Faster disaster: Climate change fuels ‘flash droughts’, intense downpours and storms

After the northern summer of extreme heat and disastrous fires, we’ve seen more exceptional autumn weather over Europe with record-breaking heat in the UK. Meanwhile, record-breaking rain and intense…Continue readingFaster disaster: Climate change fuels ‘flash droughts’, intense downpours and storms

International report confirms record-high greenhouse gases, global sea levels in 2022

Greenhouse gas concentrations, global sea level and ocean heat content reached record highs in 2022, according to the 33rd annual State of the Climate report. “People are causing the…Continue readingInternational report confirms record-high greenhouse gases, global sea levels in 2022

Pace of increase in CO₂ concentration has increased three-fold

The pace at which the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has jumped three-fold in five decades. Annual growth in global mean carbon dioxide averaged across the last decade…Continue readingPace of increase in CO₂ concentration has increased three-fold

Roads turned into rivers as torrential rains lash Spain

At least three people have died and two are missing in Spain after heavy rains triggered flash floods and impacted transportation systems. The weekend storm affected almost the whole…Continue readingRoads turned into rivers as torrential rains lash Spain

Louisiana sees ‘unprecedented’ wildfires amid record heat, drought

More than 450 fires have scorched parts of Louisiana amid weeks of record-breaking heat and severe drought conditions. The Tiger Island Fire, the largest wildfire in the state’s history,…Continue readingLouisiana sees ‘unprecedented’ wildfires amid record heat, drought

Tenerife: thousands more flee their homes as ‘out of ‘control’ wildfires rage

The regional government for the Canary Islands said that 4,000 more people were ordered to evacuate on Saturday. Those were in addition to the 4,500 people who on Friday…Continue readingTenerife: thousands more flee their homes as ‘out of ‘control’ wildfires rage

‘No more water’: Iraq drought claims lakeside resort

Iraqi merchant Mohamed has never seen such a grim tourist season: years of drought have shrunken the majestic Lake Habbaniyah, keeping away the holidaymakers who once flocked there during…Continue reading‘No more water’: Iraq drought claims lakeside resort

Drought-hit Panama Canal must ‘adapt or die’ as water levels drop

The canal relies on rainwater to move ships through a series of locks that function like water elevators, raising the vessels up and over the continent between the Atlantic…Continue readingDrought-hit Panama Canal must ‘adapt or die’ as water levels drop

Climatologist warns of Italy’s vulnerability to climate crisis

The collapse of a glacier in the Dolomites and a landslide on the island of Ischia. Devastating floods, wildfires and record-breaking heatwaves. The worst drought of the Po, Italy’s…Continue readingClimatologist warns of Italy’s vulnerability to climate crisis

Spain worries over ‘lifeless land’ amid creeping desertification

Ongoing droughts and an over-exploitation of land for both agriculture and industry have stoked fears in Spain over the creeping spread of “sterile soil” which could devastate Europe’s kitchen…Continue readingSpain worries over ‘lifeless land’ amid creeping desertification

Colorado River Basin megadrought caused by massive 86% decline in snowpack runoff

The Colorado River Basin provides freshwater to more than 40 million people within the semi-arid southwestern United States, including major cities such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles. However,…Continue readingColorado River Basin megadrought caused by massive 86% decline in snowpack runoff

Last week the hottest worldwide on record: UN

“The world just had the hottest week on record, according to preliminary data,” the WMO said in a statement, after climate change and the early stages of the El…Continue readingLast week the hottest worldwide on record: UN

Central US is now getting worst of the drought. Corn crops are stressed, rivers are running low

Experts say the drought in the central U.S. is the worst since at least 2012, and in some areas, is drawing comparisons to the 1988 drought that devastated corn,…Continue readingCentral US is now getting worst of the drought. Corn crops are stressed, rivers are running low

France badly hit by climate change and ill-prepared

France is being badly hit by climate change, is not prepared for its effects and is failing to sufficiently reduce its emissions, an independent climate body warned. The record…Continue readingFrance badly hit by climate change and ill-prepared

Iraq’s oil boom blamed for worsening water crisis in drought-hit south

To help extract oil, companies pump large quantities of water into the ground. For each barrel of oil, many of which are later exported to Europe, up to three…Continue readingIraq’s oil boom blamed for worsening water crisis in drought-hit south

Global warming made Horn of Africa drought possible: WWA study

The drought that has left some 4.35 million people in the Horn of Africa in dire need of humanitarian aid – with 43,000 in Somalia estimated to have died…Continue readingGlobal warming made Horn of Africa drought possible: WWA study

“Buckle up. More extreme events are expected,” says head of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The United States is Earth’s punching bag for nasty weather. Blame geography for the U.S. getting hit by stronger, costlier, more varied and frequent extreme weather than anywhere on…Continue reading“Buckle up. More extreme events are expected,” says head of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Drought caused 43,000 ‘excess deaths’ in Somalia last year, half of them young children

A new report released by the Somalian government suggests that far more children died in the country last year due to the ongoing drought than previously realised. Half of…Continue readingDrought caused 43,000 ‘excess deaths’ in Somalia last year, half of them young children

Confirmed: Global floods, droughts worsening with warming

Continue readingConfirmed: Global floods, droughts worsening with warming

California downpours won’t fix decades of drought: scientists

Continue readingCalifornia downpours won’t fix decades of drought: scientists

Horror of a hotter world on stark display in parched East Africa

Vast tracts of countryside transformed into barren wasteland, decimated crops and animal herds and children dying of starvation. The grim reality confronting drought-stricken east Africa is a frightening portent…Continue readingHorror of a hotter world on stark display in parched East Africa

Why scientists are using the word scary over the climate crisis

More and more scientists are now admitting publicly that they are scared by the recent climate extremes, such as the floods in Pakistan and west Africa, the droughts and…Continue readingWhy scientists are using the word scary over the climate crisis

Nearly 82% of the U.S. is facing troubling drought conditions

Severe to exceptional drought conditions remain common in the West, which has been battling its driest period in the past 1,200 years. But the drought is now far more…Continue readingNearly 82% of the U.S. is facing troubling drought conditions

2022 droughts ‘virtually impossible without climate change’, study finds

Human-driven climate change made the droughts that gripped large swaths of Europe, China and North America this year at least 20 times more likely, an international group of scientists…Continue reading2022 droughts ‘virtually impossible without climate change’, study finds

Cradle of civilisation dying

It was the river that is said to have watered the biblical Garden of Eden and helped give birth to civilisation itself. The Tigris’s course through Iraq begins in…Continue readingCradle of civilisation dying

Image: UK heat wave

This summer, heat waves struck Europe, North Africa, the U.S. and Asia with temperatures reaching over 40°C in places—breaking many long-standing records. Images from the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission show…Continue readingImage: UK heat wave

‘Like a waterfall’: deadly Italian storms spark climate debate

At least 10 people died and 4 were missing after an extraordinary thunderstorm sparked major flooding in central Italy. Prime Minister Mario Draghi confirmed the toll, while saying it…Continue reading‘Like a waterfall’: deadly Italian storms spark climate debate

Why East Africa’s Facing Its Worst Famine in Decades

A humanitarian disaster is unfolding in the Horn of Africa, which is in the grip of its worst drought in at least four decades. More than 20 million people…Continue readingWhy East Africa’s Facing Its Worst Famine in Decades

Megadrought in the American south-west: a climate disaster unseen in 1,200 years

Caption for figure above: Grid-cell specific rankings of 22-yr negative soil moisture anomalies (drought rank) in 2000–2021 compared to the driest 22-yr period in each previous drought event back…Continue readingMegadrought in the American south-west: a climate disaster unseen in 1,200 years

China reports ‘most severe’ heatwave and third driest summer on record

China recorded its highest temperatures and one of its lowest levels of rainfall in 61 years during a two-month summer heatwave. The average national temperature in August, 22.4˚C, was…Continue readingChina reports ‘most severe’ heatwave and third driest summer on record

Warming of up to 5°C in this century projected for the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East

Unprecedented and societally disruptive extreme weather events, including heat waves, droughts, dust storms and torrential rains, will soon become a reality unless immediate, ambitious, and transboundary climate action is…Continue readingWarming of up to 5°C in this century projected for the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East

Climate migrants flee Iraq’s parched rural south, but cities offer no refuge

The UN describes Iraq as the fifth-most-vulnerable country to climate change. Temperatures have increased by 1.8˚C (3.2˚F) in three decades, well above the global average, and in the summers,…Continue readingClimate migrants flee Iraq’s parched rural south, but cities offer no refuge

Boiling heat and no water: taps run dry in southern Iraq

Iraq is known in Arabic as the Land of the Two Rivers, but it has seen water levels on the once mighty Tigris and Euphrates plummet. The Euphrates, which…Continue readingBoiling heat and no water: taps run dry in southern Iraq

Europe facing its worst drought for 500 years

47% of Europe is undergoing warning conditions, as moisture in the soil dries out and 17% of the region is on a state of alert as vegetation is affected.…Continue readingEurope facing its worst drought for 500 years

Heatwave in China is the most severe ever recorded in the world

People in large parts of China have been experiencing two months of extreme heat. Hundreds of places have reported temperatures of more than 40°C (104°F), and many records have…Continue readingHeatwave in China is the most severe ever recorded in the world

Droughts push China towards coal power

Despite enviable earnings, shares of Three Gorges Renewables are down 15% this year and trade at 20 times forward earnings, half the level of a year ago. Strict policy…Continue readingDroughts push China towards coal power

Iraq’s Garden of Eden now ‘like a desert’

The reputed home of the biblical Garden of Eden, Iraq’s swamplands have been battered by 3 years of drought and low rainfall, as well as reduced water flows along…Continue readingIraq’s Garden of Eden now ‘like a desert’

Drought tightens its grip on Morocco

No longer having access to potable running water, the villagers of Ouled Essi Masseoud rely solely on sporadic supplies in public fountains and from private wells. “The fountains work…Continue readingDrought tightens its grip on Morocco

‘The new normal’: how Europe is being hit by a climate-driven drought crisis

Europe’s most severe drought in decades is hitting homes, factories, farmers and freight across the continent, as experts warn drier winters and searing summers fuelled by global heating mean…Continue reading‘The new normal’: how Europe is being hit by a climate-driven drought crisis

Battered by climate change, Latin America must brace for worse

In its State of the Climate report for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) for 2021, the WMO said ecosystems, food and water, human health and welfare were all…Continue readingBattered by climate change, Latin America must brace for worse

Humanity faces ‘collective suicide’

Wildfires and heatwaves wreaking havoc across swathes of the globe show humanity facing “collective suicide”, the UN secretary general has warned. António Guterres told ministers from 40 countries meeting…Continue readingHumanity faces ‘collective suicide’

‘Everything is dry’- The droughts putting Kenya’s herding cultures at risk

Kenya’s remote Marsabit County, in the far north near the border with Ethiopia, is the land of pastoralists. The region has been dubbed the “Cradle of Mankind” – Kenya…Continue reading‘Everything is dry’- The droughts putting Kenya’s herding cultures at risk

Scientists rush to save 1,000-year-old trees on the brink of death

No organism on Earth is known to live as long as the Great Basin bristlecone pine. The oldest documented tree, a well-hidden specimen nicknamed “Methuselah,” after the long-lived biblical…Continue readingScientists rush to save 1,000-year-old trees on the brink of death

Italy declares state of emergency in five regions over drought

Italy is facing an unusually early heatwave and a lack of rainfall, particularly in the northern agricultural Po valley, which has been hit by its worst drought in decades.…Continue readingItaly declares state of emergency in five regions over drought

Spain and Portugal suffering driest climate for 1,200 years

Most rain on the Iberian peninsula (most of Spain and Portugal, as well as a small area of Southern France, Andorra, and Gibraltar) falls in winter as wet, low-pressure…Continue readingSpain and Portugal suffering driest climate for 1,200 years

Forest Service says it failed to account for climate change in New Mexico blaze

When the U.S. Forest Service started an intentional fire in the Santa Fe National Forest in early April, the aim was to reduce the risk of a destructive blaze.…Continue readingForest Service says it failed to account for climate change in New Mexico blaze

Systematic warming pool discovered in the Pacific due to human activities

In a study just released in the journal Communications Earth and Environment, Dr. Armineh Barkhordarian confirms that this systematic warming pool is not the result of natural climatic variations—but…Continue readingSystematic warming pool discovered in the Pacific due to human activities

Niger is in the eye of the climate crisis – and children are starving

Niger is on the frontline of the climate crisis. Increasingly erratic rainfall and longer dry seasons mean that many parts of the country have not had a good harvest…Continue readingNiger is in the eye of the climate crisis – and children are starving

Spain, Germany battle wildfires amid unusual heatwave in Europe

Firefighters in Spain and Germany are struggling to contain wildfires amid a heatwave in Western Europe, unusual for this time of year. The worst damage in Spain has been…Continue readingSpain, Germany battle wildfires amid unusual heatwave in Europe

Europe’s five hottest summers since 1500

In just more than two decades, the continent has experienced its five hottest summers since 1500. 2021: Hottest ever Last year was Europe’s hottest summer on record. Greece endured…Continue readingEurope’s five hottest summers since 1500

These maps illustrate the seriousness of the western drought in the U.S.

The historic drought in the western United States is about to get worse. Much of the West is already experiencing severe to exceptional drought, but scorching summer temperatures will…Continue readingThese maps illustrate the seriousness of the western drought in the U.S.

Iraq swept by tenth sandstorm in weeks

Iraq temporarily closed Baghdad airport Monday as choking clouds of dust blanketed the capital, the latest crippling sandstorm in a country that has warned climate change poses an “existential…Continue readingIraq swept by tenth sandstorm in weeks

97% of Portugal in severe drought

Almost the whole of Portugal was in severe drought at the end of May. The month of May was the hottest in the southern European country for the last…Continue reading97% of Portugal in severe drought

Climate change ravages Iraq as palm trees make way for desert

Basra, Iraq – Southern Iraq was once known as the “black land” – the vast swaths of palm trees blocking out everything else, and providing food, shelter, and shade.…Continue readingClimate change ravages Iraq as palm trees make way for desert

In India, waiting for the monsoon

The summer monsoon, which typically arrives in June and continues till September, is life and livelihood. More than 75% of India’s annual rainfall occurs during this period. Monsoon rains…Continue readingIn India, waiting for the monsoon

Mideast sandstorms snarl traffic, close schools, harm health

Sandstorms across the Middle East have delayed flights, closed schools and hospitalised thousands—a phenomenon experts say could worsen as climate change warps regional weather patterns. The Middle East has…Continue readingMideast sandstorms snarl traffic, close schools, harm health

Extreme temperatures compound poverty in Pakistan’s hottest city

Jacobabad in Pakistan’s arid Sindh province is in the grip of the latest heatwave to hit South Asia—peaking at 51˚C (124˚F). Canals in the city—a vital source of irrigation…Continue readingExtreme temperatures compound poverty in Pakistan’s hottest city

Pakistan city hits nearly 50˚C (122˚F) as blistering heatwave grips nation

Pakistan is in the grip of a blistering heatwave, with parts of the nation already scorched by temperatures of nearly 50˚C (122˚F) as officials warn of acute water shortages…Continue readingPakistan city hits nearly 50˚C (122˚F) as blistering heatwave grips nation

World ‘at a crossroads’ in management of droughts, up 29% in a generation and worsening, reports the UN

Humanity is “at a crossroads” when it comes to managing drought and accelerating mitigation must be done “urgently, using every tool we can,” says a new report from the…Continue readingWorld ‘at a crossroads’ in management of droughts, up 29% in a generation and worsening, reports the UN

Facing a new climate reality, Southern California lawns could wither

The relentless dry spell that is withering the American West is steadily warping normal life. Major reservoirs have baked down to record lows and are still dropping, threatening the…Continue readingFacing a new climate reality, Southern California lawns could wither