s largest desert-built metropolises, a rare tree known locally as mito survives on moisture it harvests directly from winter fog. Vasconcellea c
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
By the end of the 21st century, these climate-driven changes are projected to increase the length of the day by approximately 10% to 18% of the long-term tidal friction trend, representing a significant externally forced signal. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Anthropogenic warming-driven atmospheric circulation shifts and angular momentum increase: influence on the Earth’s rotation - npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science - Anthropogenic warming-driven atmospheric circulation shifts and angular momentum increase: influence on the Earth’s rotation
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Global warming induces systematic shifts in atmospheric circulation causing a slight increase in speed while the Earth's rotation rate experiences a subtle, measurable deceleration. 🤯 #climatechange phys.org/news/2026-10...
phys.org
When the atmosphere slows the Earth: Uncovering a subtle signal of climate change
Atmospheric circulation governs weather and climate, but it also carries angular momentum. When winds shift or mass redistributes, the atmosphere can exchange momentum with the solid Earth, slightly a...
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Orangutan Land Trust @orangutanlandtrust.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
"After three months with no rain, Sriwati, a shopkeeper and mother of three children living in Penyeladi village on the tropical island of Borneo, can no longer depend on the river for her needs." @mightyearth.org apnews.com/article/clim...
apnews.com
Indonesian villagers on Borneo struggle for water as El Niño intensifies peatland fires
Residents of Borneo are enduring a severe water crisis after three months without rain. The Kapuas River has receded to a muddy trickle, forcing families to buy water for drinking and cooking.
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Prof Bill McGuire @profbillmcguire.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Mind-boggling - just mind-boggling Now expected to peak at an extraordinary 4.2C in December
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
While the Atlantic remains quiet, El Niño has brought numerous major hurricanes to the eastern North Pacific, with sea surface temperatures exceeding 2015 records and resulting in a season about two and a half times more active than normal.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
For the first time since the 1960s satellite era, the North Atlantic has experienced a record-breaking September with no hurricane formations, raising the possibility that the 2026 season could conclude without a single hurricane. www.bbc.com/weather/arti...
bbc.com
Could El Niño mean there are no Atlantic hurricanes this year?
For the first time in three decades there has not been a single Atlantic hurricane in September, normally the most active month.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Tides are higher than normal for several reasons: #climatechange has driven seas to rise, the moon’s gravitational pull is near its peak and El Niño has warmed the Pacific Ocean, causing water to expand. Combining storms on top of high tides could reach record levels.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
San Francisco residents can expect 30 king tides this winter, which could flood parts of the city, according to Mayor Daniel Lurie. Already, tides in San Francisco are running about six inches higher than normal. www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/k...
sfchronicle.com
San Francisco could see ‘30 king tides’ this winter as El Niño looms
Tides much higher than normal, and potentially record-breaking, will occur in San Francisco and other parts of the Bay Area this winter due to the effects of El Niño.
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Charles Thistlethwaite @charlest.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Just naming a boat "Unsinkable" is a huge temptation of fate 🤔
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