Avalanche At Kedarnath Temple; Australia's Bitter Cold And Low Wind Leads To Power Concerns; Greenland's Record Summer Gains; + Incoming CMEs And The Approaching Solar Max

Also, Arctic sea ice melt since the summer solstice has been the slowest in almost three decades.

Avalanche At Kedarnath Temple

On Sunday morning, a large avalanche struck the snowy mountain behind Kedarnath Dham, Uttarakhand, India.

A video of the event went viral on social media.

Fortunately, no casualties or damage have been reported.

"There was no loss of life or property," Dr. Vishakha Ashok Bhadane, the region's senior superintendent of police.

Heavy snow has beset the region in recent weeks and months, notes disaster management officer Nandan Singh Rajwar.

The higher reaches Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir have all observed healthy snow volumes in June, with stark temperatures drop noted that are “giving Kashmir a February-like feel in June,” so said the meteorological department.

Australia's Bitter Cold And Low Wind Leads To Power Concerns

Eastern Australia is enduring a brisk start to the season, felling record lows and defying the BoM's winter forecast.

On one of the coldest mornings in recent years, thermometers dipped to 7.8C (46F) in Sydney. This chill is part of a broader pattern affecting much of the country, including New South Wales and Queensland, as a polar air mass and clear skies dominate.

In NWS, temperatures at Perisher Valley dropped to -4.7C (23.5F), while Sydney’s Observatory Hill posted an anomalous 8.1C (46.6F). Queensland shivered through similarly frigid conditions, with Stanthorpe hitting -2C (28.4F), the lowest reading in years.

Tasmania has also faced some of its coldest nights in years of late.

Liawanee, for example, on the Central Plateau recorded -12.1C (10.2F), just shy of breaking the state's all-time record. Ross, with -6.5C (20.3F), experienced its coldest night in more than five years, and Launceston, with -3.1C (26.4F), had its coldest July night in 16 years.

The biting cold has also impacted Australia's energy grid. A high demand for heating, coupled with low wind power generation, has put immense pressure on infrastructure.

A coal-rich nation relying heavily on unreliable renewables is the crux of the issue. You let a fanciful, anti-human narrative run unchecked and this is the result.

Looking ahead, the 'blues' and 'purples' are expected to persist, intensify even, into the new week, with a fresh front crossing southeastern Australia — one forecast to deliver additional anomalous lows and also substantial snows to the higher elevations.

Greenland's Record Summer Gains

Recent data from the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) showcases record-breaking gains on Greenland. Contrary to mainstream foretellings, the ice sheet is posting substantial accumulations, continuing the run started in mid-May.