Ecuador on Tuesday began to ration electricity in the country’s main cities as a drought linked to the El Niño weather pattern depletes reservoirs and limits output at hydroelectric plants that produce about 75% of the nation’s power. The power cuts were announced on Monday night by the ministry of energy, which said in a statement … Read more
The darkness of night has traditionally signalled reprieve for wildland firefighters, but a new Canadian study shows that’s changing, and drought is the driving force. The availability of bone-dry fuels is the key mechanism promoting extreme fire behaviour and growth at night, the study says, though warming temperatures are also eroding the “climatological barrier” that has typically … Read more
“However, if a system is permanently impaired it is also possible that recovery will not reach former levels,” Montagna said. Studies suggest that systems around Corpus Christi may already be “permanently impaired,” Montagna said, largely due to a sustained lack of fresh water. Similar problems span the lower Texas coast. The Rio Grande hasn’t flowed … Read more
