The climate disaster strikes: what the data say

A climate assessment report published in November 2022 by the Centre for Science and Environment, a public-interest research and advocacy organization based in New Delhi, analysed the first nine…Continue readingThe climate disaster strikes: what the data say

The overshoot myth: you can’t keep burning fossil fuels and expect scientists of the future to get us back to 1.5°C

The time has come to accept that climate policy has failed, and that the 2015 landmark Paris agreement is dead. We let it die by pretending that we could…Continue readingThe overshoot myth: you can’t keep burning fossil fuels and expect scientists of the future to get us back to 1.5°C

Earth at risk: An urgent call to end the age of destruction and forge a just & sustainable future

A world where global mean surface temperature has increased 3°C will be characterized by widespread and intense heat stress, extreme weather events, ruptured and unproductive marine and terrestrial ecosystems,…Continue readingEarth at risk: An urgent call to end the age of destruction and forge a just & sustainable future

China sees highest number of significant floods since records began

Halfway through the peak flood season, China has already experienced the highest number of significant floods since record keeping began in 1998, and the hottest July since 1961, authorities…Continue readingChina sees highest number of significant floods since records began

30 dead, dozens missing after torrential rain in central China

Torrential rains in China have killed at least 30 people and left dozens more missing, state media said Thursday, as the country grinds through another summer of extreme weather.…Continue reading30 dead, dozens missing after torrential rain in central China

‘Apocalyptic’ floods in Vermont destroy homes as two dozen rescued by boat

Thunderstorms and torrential rain brought another wave of violent floods Tuesday that caved in roads, crushed vehicles, pushed homes off their foundations and led to dramatic boat rescues in…Continue reading‘Apocalyptic’ floods in Vermont destroy homes as two dozen rescued by boat

Manila is reeling after a super typhoon—we must prepare fast-growing megacities for worsening disasters

Last week, a strong typhoon left a trail of destruction across the Philippines, Taiwan and China. Super Typhoon Gaemi began as a tropical storm but intensified rapidly, leaving at…Continue readingManila is reeling after a super typhoon—we must prepare fast-growing megacities for worsening disasters

Record-breaking rainfalls hit cities in C.China’s Henan

Central China’s Henan Province has become ground zero for an ongoing deluge of rain that has hit the area stretching from Sichuan Basin to Huanghuai region, with multiple parts…Continue readingRecord-breaking rainfalls hit cities in C.China’s Henan

Flash floods across China kill at least 20, dozens missing

Flash floods in northern and southwest China have killed at least 20 people and left dozens missing, state media said Saturday, after a week of deadly downpours across the…Continue readingFlash floods across China kill at least 20, dozens missing

Heavy rain in Switzerland and Italy causes flooding

Flash flooding and landslides swept away cars and houses, with at least one person known to have died, alongside widespread damage to transport infrastructure. Unsettled conditions persisted around the…Continue readingHeavy rain in Switzerland and Italy causes flooding

New tipping point discovered beneath the Antarctic ice sheet

A new and worrying way that large ice sheets can melt has been characterized by scientists for the first time. The research focuses on how relatively warm seawater can…Continue readingNew tipping point discovered beneath the Antarctic ice sheet

Remember they said Miami would be under water? A preview of the future

Local sea level has risen about a foot in the last 80 years, with 8 inches of that total in the last 30 years, the Herald reported in May.…Continue readingRemember they said Miami would be under water? A preview of the future

Sea swamps Bangladesh at one of world’s fastest rates

Government scientists say rising seas driven by climate change are drowning Bangladesh’s densely populated coast at one of the fastest global rates, and at least a million people on…Continue readingSea swamps Bangladesh at one of world’s fastest rates

Extreme weather events do not increase political parties’ environmental attention

Exposure to extreme weather events can make people more aware of environmental changes; however, it remains unclear how such events influence politicians’ behaviour. Combining supervised learning algorithms on over…Continue readingExtreme weather events do not increase political parties’ environmental attention

Deadly Bangladesh cyclone one of longest seen

Bangladeshi weather experts said Tuesday that a deadly cyclone that carved a swath of destruction was one of the quickest-forming and longest-lasting they’d experienced, blaming climate change for the…Continue readingDeadly Bangladesh cyclone one of longest seen

Submerged homes, heat waves fuel Mexico climate angst

Waves wash over abandoned homes in a Mexican village slowly being swallowed by the sea—a symbol of the climate change effects being felt by the major fossil fuel producer.…Continue readingSubmerged homes, heat waves fuel Mexico climate angst

‘Never-ending’ UK rain made 10 times more likely by climate crisis, study says

The seemingly “never-ending” rain last autumn and winter in the UK and Ireland was made 10 times more likely and 20% wetter by human-caused global heating, a study has…Continue reading‘Never-ending’ UK rain made 10 times more likely by climate crisis, study says

Sea levels are starting to rise faster: Here’s how much South Florida is expecting

In the last 80 years, sea level rise has risen about a foot, with 8 inches of that total in the last 30 years, said Brian McNoldy, a senior…Continue readingSea levels are starting to rise faster: Here’s how much South Florida is expecting

Disease and hunger soar in Latin America after floods and drought, study finds

Hunger and disease are rising in Latin America after a year of record heat, floods and drought, a report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has shown. The continent,…Continue readingDisease and hunger soar in Latin America after floods and drought, study finds

Record-breaking increase in CO2 levels in world’s atmosphere

The largest ever recorded leap in the amount of carbon dioxide laden in the world’s atmosphere has just occurred, according to researchers who monitor the relentless accumulation of the…Continue readingRecord-breaking increase in CO2 levels in world’s atmosphere

World’s top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5˚C target

Hundreds of the world’s leading climate scientists expect global temperatures to rise to at least 2.5˚C (4.5˚F) above preindustrial levels this century. Almost 80% of the respondents, all from…Continue readingWorld’s top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5˚C target

‘Hopeless and broken’: why the world’s top climate scientists are in despair

The climate emergency is already here. Even just 1˚C of heating has supercharged the planet’s extreme weather, delivering searing heatwaves from the US to Europe to China that would…Continue reading‘Hopeless and broken’: why the world’s top climate scientists are in despair

Pakistan records ‘wettest April’ in more than 60 years

Pakistan has experienced its “wettest April since 1961”, receiving more than twice as much rain as usual for the month, the country’s weather agency has said. April rainfall was…Continue readingPakistan records ‘wettest April’ in more than 60 years

‘It’s going to be worse’: Brazil braces for more pain amid record flooding

Overpowering floods and mudslides caused by torrential rains are continuing to sweep southern Brazil, killing at least 56 people and forcing tens of thousands out of their homes, the…Continue reading‘It’s going to be worse’: Brazil braces for more pain amid record flooding

What’s driving California’s extreme weather?

California in North America has ended up being at the frontline of the climate crisis in recent years, lurching between extreme drought and excessive rain. To understand what might…Continue readingWhat’s driving California’s extreme weather?

Lightning, downpours kill 65 in Pakistan, as April rain doubles historical average

At least 65 people have died in storm-related incidents including lightning in Pakistan, officials said, with rain so far in April falling at nearly twice the historical average rate.…Continue readingLightning, downpours kill 65 in Pakistan, as April rain doubles historical average

Dubai reels from floods chaos after record rains

Huge tailbacks snaked along six-lane expressways after up to 254 millimeters of rain—about two years’ worth—fell on the desert United Arab Emirates on Tuesday. The storms hit the UAE…Continue readingDubai reels from floods chaos after record rains

Colombia’s Caribbean jewel slowly sinking as sea waters rise

A skeleton lies exposed to the elements as turquoise Caribbean waters lap the shores near a shattered tomb—a grisly reminder that the Colombian city of Cartagena is slowly being…Continue readingColombia’s Caribbean jewel slowly sinking as sea waters rise

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

The Sundarbans dilemma: Islands swallowed by water, and nowhere else to go

Located in West Bengal state in eastern India and neighbouring Bangladesh, the Sundarbans forest system is a cluster of low-lying islands and represents the largest mangrove ecosystem in the…Continue readingThe Sundarbans dilemma: Islands swallowed by water, and nowhere else to go

Climate crisis to increase cancer risk for tens of millions of people in Bangladesh

“Chronic arsenic poisoning from drinking water … is a real problem, not a theoretical exercise,” said the lead researcher, Dr Seth Frisbie, an emeritus professor of chemistry at Norwich…Continue readingClimate crisis to increase cancer risk for tens of millions of people in Bangladesh

Hurricane waves hitting Americas grow 20% per decade

The U.S., Mexico and countries in the Caribbean are being battered by hurricane-induced ocean waves that have grown in areal size by 80% over the past 40 years, a…Continue readingHurricane waves hitting Americas grow 20% per decade

Ice sheet collapse closer than thought

How the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) responded to warmer climates in the geologic past has obvious relevance to our understanding of what its future could be as global…Continue readingIce sheet collapse closer than 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

10 years after Haiyan, are mangroves protecting Philippine coastal areas?

Haiyan was one of the strongest typhoons ever to make landfall. More than 6,300 people were killed as the storm swept across the island of Leyte, flattening homes and…Continue reading10 years after Haiyan, are mangroves protecting Philippine coastal areas?

After the Storm, Malawi’s Farmers Face a Precarious Future

Cyclone Freddy lasted a record 38 days. The storm barrelled 5,000 miles across the Indian Ocean, pummelling Madagascar and Reunion before striking the African mainland. It swirled over southern…Continue readingAfter the Storm, Malawi’s Farmers Face a Precarious Future

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

UN chief urges world to ‘stop the madness’ of climate change

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the world Monday to “stop the madness” of climate change as he visited Himalayan regions struggling from rapidly melting glaciers to witness the devastating…Continue readingUN chief urges world to ‘stop the madness’ of climate change

More than 4,000 English flood defences ‘almost useless’

More than 4,000 of England’s vital flood defences are so damaged they are almost useless, including hundreds in areas battered by Storm Babet. An analysis of Environment Agency data…Continue readingMore than 4,000 English flood defences ‘almost useless’

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

Climate report: ‘Uncharted territory’ imperils life on Earth

Earth’s vital signs have worsened beyond anything humans have yet seen, to the point that life on the planet is imperiled. William Ripple, a distinguished professor in the Oregon…Continue readingClimate report: ‘Uncharted territory’ imperils life on Earth

Rapid ice melt in west Antarctica now inevitable

Accelerated ice melt in west Antarctica is inevitable for the rest of the century no matter how much carbon emissions are cut, research indicates. The implications for sea level…Continue readingRapid ice melt in west Antarctica now inevitable

Flash flooding inundates New York City

New York City and its adjoining areas have been brought to a standstill after a bout of torrential downpours triggered flash flooding, disrupting subway service, inundating ground-level apartments and…Continue readingFlash flooding inundates New York City

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

Century’s end may bring annual 100-year floods

Most coastal communities will encounter 100-year floods annually by the end of the century, even under a moderate scenario where carbon dioxide emissions peak by 2040, a new study…Continue readingCentury’s end may bring annual 100-year floods

US hit by record number of billion-dollar disasters so far this year

Between January and August, the United States was struck by a record-breaking 23 weather and climate disasters where losses exceeded $1 billion in each case. The tally for 2023…Continue readingUS hit by record number of billion-dollar disasters so far this year

Mediterranean’s devastating Storm Daniel may be harbinger of storms to come

Storm Daniel, which wrought devastation across the Mediterranean in the past week, killed 15 people in central Greece where it dumped more rain than previously recorded before sweeping across…Continue readingMediterranean’s devastating Storm Daniel may be harbinger of storms to come

After slew of disasters, Greeks wonder what is happening to their democracy

Floods, wildfires and a deadly train collision this year have raised questions about the competence of state authorities and central government.Continue readingAfter slew of disasters, Greeks wonder what is happening to their democracy

Greece’s record rainfall and flash floods: Across the Mediterranean, the weather is becoming more dangerous

Flash floods were triggered by rainfall from the arrival of Storm Daniel on Monday September 4 which also affected Turkey and Bulgaria. The following day, in the village of…Continue readingGreece’s record rainfall and flash floods: Across the Mediterranean, the weather is becoming more dangerous

Record rainfall causes flooding in Hong Kong days after typhoon

Record rainfall in Hong Kong caused widespread flooding in the early hours of Friday, disrupting road and rail traffic just days after the city dodged major damage from a…Continue readingRecord rainfall causes flooding in Hong Kong days after typhoon

Death toll rises to four in Greece after floods, more than 800 rescued

The death toll from floods in central Greece has risen to four after severe rainstorms turned streets into raging torrents, hurled cars into the sea, and washed away roads…Continue readingDeath toll rises to four in Greece after floods, more than 800 rescued

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

Dramatic climate action needed to curtail ‘crazy’ extreme weather

The “crazy” extreme weather rampaging around the globe in 2023 will become the norm within a decade without dramatic climate action, the world’s leading climate scientists have said. The…Continue readingDramatic climate action needed to curtail ‘crazy’ extreme weather

A year on, the devastating long-term effects of Pakistan’s floods are revealed

The flooding in Pakistan in August and September 2022 – described by UN secretary general António Guterres as a “monsoon on steroids” – led to the deaths of more…Continue readingA year on, the devastating long-term effects of Pakistan’s floods are revealed

Slovenia asks for support from EU and Nato after devastating floods

Slovenia on Sunday called for help from the EU and Nato alliance to deal with the aftermath of flooding that killed at least three people and caused damage estimated…Continue readingSlovenia asks for support from EU and Nato after devastating floods

Anger in China over plan to use cities as ‘moat’ to save Beijing from floods

Chinese social media users have reacted angrily to comments from a local Communist party official suggesting that the city of Zhuozhou and other flood-hit areas near Beijing should be…Continue readingAnger in China over plan to use cities as ‘moat’ to save Beijing from floods

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

Streets become rivers as Beijing records heaviest rain in 140 years

Millions of people have been hit by extreme weather events and prolonged heatwaves around the globe in recent weeks, events that scientists say are being exacerbated by climate change.…Continue readingStreets become rivers as Beijing records heaviest rain in 140 years

Mediterranean on fire as blazes spread across nine countries

Algeria: At least 34 people were killed, where 8,000 firefighters battled blazes across the tinder-dry north. Fires burned in a total of 15 provinces, leading to the evacuation of…Continue readingMediterranean on fire as blazes spread across nine countries

From scorching heat to deadly storms, Europe has no rest from ‘summer of hell’

Temperatures have consistently topped 40 degrees Celsius this week across southern and eastern European countries, and for some areas like Sicily there remains no respite. The Italian island was…Continue readingFrom scorching heat to deadly storms, Europe has no rest from ‘summer of hell’

Exploring the multi-billion-dollar risk to economic activity from climate extremes affecting ports

More than $122 billion of economic activity—$81 billion in international trade—is at risk from the impact of extreme climate events, according to new research from Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute.Continue readingExploring the multi-billion-dollar risk to economic activity from climate extremes affecting ports

Greenland melted recently, says study that raises future sea level threat

A mile-thick ice sheet in Greenland vanished around 416,000 years ago during a period of moderate natural warming, driving global sea rise to levels that would spell catastrophe for…Continue readingGreenland melted recently, says study that raises future sea level threat

Greenland melted some 416,000 years ago, shows high risk of causing sea level rise today

Camp Century is 138 miles inland from the coast and only 800 miles from the North Pole; the new Science study shows that the region entirely melted and was…Continue readingGreenland melted some 416,000 years ago, shows high risk of causing sea level rise today

‘We are damned fools’: scientist who sounded climate alarm in 80s warns of worse to come

The world is shifting towards a superheated climate not seen in the past 1m years, prior to human existence, because “we are damned fools” for not acting upon warnings…Continue reading‘We are damned fools’: scientist who sounded climate alarm in 80s warns of worse to come

The ‘kidneys of Kolkata’: Indian wetlands under threat

The wetlands system processes about 60 percent of Kolkata’s sewage free of charge, saving the city over $64 million a year. Farms in the wetlands provide about 150 tons…Continue readingThe ‘kidneys of Kolkata’: Indian wetlands under threat

Deadly flooding hit several countries at once. Scientists say this will only be more common

Extreme rainfall accompanied by deadly flooding hit the United States and several other countries over the weekend and last week. In the U.S., flooding claimed five lives in Upper…Continue readingDeadly flooding hit several countries at once. Scientists say this will only be more common

Global warming is supercharging weather events, say scientists

Schools in Delhi closed after monsoon rains caused landslides and flash floods on Monday. More than 50 people died across northern India, including in the Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand…Continue readingGlobal warming is supercharging weather events, say scientists

At least 50 dead in Pakistan monsoon floods

At least 50 people, including eight children, have been killed by floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains that have lashed Pakistan since last month, officials said Friday. The…Continue readingAt least 50 dead in Pakistan monsoon floods

Antarctic tipping points: The irreversible changes to come if we fail to keep warming below 2˚C

The slow-down of the Southern Ocean circulation, a dramatic drop in the extent of sea ice and unprecedented heatwaves are all raising concerns that Antarctica may be approaching tipping…Continue readingAntarctic tipping points: The irreversible changes to come if we fail to keep warming below 2˚C

Dangerous slowing of Antarctic ocean circulation sooner than expected

“Our data show the impacts of climate change are running ahead of schedule,” said lead author Kathryn Gunn, of the Australian Science agency CSIRO and Britain’s Southampton University. The…Continue readingDangerous slowing of Antarctic ocean circulation sooner than expected

Flooding in Somalia displaces 200,000 people: official

Experts say extreme weather events are happening with increased frequency and intensity due to climate change—and Africa, which contributes the least to global warming, is bearing the brunt.Continue readingFlooding in Somalia displaces 200,000 people: official

Study shows warming planet is leading to an increase in ‘atmospheric river’-associated flooding in India

AR events impacted the country 596 times, 95% of which occurred during a monsoon season. They also found that 54% of the biggest AR events occurred over the past…Continue readingStudy shows warming planet is leading to an increase in ‘atmospheric river’-associated flooding in India

Rising seas are causing septic systems to fail, finds researcher

Continue readingRising seas are causing septic systems to fail, finds researcher

Researchers discover a cause of rapid ice melting in Greenland

“These ice-ocean interactions make the glaciers more sensitive to ocean warming,” said senior co-author Eric Rignot, UCI professor of Earth system science and NASA JPL research scientist. “These dynamics…Continue readingResearchers discover a cause of rapid ice melting in Greenland

Seas have drastically risen along southern U.S. coast in past decade

Multiple new studies highlight a rate of sea level rise that is ‘unprecedented in at least 120 years’ along the Gulf of Mexico and southeastern U.S. coast.Continue readingSeas have drastically risen along southern U.S. coast in past decade

“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

More than 90% of world’s salt marshes likely to be underwater by 2100, study concludes

Continue readingMore than 90% of world’s salt marshes likely to be underwater by 2100, study concludes

‘Uncharted territory’: South Sudan’s four years of flooding

Four straight years of flooding, an unprecedented phenomenon linked to climate change, has swamped two-thirds of South Sudan but nowhere more dramatically than Bentiu, a northern city besieged by…Continue reading‘Uncharted territory’: South Sudan’s four years of flooding

Confirmed: Global floods, droughts worsening with warming

Continue readingConfirmed: Global floods, droughts worsening with warming

‘Everyone should be concerned’: Antarctic sea ice reaches lowest levels ever recorded

Continue reading‘Everyone should be concerned’: Antarctic sea ice reaches lowest levels ever recorded

Sea level rise poses particular risk for Asian megacities

The study showed that internal climate variability could increase sea level rise in some locations by 20–30% more than what would result from climate change alone, exponentially increasing extreme…Continue readingSea level rise poses particular risk for Asian megacities

Sea ice in Antarctic at record low: US data center

Continue readingSea ice in Antarctic at record low: US data center

Satellites observe speed-up of glaciers on the Antarctic peninsula

Continue readingSatellites observe speed-up of glaciers on the Antarctic peninsula

Study of Yellow River flooding over past 1,000 years shows human activities made flooding worse

Continue readingStudy of Yellow River flooding over past 1,000 years shows human activities made flooding worse

Climate, ice sheets & sea level: the news is not good

Parts of Earth’s ice sheets that could lift global oceans by meters will likely crumble with another half degree Celsius of warming, and are fragile in ways not previously…Continue readingClimate, ice sheets & sea level: the news is not good

Building higher islands could save the Maldives from sea-level rise, says study

Continue readingBuilding higher islands could save the Maldives from sea-level rise, says study

Rising seas threaten ‘mass exodus on a biblical scale’, UN chief warns

António Guterres calls for urgent action as climate-driven rise brings ‘torrent of trouble’ to almost a billion people.Continue readingRising seas threaten ‘mass exodus on a biblical scale’, UN chief warns

Dutch flood memories unleash new climate fears

Seventy years after the worst natural disaster to strike the Netherlands, Chiem de Vos, seven at the time, still hears his neighbour’s desperate cries of “My children are drowning!”…Continue readingDutch flood memories unleash new climate fears

Climate change is coming for the Jersey Shore, retiring coastal expert warns

A minimal [sea level] rise of another 2 feet (0.6 metres) is projected from now through 2100, though the Federal Emergency Management Agency uses an intermediate rise of 4.65…Continue readingClimate change is coming for the Jersey Shore, retiring coastal expert warns