Japan swelters in hottest temperatures for 150 years as early heatwave hits Northern Hemisphere

China's Weather Modification Program Aims to Replenish Shrinking Yangtze River

China's Weather Modification Program, Aims to Replenish , Shrinking Yangtze River. CNN reports that Chinese planes are firing silver iodide rods into the sky to produce more rain over the crucial Yangtze River. . On August 17, the Ministry of Water Resources said that drought in the Yangtze River basin was , "adversely affecting drinking water security of rural people and livestock, and the growth of crops.". On August 17, the Ministry of Water Resources said that drought in the Yangtze River basin was , "adversely affecting drinking water security of rural people and livestock, and the growth of crops.". CNN reports that many areas of China are grappling with the worst heat wave on record causing droughts across the nation. . Several regions have reportedly launched weather modification programs to induce rainfall, including central China's Hubei province. . According to Hubei's Provincial Emergency Management Department, at least 4.2 million people in Hubei have been impacted by drought since June. As a result of high temperatures and drought, over 150,000 people have limited access to drinking water and almost 400,000 hectares of crops have been damaged. CNN reports that the Yangtze is just one of many major water sources that are drying up or shrinking in the northern hemisphere. Amid record-high temperatures and limited rainfall, both Lake Mead in the United States and the Rhine River in Germany are experiencing alarmingly low water levels. Amid record-high temperatures and limited rainfall, both Lake Mead in the United States and the Rhine River in Germany are experiencing alarmingly low water levels. On August 17, China issued its highest red alert heat warning in at least 138 cities and counties. . According to the Meteorological Administration, , another 373 were placed under the second-highest orange alert

Global Governments Bracing for Future Waves of COVID Variants

Global Governments , Bracing for Future Waves , of COVID Variants. Fox reports that governments and populations alike are bracing as the third winter of the coronavirus pandemic looms for the northern hemisphere. Chris Murray, head of the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), warns that there could be up to a million new infections a day in the United States alone. . With nearly no masking or social distancing restrictions in place, the United Kingdom and Europe predicts a series of COVID waves. Experts say that while cases may surge again in the coming season, deaths and hospitalizations are unlikely to rise as sharply. The people who are at greatest risk are those who have never seen the virus, and there's almost nobody left, Chris Murray, head of the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via Fox. According to Fox, these predictions raise new questions regarding when the COVID pandemic will finally end and enter a state of endemic disease. Many experts predicted that transition would occur early in 2022, however the emergence of the omicron variant derailed those forecasts. Anyone who says they can predict the future of this pandemic is either overconfident or lying, David Dowdy, Infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The World Health Organization warns that each country will need to approach new waves of COVID with all the means at their disposal. This includes everything from vaccinations to interventions, such as social distancing or masking protocols and broad testing.