Our research shows almost everywhere in Australia is now in a different fire climate than it was just 20 years ago, with falling relative humidity a key factor. Previous research has…Continue readingFire climate regimes around Australia shifted abruptly 20 years ago, and falling humidity may explain why
Tag: impact
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 has already…Continue readingUS hit by record number of billion-dollar disasters so far this year
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 to Libya…Continue readingMediterranean’s devastating Storm Daniel may be harbinger of storms to come
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
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 Zagora, a…Continue readingGreece’s record rainfall and flash floods: Across the Mediterranean, the weather is becoming more dangerous
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 super typhoon.…Continue readingRecord rainfall causes flooding in Hong Kong days after typhoon
Antarctica is likely warming at almost twice the rate of the rest of the world and faster than climate change models are predicting, with potentially far-reaching implications for global sea level…Continue readingAntarctica warming much faster than models predicted in ‘deeply concerning’ sign for sea levels
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 and bridges.…Continue readingDeath toll rises to four in Greece after floods, more than 800 rescued
Surrounded by idyllic clear waters, the densely populated island of Carti Sugtupu off Panama’s north coast has barely an inch to spare with houses crammed together—some jutting out into the sea…Continue reading‘We’re going to sink’: hundreds abandon Caribbean island home
Meeting the climate goals means we should not only significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also sequester more CO2 in the soil. Research has taught us how to store CO2 in…Continue readingExperts question whether carbon dioxide storage in farming soils helps the climate
Urban stormwater particles from tire wear were the most prevalent microplastic a new Griffith-led study has found. Published in Environmental Science & Technology, the study showed that in stormwater runoff during…Continue readingBit by bit, microplastics from tires are polluting our waterways
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 country. The…Continue readingRoads turned into rivers as torrential rains lash Spain
Devastating wildfires in Greece will ravage more than 150,000 hectares (370,600 acres) by the end of the summer, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis estimated Thursday, blaming the climate crisis for the disaster.…Continue readingGreek summer wildfires will burn over 150,000 hectares
A warming Arctic is limiting polar bears’ access to sea ice, which the bears use as a hunting platform. In ice-free summer months the bears must fast. While in a worst-case…Continue readingStudy connects greenhouse gas emissions to polar bear population declines
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, tore through…Continue readingLouisiana sees ‘unprecedented’ wildfires amid record heat, drought
Hurricane Idalia could become the costliest climate disaster to hit the US this year, analysts say, with massive implications for the insurance and risk management industries. The category 3 storm that…Continue readingHurricane Idalia could become 2023’s costliest climate disaster for the US
Being cautious by nature, scientists warned that in the next few decades the global emperor population will suffer significant losses. This fate appeared a long way in the future, but it…Continue readingI have studied emperor penguins for 30 years. We may witness their demise in our lifetime
Conservation groups have accused a New South Wales agency of logging one of the last known strongholds of the greater glider, an endangered marsupial species, and urged the state government to…Continue readingHome of endangered marsupial hit by state-sanctioned logging in New South Wales
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 heatwaves, wildfires…Continue readingDramatic climate action needed to curtail ‘crazy’ extreme weather
Global warming is driving leafy tropical canopies close to temperatures where they can no longer transform sunlight and CO2 into energy, threatening total collapse. A tiny percentage of upper canopy leaves…Continue readingTropical forests nearing critical temperatures thresholds
Helpless emperor penguin chicks perished at multiple breeding grounds in West Antarctica late last year, drowning or freezing to death when sea ice eroded by global warming gave way under their…Continue readingWarming decimates Antarctica’s emperor penguin chicks
You may not have noticed, but earlier this month we passed Earth overshoot day, when humanity’s demands for ecological resources and services exceeded what our planet can regenerate annually. Many economists…Continue readingCritics of ‘degrowth’ economics say it’s unworkable—but from an ecologist’s perspective, it’s inevitable
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 were forced…Continue readingTenerife: thousands more flee their homes as ‘out of ‘control’ wildfires rage
Dressed in a full-body protective suit, an elderly pest control worker could last no more than 15 minutes spraying pesticide along a Hong Kong pavement before the summer heat became too…Continue reading‘In a sauna’: Hong Kong’s laborers swelter as temperatures rise
About 90% of water samples taken over the last 10 years from the Great Lakes contain microplastic levels that are unsafe for wildlife, a new peer-reviewed paper from the University of…Continue reading90% of Great Lakes water samples have unsafe microplastic levels
The water of as many as 26 million Americans is contaminated, according to an analysis of the new EPA data performed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington DC-based non-profit.…Continue readingDrinking water of millions of Americans contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’
A huge wildfire in northern Canada is moving closer the city of Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, and authorities have ordered the city’s 20,000 residents to evacuate. Canada is…Continue readingHuge wildfire forces evacuation of Canada’s Northwest Territories capital
Scientists and academics say they have been warning for several years that invasive grasses covering a quarter of the Hawaii islands are a major fire risk. Untamed grassland helped fuel the…Continue readingNon-native grass species blamed for ferocity of Hawaii wildfires
Five species, including Tasmania’s Maugean skate, could jeopardise the Albanese government’s zero extinctions target, according to a scientific committee that provides advice on endangered species. A further 41 species are on…Continue readingFive species face immediate concern of extinction, scientific committee warns Australian Labor
Temperatures in Morocco have for the first time on record topped 50˚C (120˚F), the North African country’s meteorological service said Sunday amid a scorching heat wave. The meteorological station in the…Continue readingMorocco breaks heat record
Spain’s eastern city of Valencia set a new temperature record on Thursday as the country baked under its third heat wave of the summer. The mercury soared to 46.8˚C (116.2˚F) at…Continue readingSpanish city shatters heat record
Corals across several countries are bleaching and dying en masse from unprecedented levels of heat stress, prompting fears that an unfolding tragedy in Central America, North America and the Caribbean could…Continue reading‘Huge’ coral bleaching unfolding across the Americas prompts fears of global tragedy
Over the past few weeks, a large-scale rescue operation has been under way off the coast and keys of Florida. It began as water temperatures were rising towards a peak of…Continue readingMissing ice and bleached coral: the sudden warming of the oceans
Sea ice in the Antarctic region fell to a record low this year as a result of rising global temperatures and there is no quick fix to reverse the damage done,…Continue readingNo quick fix to reverse ‘astonishing’ Antarctic sea ice loss
Antarctica is currently experiencing dramatic changes at unprecedented rates, marked by repeated extreme events. These include circum-Antarctic summer heatwaves and an autumn heatwave last year, with temperatures soaring up to 40˚C…Continue readingAntarctica’s heatwaves are a warning to humanity – and we have only a narrow window to save the planet
Hard coral cover in the northern section of the reef, from Cape York to Cooktown, was estimated at 35.7%, down from 36.5% in 2022. Between Cooktown and Proserpine, the reef’s central…Continue readingRecovery of Great Barrier Reef stalls as scientists point to bleaching, disease and starfish attacks
Hundreds of firefighters were on Tuesday battling a wildfire that has burned for four days in Portugal, which, like neighboring Spain, is sweltering in a heat wave that has triggered widespread…Continue readingPortugal, Spain battle wildfires amid heat wave alerts
Temperatures in parts of Chile and northern Argentina have soared to 10°C–20°C above average over the last few days. Towns in the Andes mountains have reached 38°C or more, while Argentina’s…Continue readingOne of 2023’s most extreme heat waves is happening in the middle of winter
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 than 1,700…Continue readingA year on, the devastating long-term effects of Pakistan’s floods are revealed
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 at more…Continue readingSlovenia asks for support from EU and Nato after devastating floods
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 and Pacific…Continue readingDrought-hit Panama Canal must ‘adapt or die’ as water levels drop
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 used as…Continue readingAnger in China over plan to use cities as ‘moat’ to save Beijing from floods
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 longest river,…Continue readingClimatologist warns of Italy’s vulnerability to climate crisis
Extreme temperatures and a lack of electrical power are a deadly combination, and one that is being felt across Iraq. The country is one of the world’s most vulnerable to climate…Continue readingExtreme heat hits Iraq, as temperatures exceed 50 degrees Celsius
On Tuesday, the mountain town of Vicuna in central Chile hit 37 degrees Celsius (almost 99 degrees Fahrenheit). Meanwhile in Buenos Aires, the temperature exceeded 30˚C (86˚F) on Tuesday, making it…Continue readingSouth America sweats under high temps—in the middle of winter
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 garden. “Spain…Continue readingSpain worries over ‘lifeless land’ amid creeping desertification
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. And the…Continue readingStreets become rivers as Beijing records heaviest rain in 140 years
Iran on Tuesday declared a two-day holiday for government workers and banks nationwide as searing temperatures sweep across the country, state media reported. The decision came after the meteorological office forecast…Continue readingTwo-day holiday in Iran over extreme heat
For centuries, wolves have roamed the mountain ranges of Andalucía in southern Spain, but after years of decline the creature has been officially declared extinct in the region. “This is bad…Continue reading‘Shameful loss’: wolves declared extinct in Andalucía
A massive fire burning through the desert in California and southern Nevada has scorched tens of thousands of acres in a biodiverse national preserve and torched its iconic Joshua trees. The…Continue readingHuge wildfire explodes in southern California and spreads into Nevada
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, between 2000…Continue readingColorado River Basin megadrought caused by massive 86% decline in snowpack runoff
Shallow waters off south Florida topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8˚C) for several hours on Monday, potentially setting a new world record with temperatures more commonly associated with hot tubs. The readings…Continue readingFlorida ocean temperature topped 100˚F, setting potential record
The UK’s hottest year of 2022 — when temperatures rose to a record 40˚C in the summer — will be considered “average” by about 2060 if the world keeps warming, the…Continue readingUK’s record heatwave will be seen as ‘cool’ by 2100, Met Office warns
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 more than…Continue readingMediterranean on fire as blazes spread across nine countries
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 baking in…Continue readingFrom scorching heat to deadly storms, Europe has no rest from ‘summer of hell’
A blistering heatwave that has engulfed the southern US over the past four weeks has spread to the Great Plains, midwest, mid-Atlantic and north-eastern regions, placing about 190 million Americans under…Continue readingBlistering US heatwave spreads from south and scorches 190m Americans
At least 97% of the blood samples contained a type of PFAS known as PFOS, associated with multiple serious health problems.Continue readingResearchers find evidence of ‘forever chemicals’ in blood of pregnant women
Beijing broke a 23-year-old record on Tuesday with 27 consecutive days of temperatures above 35˚C, the China Meteorological Administration said. The temperature recorded by Beijing’s benchmark weather station in its southern…Continue readingBeijing swelters under record-breaking run of extreme heat
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 over the…Continue reading‘We are damned fools’: scientist who sounded climate alarm in 80s warns of worse to come
China Tourists flocked to a giant thermometer in China showing surface temperatures of 80 degrees Celsius (176 degress Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, the latest extreme weather sparking havoc and curiosity around the…Continue readingHeatwaves set more records across Europe, Asia and US
Algeria In Algeria, five states were listed as places with the highest temperatures in the world in recent days, according to El Dorado Weather, which keeps a log of daily temperature…Continue readingFrom Algeria to Syria, heatwaves scorch Middle East, North Africa
A total of 130,000 healthy years of life are lost to noise pollution in the UK each year alone, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), with 40%…Continue readingLight and noise pollution are neglected hazards
The Murray Darling Basin Plan is an historic deal between state and federal governments to save Australia’s most important river system. The A$13 billion plan, inked over a decade ago, was…Continue readingWith less than a year to go, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is in a dreadful mess
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 of vegetables…Continue readingThe ‘kidneys of Kolkata’: Indian wetlands under threat
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 Makefield Township,…Continue readingDeadly flooding hit several countries at once. Scientists say this will only be more common
Swaths of the United States home to more than 80 million people were under heat warnings or advisories Sunday, as relentless, record-breaking temperatures continued to bake western and southern states. In…Continue readingUS West and South bake under extended heat wave
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 states. In…Continue readingGlobal warming is supercharging weather events, say scientists
A team of scientists has completed the most comprehensive study of (macro)plastic waste in the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, a 2,250-kilometer-long deep-sea trench in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. At least…Continue readingJourney to the deep: Plastic pollution in the Pacific Kuril-Kamchatka Deep-Sea Trench
According to analysis of seabed ecology undertaken after drilling tests in 2020 in Japan – the country’s first successful extraction of cobalt crusts from deep-sea mountains – there was a decrease…Continue readingDeep-sea mining causes huge decreases in sealife across wide region, says study
Tourists collapse in Greece and Italy and worker killed near Milan amid heatwave worsened by carbon pollution.Continue readingHealth alerts issued as blistering heat scorches southern Europe
Arizona’s capital city is nicknamed “Valley of the Sun”, and residents are used to scorching heat. But by day 12 of a vicious heatwave that’s sent temperatures soaring into triple digits,…Continue reading‘Hell on earth’: Phoenix’s extreme heatwave tests the limits of survival
Global warming and drastic deforestation could dry out the Amazon rainforest faster and enforce the risk of keeping it downright fire-trapped. A new study published in Communications Earth & Environment shows…Continue readingAmazon in the firetrap: Deforestation and warming lock rainforest in dry and damaged grassland state
Published in Science of The Total Environment, the researchers collected and filtered samples of air from seven indoor environments on the Gold Coast where people spend most of their time, including…Continue readingResearchers evaluate levels of indoor microplastics in Australia
In what is considered to be the nation’s first large-scale analysis of PFAS in tap water from private wells and public water supplies, researchers estimated that at least 45% of drinking…Continue readingRisk of tap water exposure to toxic PFAS chemicals higher in Southern California
PFAS is used in almost all industries and is found in many products such as textiles, carpets, shoes, food packaging, cosmetics, fire foam and pesticides. The hunting community in Ittoqqotoormiit (Scoresby…Continue readingAlarmingly high PFAS levels found in the populations of Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Denmark and the UK
The beginning of July marked the planet’s hottest week in recorded history. Last month was the warmest-ever June. The arrival of a strong El Niño is likely to push global temperatures…Continue readingScientists are freaking out about surging temperatures. Why aren’t politicians?
The water off South Florida is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) in mid-July, and scientists are already seeing signs of coral bleaching off Central and South America. Particularly concerning is…Continue readingCorals are starting to bleach as global ocean temperatures hit record highs
Phoenix will record its 15th straight day above 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) on Friday, according to the National Weather Services (NWS). In Texas, the city of El Paso is…Continue readingSouthwest US roasts in devastating heat wave
Approximately 40% [25%] of the global ocean is currently experiencing MHWs, which ranks 1st [14th] among all months since 1991. Values include the effects of long-term warming. Values with the long-term…Continue readingCurrent marine heatwave (MHW) conditions
Mud engulfs houses and cars as island of Kyushu bears brunt of annual rainy season that is worsening with climate change. Six people died and three others were missing after the…Continue reading‘Heaviest rain ever’ causes deadly floods and landslides in Japan
Volume of debris in the unexplored twilight zone is an ‘emerging threat’ to reefs already stressed by climate crisis, say scientists. The researchers noted that plastic can spread coral disease, and…Continue readingPlastic pollution on coral reefs gets worse the deeper you go, study finds
Agricultural pesticides leach far from their original sources into the world’s waterways, according to new research which finds pesticides exceed safe levels in 13,000km of rivers globally. Analysing 92 of the…Continue readingPesticides from farming leach into world’s waterways at rate of 710 tonnes a year, UN research shows
Research shows 176 bird species have been found to build nests with human litter, including items that hurt them and their offspring. The scientists highlighted ways birds are at risk from…Continue readingSafety concerns for chicks grow as birds build nests with rubbish, study shows
Seabirds are one of the world’s most threatened animal groups. They already contend with multiple issues, including climate change, accidental capture in fishing gear and being eaten by invasive species like…Continue readingPlastic pollution threatens birds far out at sea, according to new research
Drinking water from nearly half of U.S. faucets likely contains “forever chemicals” that may cause cancer and other health problems, according to a government study released Wednesday. The synthetic compounds known…Continue readingStudy says drinking water from nearly half of US faucets contains potentially harmful chemicals
The sea is becoming greener due to changes in plankton populations, analysis of Nasa images finds. When comparing these changes in colour with those hypothesised from a computer model simulating what…Continue readingWorld’s oceans changing colour due to climate breakdown, study suggests
Soaring greenhouse gases, ubiquitous microplastics, pervasive “forever chemicals”, the global upheaval of animals, even old mobile phones and chicken bones—all have been put forward as evidence that the world entered the…Continue readingSigns of the human era, from nuclear fallout to microplastics
“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 Nino weather…Continue readingLast week the hottest worldwide on record: UN
Farmers Insurance became the latest property insurer to pull out of Florida on Tuesday despite repeated efforts by the state’s legislature and its Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, to try to calm…Continue reading‘Cascading impacts’ warning as Farmers becomes latest insurer to quit Florida