Tornadoes, high winds, blinding dust storms, floods, fast-moving wildfires — U.S. states from Pennsylvania to Texas to Missouri endured near-apocalyptic weather last weekend.

More than 40 people died. Hundreds of homes were destroyed in the fires and tornadoes. Hundreds of thousands remained without power into Monday.

Although storms are not uncommon in the U.S. in March, climate change has intensified and broadened their extent and impacts.

The irony is extreme.

In one of his first acts upon regaining the presidency, Donald Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.

Since January, he and his people have also cut funding for U.S. government departments responsible for the environment, climate, and monitoring and forecasting weather, as well as the federal agency that helps communities prepare for and respond to disasters and mitigate risk.

Adopted by nearly 200 countries, the Paris Agreement came into force in late 2016. World leaders pledged to try to prevent global temperatures rising by more than 1.5 degrees C above those of the late 19th century — known as “pre-industrial” levels — by reducing greenhouse........

© Times Colonist