<ul><li><strong><keyword id="9979308" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="marine-biologists-in-australia">Marine biologists in Australia</keyword> are working on a rescue plan to save a huge pod of whales that are stranded on a narrow sandbank off the <keyword id="9979305" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="west-coast-of-tasmania">west coast of Tasmania</keyword>. <br /></strong></li><li><strong>Rescuers <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/sep/22/rescuers-scramble-to-save-stranded-pilot-whales-in-tasmania-with-up-to-90-feared-dead">fear at least 90 of them have already died.</a><br /></strong></li><li><strong>Tasmania last witnessed a mass stranding in 2009 where 200 whales beached themselves<br /></strong></li><li><strong>They can grow 7 meters (around 23 ft) long and weigh upto 3 tonnes — making it difficult for the rescuers to move them. <br /></strong></li></ul><keyword id="945275" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Marine-biologists">Marine biologists</keyword> in Australia are working on a rescue plan to save a huge pod of whales that are stranded on a narrow sandbank off the west coast of Tasmania. <br /><br />Officials don’t have the exact number of whales stranded but they believe around 270 animals are stuck at three different sites in shallow water in Macquarie Heads. Rescuers <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/sep/22/rescuers-scramble-to-save-stranded-pilot-whales-in-tasmania-with-up-to-90-feared-dead">fear at least 90 of them have already died.</a><br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="Quad_Finn" handlename="Quad Finn" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/896942980900069376/Ija1gs0m_normal.jpg" favoritecount="129" retweetcount="119" status="Mass stranding of 270 Pilot whales off the Tasmanian coast in Australia; at least 25 of the whales have died so far… https://t.co/XU3x4EVnm1" createdat="1600716555000" id="1308126160866304000"></div><br /><div type="twitter" handle="letitiawallace" handlename="Letitia Wallace" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1307884656046403589/1jx_DdH7_normal.jpg" favoritecount="13" retweetcount="15" status="A rescue mission will get underway tomorrow morning at Macquarie Heads near Strahan to save as many stranded whales… https://t.co/Ziu3LugiaU" createdat="1600690454000" id="1308016687325749248"></div><br /><strong>Worst mass stranding in a decade </strong><br />Pilot whales <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-whales/around-270-whales-stranded-on-sandbar-off-australias-tasmania-idUSKCN26C0WS?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=Social">belong </a>to the family of oceanic dolphins. They can grow 7 meters (around 23 ft) long and weigh upto 3 tonnes — making it difficult for the rescuers to move them. These whales are <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-whales/around-270-whales-stranded-on-sandbar-off-australias-tasmania-idUSKCN26C0WS?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=Social">known </a>to follow a leader while travelling and also gather around any injured or distressed whale among them. <br /><br />“While strandings are not uncommon in Tasmania, and while strandings of this scale aren’t (unprecedented), we certainly haven’t had one for at least 10 years,” Nic Deka, a regional manager for Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, said.<br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="Reuters" handlename="Reuters" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1194751949821939712/3VBu4_Sa_normal.jpg" favoritecount="246" retweetcount="128" status="Scientists in Australia faced a race against time to save a massive pod of pilot whales stranded on a remote coastl… https://t.co/IUfwBzr0Ym" createdat="1600709400000" id="1308096151296466945"></div><br /><div type="twitter" handle="WINNews_Tas" handlename="WIN News Tasmania" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1029938656369205249/TiUyOiK__normal.jpg" favoritecount="5" retweetcount="4" status="Heartbreaking scenes unfolding on Tasmania’s West Coast as rescuers try desperately to save as many pilot whales as… https://t.co/1UIJcwZCVb" createdat="1600749665000" id="1308265037530685440"></div><br />Tasmania last witnessed a mass stranding in 2009 where 200 whales beached themselves. In November 2018, around 145 whales <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/21/australia/whales-stranded-tasmania-scli-intl/index.html?utm_content=2020-09-21T16%3A45%3A14&amp;utm_term=link&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twcnnbrk">were found dead </a>on a remote beach in New Zealand. <br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="Quad_Finn" handlename="Quad Finn" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/896942980900069376/Ija1gs0m_normal.jpg" favoritecount="76" retweetcount="58" status="Mass Stranding Update 1) Nearly 100 Pilot whales have now died out of the group of 270 that stranded off the Tasman… https://t.co/TRMuGu4h7W" createdat="1600738170000" id="1308216820998963200"></div><br />The government scientist who first saw the mass stranding from air estimated only 70 whales, however, the number of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-whales/around-270-whales-stranded-on-sandbar-off-australias-tasmania-idUSKCN26C0WS?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=Social">whales appeared to be much bigger. </a><br /><br /><strong>Mission to rescue the whales is underway</strong><br />As of now, 60 people are helping with the rescue mission, including parks and wildlife staff. Rescuers will try to refloat some of the whales and assess their behaviour. <br /><br />“Basically we’ll take the animals with the best chance to start with and the ones that we are able to deal with,” Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service’s Nic Deka <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/09/22/stranded-whales-tasmania-rescue/">said. </a><br /><br />It is unknown why these whales often beach themselves — a phenomenon where whales strand themselves on land, often beaches — but <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/09/22/stranded-whales-tasmania-rescue/">they can survive for</a> several days if the weather is cool. <br /><br />The rescue mission could take several days to save the whales. <br /><br />“We don’t really know how long this rescue is going to take. This morning’s phase will be critical in determining what is possible and then we’ll have to deal with other factors like weather, like tides and all that will come into it,”<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/sep/22/rescuers-scramble-to-save-stranded-pilot-whales-in-tasmania-with-up-to-90-feared-dead"> Dr Kris Carlyo said. </a><br /><br /><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/latest-updates-on-india-china-border-issue/articleshow/78162853.cms">India-China border dispute was discussed for 14 hours at the sixth Corps Commander-level meeting</a><br /><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/oxfords-covid-19-vaccine-phase-iii-human-trials-begin-in-india/articleshow/78247551.cms">Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine: Phase III human trials begin in India</a><br />

At least 270 pilot whales are stranded at sandbanks in Australia — and a third of them have already died

<ul class="summary-list"><li>About 230 pilot whales have washed up on Tasmania's west coast in Australia.</li><li>Only 35 of the stranded whales survived.</li></ul><p>Around 230 pilot whales were found stranded on the west coast of Tasmania in Australia on Wednesday. Despite the rescue efforts of marine conservation experts, about 200 of the stranded whales have died.</p><p>"We've identified those animals with the best chance of survival," Brandon Clarke, a representative with the department of natural resources and environment, said in a September 22 interview recording shared with Insider. Only 35 whales survived the stranding, Clarke added.</p><p>A photo taken on September 21 and released by Tasmania's department of natural resources and environment shows the scale of the crisis, with dozens whales stretching along the beach and just barely covered in water.</p><p>While most of the whales were stranded on Ocean Beach, a number of whales were stranded on a sand flat inside Macquarie Harbour, per a government press release.</p><p>"Those animals that were alive, we kept them comfortable, we provided them whatever shade we could," Clarke said. He added that the "surf out there in Ocean Beach" has been "taking its toll" on whales who inhabit Tasmania's west coast.</p><div type="image" title="n this handout image provided by Huon Aquaculture, whales are seen beached along the shoreline on September 21, 2022 in Strahan, Australia." height="1503" width="2000" msid="94499911" hostid="261" sizebytes="104876"></div><p>The incident comes two years after Australia experienced its worst whale stranding in history. In 2020, some 470 pilot whales were stranded in the same location on the west coast of Tasmania, and over 350 of these whales died, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/australia-whales-int-idUSKCN26E021">Reuters reported, citing local officials.</a> Some 111 whales were rescued.</p><p>"Unfortunately we do have a high mortality rate in this particular stranding, primarily due to the exposed conditions out on Ocean Beach," Clarke said of the mass stranding on Wednesday, adding that in the 2020 incident, the whales were stranded in "sheltered waters."</p><p>It's not been officially determined why mass strandings occur on Tasmania's west coast, but wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta believes the reason might be ecological in nature.</p><p>"The fact that we've seen similar species, the same time, in the same location, reoccurring in terms of stranding at that same spot might provide some sort of indication that there might be something environmental here," <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-australia-whales-tasmania-climate-and-environment-c941a1e849d8e7332eaa9cf334304938">Pirotta, who specializes in marine mammals, told the Associated Press. </a></p><p>Mass stranding can also occur when a group of whales are "led astray by an unwell individual" or simply "startled by something in the water," <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/21/world/australia/stranded-whales-tasmania.html">Pirotta said in an interview with The New York Times.</a></p><p>A day before the mass stranding occurred, 14 sperm whales were found dead on King Island in Tasmania, per the AP, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-wildlife-whales-melbourne-tasmania-db02c4fadc62003201ea07703f6cd68f">citing local officials.</a> Australian wildlife authorities are investigating what killed the whales, per the report.</p>

Almost 200 whales have died on a beach in Tasmania, and one photo shows the scale of the mass stranding

<ul><li>A <keyword id="55052" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="black-box" source="Orion">black box</keyword> is being built in Australia that will record every conversation and step taken towards <keyword id="6361617" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="Orion">climate change</keyword>.</li><li><keyword id="12677112" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="earths-black-box" source="Orion">Earth’s Black Box</keyword> will have storage drives inside that have a capacity of up to 50 years.</li><li>The idea behind this is for future generations to know what transpired in our journey towards a climate catastrophe.</li></ul>There’s no denying that climate change is a cause of concern, one of the biggest in fact at present. To help understand what steps we are taking towards climate change, an indestructible black box will be built and placed on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia in early 2022. Just like black boxes record flight, ships and cars journeys and provide evidence in case of any accident, this black box will record “every step we take towards this catastrophe”.<br /><br />“Earth’s Black Box” will record every conversation that’s made towards climate change for future generations to see what actions we took, and how it led to the “demise of the planet”, according to a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-12-06/climate-change-earth-black-box-recorder/100621778">report</a> by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The purpose behind this is to let future generations know what happened, and also to urge people to take immediate action. The company behind this project is Clemenger BBDO along with researchers from the <keyword id="330468" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="university-of-tasmania" source="Orion">University of Tasmania</keyword>.<br /><br />It will be made with 3-inch thick steel and covered with solar panels, and it will be built on Tasmania’s west coast. Given the area’s geopolitical and geological stability, the black box should survive in case something catastrophic happens.<br /><br />The black box will be around the size of a city-bus, and inside there will be storage drives that record climate change conversations and also atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and average temperatures. The storage drives inside Earth’s Black Box are designed to last for around 30 to 50 years.<br /><br />We can’t say whether this black box will actually help in preventing a major climate change catastrophe but it’s already started recording data, and there’s a dedicated website for Earth’s Black Box where it’s currently in beta where we can view recorded data of tweets, videos and articles related to climate change. <br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/climate-change-is-causing-the-earths-lower-atmosphere-to-expand/articleshow/87709141.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Climate change is expanding the earth's lower atmosphere and it's not a good sign</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/australian-banks-and-insurers-have-signed-a-174-trillion-cop26-climate-pledge-but-critics-say-it-doesnt-go-hard-enough/articleshow/87521740.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Australian banks and insurers have signed a $174 trillion COP26 climate pledge, but critics say it doesn’t go hard enough</a><br />

Earth’s Black Box will record every conversation and step taken on climate change for future generations to see

Several pilot whales currently stranded off the west coast of <keyword id="6355478" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="australia">Australia</keyword>'s <keyword id="384260" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="TASMANIA">Tasmania</keyword> will be euthanised as they cannot be saved, officials said on Thursday.<br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="XinhuaTravel" handlename="Xinhua Culture&amp;Travel" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1098872101895790592/Ho7LfERB_normal.png" favoritecount="10" retweetcount="2" status="Every minute counts. Rescuers are racing against time to save lives as more than 270 pilot whales were stranded of… https://t.co/bRgOOKK36w" createdat="1600942220000" id="1309072671238492161"></div><br /><br />Some 380 whales have already died in the country's worst stranding on record, the BBC said in a report. Rescuers have refloated 70 of the mammals, adding that there was hope for another 20.<br /><br /><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="78249931" title="At least 270 pilot whales are stranded at sandbanks in Australia — and a third of them have already died" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><br />But they have said four surviving whales that are too exhausted to be saved will have to be killed as it is "the most humane thing to do".<br /><br />"These are animals we've given a chance, we've tried to release them but they haven't done well," the BBC quoted Kris Carlyon with the Marine Conservation Project as saying.<br /><br />The four whales have been assessed by a vet before the decision to kill them was taken, "based purely on animal welfare grounds", Carlyon added.<br /><br />The pilot whales, whose exact population numbers are not known and were not considered endagered, washed up on sand spits around an area called Macquarie Heads.<br /><br />The officials are still trying to determine how they became stranded.<br /><br />SEE ALSO: <br /><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/farmer-unions-are-now-gearing-up-for-a-nationwide-strike-on-friday-to-protest-against-the-three-farm-bills/articleshow/78295154.cms">After ‘rail roko’, farmer unions are now gearing up for a nationwide strike on Friday to protest against the three Farm Bills</a><br />

In Australia, several stranded pilot whales will be euthanised as it is "the most humane thing to do"

<ul class="summary-list"><li>200 long-finned pilot whales have now died in the mass stranding event. </li><li>Experts suspect that the super pod chased their squid prey into shallow waters and become trapped.</li></ul><p>Two pilot whales died in Australia on Friday after becoming stranded on the west coast of Tasmania, bringing the total deaths to 200. </p><p>Two hundred and thirty have stranded themselves at the Macquarie Heads in Tasmania, but some have been refloated and sent back into the ocean but most have died, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-australia-animals-wildlife-whales-ac5ebe5a98892b573543602050d8fc0a">AP.</a></p><p>It is currently unclear why so many whales are stranded in the same place. </p><p>Pilot whales usually live in family pods of about 30 individuals, let by a dominant female, but sometimes coalesce into super pods, many hundreds-strong, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/24/tasmanias-whale-stranding-what-caused-it-and-can-it-be-stopped-in-the-future">The Guardian.</a></p><div type="image" title="Carcasses of pilot whales line the west coast of Tasmania, on September 23, 2022." height="1634" width="3268" msid="94502411" hostid="261" sizebytes="346484"></div><p>Speaking to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-23/tasmania-whale-rescue-turns-to-gruesome-task-of-carcass-disposal/101466868">ABC</a>, Kris Carlyon from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania suggested that they may have followed prey too close to the shoreline. </p><div type="image" title="Tasmania state wildlife services personnel check the carcasses of pilot whales on September 23, 2022." height="2291" width="3054" msid="94502414" hostid="261" sizebytes="303630"></div><p>"These guys do feed on squid. That could have brought them to the shore. That will be part of the post-mortem investigation.</p><p>"We'll be looking at stomach contents, what these animals have been feeding on in the last few days. That may offer up some additional clues," Carlyon said.</p><p>Current priorities lie with removing and disposing of the 25-foot-long carcasses weighing more than 4,000 pounds, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania Incident Controller Brendon Clark said,  per AP. </p><div type="image" title="Carcasses of pilot whales line the west coast of Tasmania, on September 23, 2022." height="2562" width="3416" msid="94502417" hostid="261" sizebytes="197080"></div><p>That would likely include towing the whales into deep waters, ensuring they are far enough that they don't wash back to shore. </p><p>Clark said over 50 government staff and volunteers have been working on the rescue operation. </p><div type="image" title="Rescuers release a stranded pilot whale back in the ocean at Macquarie Heads, on the west coast of Tasmania on September 22, 2022. - About 200 pilot whales have perished after stranding themselves on an exposed, surf-swept beach on the rugged west coast of Tasmania." height="2499" width="5000" msid="94502419" hostid="261" sizebytes="722094"></div><p>This event comes just two years after the largest mass whale stranding happened in the same harbor. </p><p>In 2020, almost 500 pilot whales washed up on Tasmania's western coast, killing 380.</p><p>The entrance to the harbor is a notoriously shallow and dangerous channel known as Hell's Gate, said AP.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/12/more-than-330-pilot-whales-die-in-new-zealand-mass-stranding">The largest ever recorded whale mass stranding</a> was in 1918, when approximately 1,000 pilot whales came ashore on the Chatham Islands in the Pacific Ocean.</p>

Photos show the tragic mass stranding event the killed a super pod of 200 whales in Australia

<p>&#xa0;</p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5745f28f52bcd01b008c5290-2233-1675/rtx216q5.jpg" alt="el nino" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Gene Blevins" /></div></div></div>The 2015-16 El Niño has <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/">likely reached its end</a>. Tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures, trade winds, cloud and pressure patterns have all dropped back to near normal, although clearly the event's impacts around the globe are still being felt.<p>Recent changes in Pacific Ocean temperatures have been comparable to the decline seen at the end of the 1998 El Niño, although temperatures remain warmer than at the end of the most recent El Niño in 2010. Models suggest that ocean cooling will continue, with little chance of a return to El Niño levels in the immediate future.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5745f31e52bcd01b008c5293-754-620" alt="image 20160524 12397 1r8s1li" data-mce-source="Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Author provided" data-mce-caption="The observed and forecast decline of the 2015-16 El Niño, compared to the record event of 1997-98 and the previous El Niño in 2009-10" /></div></div></div><p>The 2015-16 El Niño will go down as one of the three strongest El Niño events since 1950. Every El Niño is different, but typically the stronger the event, the greater its global impact. The 2015-16 El Niño was no exception, with wide-ranging effects felt around the world.</p><p>El Niño also added to the globe's warming trend, making <a href="https://theconversation.com/2016-is-likely-to-be-the-worlds-hottest-year-heres-why-59378">2015 the world's hottest calendar year on record</a>. Early indications are that 2016 could be hotter still.</p><p>So as El Niño fades, let's take stock of its impacts worldwide.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5745f35c52bcd044008c521c-754-424" alt="image 20160523 9534 jj6ide" data-mce-source="Australian Bureau of Meteorology" data-mce-caption="Typical impacts of El Niño across the globe." /></div></div></div><h2>Africa</h2><p>Drought meant that <a href="https://www.iol.co.za/business/news/farmers-owe-banks-r125bn-as-crops-wither-1971244">South African food production</a> was around six million tonnes below normal levels - the lowest since 1995.</p><p>In Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, maize prices were at least 50% higher than usual, with drought unlikely to break until rains in summer 2016-17. In the <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/not-so-rainy-season-drought-southern-africa-january-2016">driest areas of Zimbabwe</a>, more than 75% of crops were lost. In May 2016, Zimbabwean national parks put wildlife up for sale in a bid to save animals from drought.</p><p>The <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/chocolate-prices-to-rise-as-el-nino-brings-big-dry-to-west-africa/news-story/7b68da82787af93e2557435638699c47">cost of chocolate</a> hit a four-year high as a result of drought and lost production in the world's major cocoa producer, Ivory Coast.</p><p>Drought also affected Ethiopia, Somalia, Swaziland, Zambia and parts of Madagascar, with more than 10 million Ethiopians in need of food aid.</p><p>In December 2015, <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5282e.pdf">Rift Valley fever</a> was reported in East Africa. The disease is associated with heavy rainfall providing a fertile breeding ground for the mosquitoes that carry the virus.</p><p>In Tanzania, <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/el-nino-induced-floods-ravage-east-africa/a-19245333">heavy rain destroyed crops and food reserves</a>, while in Kenya <a href="http://www.unocha.org/el-nino-southern-africa">heavy rains aggravated cholera outbreaks</a>. In May 2016, landslides in Rwanda cost many lives and heavy rains damaged infrastructure and hundreds of homes.</p><h2>The Pacific region</h2><p>El Niño is often, but not always, associated with <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-the-indian-ocean-and-el-nino-join-forces-things-can-get-hot-and-dry-48969">drought in Australia</a>. But the drying influence of the 2015-16 El Niño was initially tempered somewhat by very warm temperatures in the Indian Ocean. From April to August, above-average rainfall fell over parts of inland Western Australia, New South Wales and eastern Victoria.</p><p>But by spring, the Indian Ocean was helping El Niño, resulting in Australia's third-driest spring on record, limiting growth at the end of the cropping season. A record early heatwave in October further <a href="http://www.farmonline.com.au/news/agriculture/cropping/grains/el-nio-hammers-wheat-crop/2745601.aspx">reduced crop production in the Murray-Darling Basin</a>.</p><p>However, the lack of heavy rains in the north and west meant <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mining-australia-elnino-idUSKCN0S601W20151012">reduced downtime for mining</a>.</p><p>The northern wet season produced a record-low three tropical cyclones in the Australian region. The previous record was five, which happened in 1987-88 and again in 2006-07 - both El Niño years.</p><p>Fewer clouds and less tropical rain contributed to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/coral-bleaching">most severe coral bleaching</a> event on record for the Great Barrier Reef.</p><p>The combination of heat and low rainfall brought a very early start to the fire season, with more than 70 fires burning in Victoria and around 55 fires in Tasmania during October. Dry conditions in Tasmania also resulted in hundreds of fires being started by dry lightning in mid-January 2016. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/fires-in-tasmanias-ancient-forests-are-a-warning-for-all-of-us-53806">fires damaged large areas of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area</a>, including areas of rainforest and bogs, which may not have seen fire for centuries.</p><p>In Papua New Guinea, <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-papua-new-guinea-faces-worsening-drought-a-past-disaster-could-save-lives-46390">drought and frost led to crop failures and food shortages</a>. Staple sweet potato crops in the highlands were severely damaged by August frosts - the result of El Niño reducing night-time cloud cover - which also destroyed wild plants that are usually eaten as a backup source of food.</p><p>Vanuatu, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tonga experienced <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/12/14/el-nino-warning-bells-ringing-oxfam">worsening drought</a>. Islands closer to the Equator such as Kiribati and Tuvalu had intense rain causing flooding, as well as higher sea levels due to warmer waters and weaker trade winds.</p><h2>Asia</h2><p>In the Philippines, drought was declared in 85% of provinces. Indonesia experienced its worst drought in 18 years. <a href="https://theconversation.com/indonesia-fires-threaten-to-send-even-modest-climate-ambitions-up-in-smoke-49155">Forest fires caused poor air quality</a> over vast neighbouring areas including Singapore, Malaysia, southern Thailand and the southern Philippines.</p><p>In the Mekong Basin, delayed monsoon rains reduced rice production, with significant reductions in Vietnam. In Thailand, severe water shortages led to water rationing and delayed rice planting. The Thai government <a href="http://time.com/3960462/thailand-drought/">lowered its forecast for rice exports</a> by two million tonnes. This led to some African countries increasing their imports, fearing a price rise.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-28/malaysian-palm-oil-production-to-worsen-on-el-nino-mistry-says">Palm oil prices rose</a> as supplies became limited due to drought in Malaysia and Indonesia. In April 2016, a heatwave set national temperature records for Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.</p><p>Northern parts of China experienced drought in 2015. Heavy rainfall in southern China persisted through the second half of 2015, with flooding and landslides recorded along the Yangtze River Valley. China's December-to-February rainfall was approximately 50% above normal. In May 2016, heavy rain caused <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1949392/torrential-rains-claim-eight-lives-southern-chinas-guangdong">flooding and landslides in China's Guangdong province</a>.</p><p>In India, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-03/india-is-suffering-one-of-its-worst-droughts-in-decades">below-average monsoon rains</a> in June to September led to reduced rice, corn, cotton and sugar output in 2015. Below-average rainfall between October and December also affected India's wheat harvest. Major water shortages emerged in some areas, including Mumbai - the result of two years of failed rains.</p><p>Indian Premier League cricket matches were relocated from Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur due to water restrictions. Record heat affected the north and west of the country in May, setting a <a href="http://reliefweb.int/report/india/india-sets-new-heat-record-temperatures-soar">new national record of 51?</a> in Phalodi.</p><p>Conversely, some <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/12/10/before-and-after-satellite-imagery-of-the-historic-flooding-in-chennai-india/">southern parts of India had exceptionally wet conditions</a>, with record-breaking rains and widespread flooding in Chennai in November and December. The city received over 300mm of rainfall on December 1, 2015; the wettest day in more than a century.</p><h2>South and Central America</h2><p>Peru experienced widespread flooding and mudslides in early 2016, with heavy rain leaving more than 5,000 people homeless. In Ecuador, flooding and landslides damaged properties and affected shrimp production.</p><p>More than 150,000 people were evacuated from <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35184793">flooded areas in Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina</a> in December 2015. Some experts have linked El Niño flooding to outbreaks of <a href="http://who.int/hac/crises/el-nino/22february2016/en/">mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika virus</a>.</p><p>In January 2016, Argentina experienced its worst locust plague since 1954, following heavy rains and warm temperatures. Heavy rains returned to Argentina and Paraguay in April 2016, causing large agricultural losses.</p><p>In contrast, <a href="http://latincorrespondent.com/2016/02/el-nino-wreaks-havoc-in-colombia/">Colombia experienced drought and forest fires</a>, which caused severe damage to crops and pushed up food prices, leading to malnutrition in some areas. In November 2015, the United Nations warned that 2.3 million people would need food aid in Central America.</p><p>The Caribbean also experienced drought; Cuba had its most severe dry season in 115 years; Barbados, Dominica, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Antigua, Barbuda and Saint Lucia experienced water shortages, with the latter declaring a national emergency. The Dominican Republic experienced serious agricultural losses.</p><p>Brazil had a particularly high number of forest fires during 2015, exacerbated by ongoing drought conditions in the Amazon region. Drought in Brazil and Colombia (and Indonesia) meant <a href="https://weather.com/science/environment/news/el-nino-weather-damages-coffee-crops">coffee prices soared</a> as dry conditions affected all the major coffee-producing countries.</p><p>In contrast, excess rain in northeast Brazil flooded crops, leading to rises in the sugar price worldwide.</p><h2>North America</h2><p>In California, many hoped that El Niño would bring relief from five years of drought. But despite some regions getting heavy rain more typical of El Niño, leading to mudslides, El Niño failed to end the long-term dry.</p><p>In the southeast and south-central United States, rainfall was above normal. Major flooding occurred along the Mississippi River. Missouri received three times its normal rainfall during November and December 2015.</p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-17/crabs-carpet-california-beaches/7420956">Warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures</a> offshore meant warm water species such as sea snakes, red tuna crabs and hammerhead sharks were found on Californian beaches.</p><p><em>For information on the current and forecast state of ENSO, keep an eye on <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/">the Bureau's ENSO Wrap-Up</a>.</em></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/imageundefined" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></div></div></div></div><p><span><a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/alison-cook-269168">Alison Cook</a>, Climatologist, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-bureau-of-meteorology">Australian Bureau of Meteorology</a></em>; <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-b-watkins-2818">Andrew B. Watkins</a>, Manager of Climate Prediction Services, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-bureau-of-meteorology">Australian Bureau of Meteorology</a></em>; <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/blair-trewin-3692">Blair Trewin</a>, Climatologist, National Climate Centre, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-bureau-of-meteorology">Australian Bureau of Meteorology</a></em>, and <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/catherine-ganter-259928">Catherine Ganter</a>, Senior Climatologist, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-bureau-of-meteorology">Australian Bureau of Meteorology</a></em></span></p><p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/el-nino-is-over-but-has-left-its-mark-across-the-world-59993">original article</a>.</p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/imageundefined" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></div></div></div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/weather-system-in-a-box-2016-3">This is a weather system in a box</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="E0dTNpMTE6pr_yrk_cImaAg0baJy6XE7" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'E0dTNpMTE6pr_yrk_cImaAg0baJy6XE7',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

You Searched For "west coast of tasmania" and got 6 results

At least 270 pilot whales are stranded at sandbanks in Australia — and a third of them have already died

Preeti Soni

Almost 200 whales have died on a beach in Tasmania, and one photo shows the scale of the mass stranding

Marielle Descalsota

Earth’s Black Box will record every conversation and step taken on climate change for future generations to see

Marcia Sekhose

In Australia, several stranded pilot whales will be euthanised as it is "the most humane thing to do"

IANS

Photos show the tragic mass stranding event the killed a super pod of 200 whales in Australia

Bethany Dawson

El Nino is over - but its impacts are still being felt across the globe

Alison Cook and Andrew B. Watkins and Blair Trewin and Catherine Ganter