In Mongolia, a Killer Winter Is Ravaging Herds and a Way of Life

The temperature was minus 45 degrees F when Uuganaa, a 27-year-old nomad with a wife and two children, woke to the howling winds outside his “ger,” a felt-covered traditional…Continue readingIn Mongolia, a Killer Winter Is Ravaging Herds and a Way of Life

Morocco winter breaks heat records

In January, the average temperature hit a record, “exceeding 3.8C (38.8F) above normal for the period 1991-2020,” said Houcine Youaabed, the head of communications for the meteorological department. It…Continue readingMorocco winter breaks heat records

Lack of rain leaves Italy gasping

A blanket of smog covers Milan, empty reservoirs bake in Sicily and wine production is down in Piedmont as a lack of rain across Italy exacerbates pollution and sparks…Continue readingLack of rain leaves Italy gasping

What will Spain look like when it runs out of water? Barcelona is giving us a glimpse

The European Drought Observatory’s map of current droughts in Europe shows the entire Spanish Mediterranean coast in bad shape, with red areas indicating an alert similar to those in…Continue readingWhat will Spain look like when it runs out of water? Barcelona is giving us a glimpse

Amazon rainforest at a critical threshold: Loss of forest worsens climate change

The Amazon rainforest could approach a tipping point, which could lead to a large-scale collapse with serious implications for the global climate system. A new Nature study by an…Continue readingAmazon rainforest at a critical threshold: Loss of forest worsens climate change

What’s causing the Amazon’s ongoing record drought?

The devastating drought in the Amazon River Basin that reported in October has continued into Northern Hemisphere winter, which is the heart of the wet season in the southern…Continue readingWhat’s causing the Amazon’s ongoing record drought?

Atlantic Ocean circulation nearing ‘devastating’ tipping point

AMOC, which encompasses part of the Gulf Stream and other powerful currents, is a marine conveyer belt that carries heat, carbon and nutrients from the tropics towards the Arctic…Continue readingAtlantic Ocean circulation nearing ‘devastating’ tipping point

US West’s ‘hot drought’ is unprecedented in more than 500 years

There’s no precedent in at least five centuries for how hot and dry the West has been in the last two decades, new research asserts using analysis of tree…Continue readingUS West’s ‘hot drought’ is unprecedented in more than 500 years

Devastating drought in Amazon result of climate crisis

The climate crisis turned the drought that struck the Amazon rainforest in 2023 into a devastating event, a study has found. The drought was the worst recorded in many…Continue readingDevastating drought in Amazon result of climate crisis

Heavens remain shut over Catalonia as three-year drought persists

Rainfall has been lower than the average in Catalonia for the past three years, with the drought lasting more than twice as long as the previous dry spell of…Continue readingHeavens remain shut over Catalonia as three-year drought persists

‘Everything is dead’: How record drought is wreaking havoc on the Amazon

Hundreds of thousands of people rely on the Amazon’s rivers and streams for food, transportation and income. But the historically low water levels have forced residents to reimagine their…Continue reading‘Everything is dead’: How record drought is wreaking havoc on the Amazon

‘End of century’ extreme heat and drought conditions in Europe could occur much earlier than previously thought

Simultaneous episodes of extreme heat and drought could occur earlier and repeatedly in Europe, reports a study published in Communications Earth & Environment. Laura Suarez-Gutierrez and colleagues investigated how…Continue reading‘End of century’ extreme heat and drought conditions in Europe could occur much earlier than previously thought

Horn of Africa floods displace more than two million, inp

More than two million people across the Horn of Africa have been forced from their homes by torrential rains and floods, according to an AFP tally compiled Thursday from…Continue readingHorn of Africa floods displace more than two million, inp

Extreme drought in northern Italy mirrors climate in Ethiopia

Extreme drought in northern Italy has doubled over the past two decades, creating a climate that increasingly mirrors that of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. The southern Shabelle…Continue readingExtreme drought in northern Italy mirrors climate in Ethiopia

Human-caused heating behind extreme droughts in Syria, Iraq and Iran

Extreme droughts that have wrecked the lives of millions of people in Syria, Iraq and Iran since 2020 would not have happened without human-caused global heating, a study has…Continue readingHuman-caused heating behind extreme droughts in Syria, Iraq and Iran

‘Everything is parched’: Amazon struggles with drought amid deforestation

October, November and December are usually a period of transition. By now, the dry season would normally have peaked, and rivers and aquifers would start to replenish. But the…Continue reading‘Everything is parched’: Amazon struggles with drought amid deforestation

When Idiot Savants Do Climate Economics

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has assumed Nordhaus is to be trusted. The integrated assessment models used at the IPCC are based on Nordhausian visions of adaptation to…Continue readingWhen Idiot Savants Do Climate Economics

The mighty Mississippi, America’s water highway, is dangerously low

From the Great Lakes in the north to Louisiana in the south, the majestic Mississippi is a shadow of its former self. For the second straight year, water levels…Continue readingThe mighty Mississippi, America’s water highway, is dangerously low

Drought turns Amazonian capital into climate dystopia

A withering drought has turned the Amazonian capital of Manaus into a climate dystopia with the second worst air quality in the world and rivers at the lowest levels…Continue readingDrought turns Amazonian capital into climate dystopia

Water level at Amazon port in Brazil hits lowest point in 121 years amid drought

The water level at a major river port in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has hit its lowest point in at least 121 years, as a historic drought upends the lives…Continue readingWater level at Amazon port in Brazil hits lowest point in 121 years amid drought

Toxic storms blamed on climate change cloud Tajikistan

The air was dry and warm and the skies over Dushanbe were gray without a hint of sun during another recent toxic sand storm that enveloped the capital of…Continue readingToxic storms blamed on climate change cloud Tajikistan

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