When It Rains, It Pours

When It Rains, It Pours: Intensification of Extreme Tropical Rainfall With Global Warming Modeled

ScienceDaily (Sep. 17, 2012) — Extreme precipitation in the tropics comes in many forms: thunderstorm complexes, flood-inducing monsoons and wide-sweeping cyclones like the recent Hurricane Isaac.

Global warming is expected to intensify extreme precipitation, but the rate at which it does so in the tropics has remained unclear. Now an MIT study has given an estimate based on model simulations and observations: With every 1 degree Celsius rise in temperature, the study finds, tropical regions will see 10 percent heavier rainfall extremes, with possible impacts for flooding in populous regions.

"The study includes some populous countries that are vulnerable to climate change," says Paul O'Gorman, the Victor P. Starr Career Development Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Science at MIT, "and impacts of changes in rainfall could be important there."

O'Gorman found that, compared to other regions of the world, extreme rainfall in the tropics responds differently to climate change. "It seems rainfall extremes in tropical regions are more sensitive to global warming," O'Gorman says. "We have yet to understand the mechanism for this higher sensitivity."

When It Rains, It Pours

Los piojos - or head lice

Yari has piojos or head lice and her mom was picking them off tonight. This is not unusual in the tropics when other kids in school don't combat the problem. Head lice are common with kids from 5 thru 12 years old when they are in primary school. Yari is both uncomfortable with them and somewhat embarrassed she has them. Head lice are a sign of a lower standard of living. We will buy a shampoo tomorrow that should clean her up. Girls are more susceptible due to longer hair.

We found this web site that will talk to you in Spanish about the problems of Los Piojos .... Los piojos

Lice

Pinal Villa futbol fundraiser

We had a Pinal Villa futbol fundraiser yesterday. Sunday is the normal soccer day and they had a game combined with volleyball, food served, lotteries for prizes and beer sales. The proceeds will go to team uniforms and improving the field. They've decided to have these events every 2 weeks with extra monies going to other community projects.

Evidently soccer is very loose as I was asked to play a few times but I had to explain that I'm old (these guys play rough) and we didn't play soccer when I was a kid. Anyone can play volleyball and nobody is a pro. A fun day but I don't understand how these guys can play for hours in 90 degrees and high humidity

A header?

Part of the field is a road

Typical afternoon cloud formations

Food and beer under my white awning

Volleyball

Cantaloupe on compost pile

Cantaloupe growing on my compost pile from seeds that got deposited months ago. The plants cover 3-4 square meters so are almost out to the driveway. With all this rain we've been having the ones sitting on dirt have been having a problem with "belly rot" while the ones on sand stay drier. I looked on the Internet and supporting them on egg cartons was suggested so I've done that with a few. Already ate 1/2 of one last week and was just as good as you'd buy in the store. Next to plant some seeds I brought down from up north.

Largest about 8" on sand

Smaller but looks more like a Cantalope

Sitting on egg carton

Churros on the Plaza

My new job is bus driver for Uriel who just entered his first year of Secondary School.   We live in the country about a mile from the school and 'Uri' is disabled and can't walk that far on a very rough road.   School starts at 1pm and gets out at 7 so last night we did a little shopping and picked up a bag of churros from a stand on the plaza.

Churros are basically extruded donut dough, deep fried and then rolled in sugar and cinnamon (canela) and best eaten hot. I usually don't eat sweets but these hit the spot last night.

I'm getting re-acclimated to the warm weather after the Seattle trip and getting some painting done and more impermeabilizante on the roof. The garden has gone crazy with all the rain ... and the rain washes away my 'ant powder' I use to keep the leaf cutter ants at bay.   The lime trees are full of fruit, a few bats are back even tho I leave a light on under the palapa and there are new cantalopes growing on the compost pile.   Good to be back.