Summer 2025 already a cavalcade of climate extremes
'Extreme temperatures and precipitation have become more intense and more frequent on a global scale,' says Sonia Seneviratne, a professor at ETH Zurich and member of the UN-mandated climate science advisory panel, the IPCC.
'We are in the midst of climate change,' Fred Hattermann, a scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), told AFP.
'The risk of extreme events has increased significantly,' he said, noting that 2024 was the first year in which the planet's average surface temperature was 1.6 deg C above the preindustrial benchmark.
That deceptively small jump makes a huge difference.
Higher temperatures increase evaporation, so that more water is stored in the atmosphere. This, in turn, increases the risk of heavy rainfall and flooding.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 12.30 pm ESG Insights
An exclusive weekly report on the latest environmental, social and governance issues.
Sign Up
Sign Up
'with every increment of temperature rise the risk of more and stronger extremes increases,' Hattermann added.
50 deg C in the Gulf, Turkey
Already in May, temperatures exceeded 50 deg C in the United Arab Emirates. On Aug 1, the thermometer hit 51.8 deg C, just under the all-time record of 52 deg C.
Muslim pilgrims walk as water sprinklers spray water during the annual hajj pilgrimage in Mina, Saudi Arabia, June 7, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS
The entire Gulf region is suffocating: the Saudi capital Riyadh recorded temperatures of 44 deg C, while Kuwait frequently hit 50 deg C.
As did Iraq, where air conditioning has become vulnerable to chronic power cuts, and water reserves are at their lowest level in years.
Turkey saw the 50 deg C threshold exceeded for the first time: the town of Silopi on the border with Iraq and Syria reached 50.5 deg C on July 26.
The country has experienced thousands of fires this summer amidst a severe drought.
Pedestrians use their handheld fans on a hot day in Tokyo, Japan, Aug 5, 2025. PHOTO: AFP
In Asia, meanwhile, Japan broke its all-time temperature record on Tuesday with 41.8 deg C in the city of Isesaki, north-west of Tokyo. The country's iconic cherry trees, emblematic of the archipelago, are blooming earlier than ever due to the heat.
Torrential rains in Hong Kong
On Tuesday, Hong Kong saw the highest rainfall total for August in more than 140 years of record-keeping: 35.5 cm in a single day.
Workers work to remove collapsed scaffolding brought down by strong winds and heavy rain in Hong Kong after Typhoon Wipha skirted along China's southern coast, July 20, 2025. PHOTO: AFP
On mainland China, a week earlier, severe weather killed at least 44 people and left nine missing in rural districts north of Beijing.
Pakistan floods, Finland heat
266 people, nearly half of them children, have already lost their lives in Pakistan due to torrential rains sweeping across the country.
The 2025 monsoon, which started early, was described as 'unusual' by authorities. Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province, recorded 73 per cent more rainfall in July than in 2024.
People come to Scandinavia to seek cooler climes, but since July Norway, Sweden and Finland have experienced sustained temperatures more typical of the Mediterranean.
People sunbathing at Ounaskoski beach at the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi, Finland, July 23, 2025. PHOTO: AFP
Aug 3 marked the end of a 22-day period with temperatures above 30 deg C in Finland: a record.
In Rovaniemi, a Finnish city north of the Arctic Circle, temperatures reached 30 deg C, higher than in southern Europe at the same time.
Mega-fires in Canada
Canada is experiencing one of the worst forest fire seasons on record, amplified by drought and above-normal temperatures.
Other parts of the world are also burning, from Scotland to Arizona and Greece.
According to the European Union's Copernicus weather and climate observatory, total smoke and greenhouse gas emissions since the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere are among the highest ever recorded. AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 minutes ago
- Straits Times
'Never seen before' rains lash southern Japan
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox TOKYO – Record rainfall hit parts of southern Japan on Aug 8, as authorities urged residents to evacuate and warned of possible landslides. The deluge follows a period of punishing heat in many parts of the country , with a national record temperature of 41.8 deg C set this week. Television footage showed brown, fast-flowing water overflowing its banks to inundate homes in the Kagoshima region. Local media reported that Kirishima city, Kagoshima, saw a record rainfall of 500mm in the 24 hours through 5am, twice the average for the entire month of August. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the region was 'seeing heavy rains that it has never experienced before' but it downgraded its highest alert for heavy rain as the downpour eased. 'Even though the warning has been downgraded, please remain vigilant and ensure your safety,' JMA official Shuichi Tachihara said at a press conference. 'Even a small amount of rain could increase the risk of disaster. Please continue to be on high alert for landslides and river flooding,' he added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP 2025: No ticket, no problem – here are some spots to soak up National Day vibes Business Who loses the most from Trump's tariffs? Who wins? World Israeli army will 'take control' of Gaza City: PM's office World Intel CEO Tan Lip-Bu says has board support as Trump calls for resignation Singapore Ex-lawyer convicted over charges for cheating company director of more than $8 million Singapore Four Certis officers charged after allegedly receiving over $9,700 in bribes from man Singapore Chief Justice names law graduate who wanted anonymity after being denied Bar admission Life One-Michelin-starred Restaurant Euphoria shut on Aug 2, its local chef to move into F&B consultancy More than 122,000 residents in Kirishima were urged to evacuate while the warning was lifted for people in the neighbouring Miyazaki region. More than half a million people had earlier been encouraged to leave their homes. Two people were rescued from a collapsed house after a landslide in Aira, another city in Kagoshima, a fire department official told AFP. A woman in her 30s, also believed to be a resident of the house, is missing. Domestic flights at Kagoshima Airport were cancelled. AFP
CNA
20 hours ago
- CNA
Deadly Indian Himalayan flood likely caused by glacier collapse, experts say
NEW DELHI: A deadly wall of muddy water that swept away an Indian Himalayan town this week was likely caused by a rapidly melting glacier exacerbated by the rising effects of climate change, experts said on Thursday (Aug 7). Scores of people are missing after water and debris tore down a narrow mountain valley, smashing into the town of Dharali in Uttarakhand state on Tuesday. Several people could be seen in videos running before being engulfed as waves uprooted entire buildings, leaving others smothered in freezing sludge. At least four people have been confirmed killed, but at least 50 others are missing. Government officials said shortly after the disaster that the flood was caused by an intense "cloudburst" of rain. However, experts assessing the damage suggested that it was only the final trigger, adding to days of prolonged rains that had already soaked and loosened the ground. PK Joshi, of New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, an expert on Himalayan hazards, said it appeared the flood was caused by the collapse of debris - known as moraine - that had dammed a lake of meltwater from a retreating glacier. "Given the persistent rainfall over preceding days and the sudden discharge observed, a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) or collapse of a moraine-dammed lake is suspected as the primary trigger," Joshi told AFP. That would have contributed to a "sudden high energy flash flood", he said, noting that glacial terrain upstream of the town included "unstable sediment zones". Cloud cover has obstructed satellite imagery to check for the exact source of the debris, and Joshi cautioned that there was not enough satellite data for a "definitive confirmation". "DISASTER SEVERITY" Safi Ahsan Rizvi, an adviser to the National Disaster Management Authority, also said that it was "likely" that the cause was a "glacio-fluvial debris landslide". Sandip Tanu Mandal, a glaciologist at New Delhi's Mobius Foundation, also pointed to the "possibility of a GLOF", caused by "significant water accumulation in the lake due to increased melting and rainfall". Mandal noted that while heavy, the amount of rain immediately before the flood was "not very significant" in comparison to the vast volumes of water that poured down the valley. That would indicate the source was a potentially collapsing lake. Himalayan glaciers, which provide critical water to nearly two billion people, are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters, scientists warn. The softening of permafrost increases the chances of landslides. Joshi said the latest disaster "highlights the complex and interconnected nature of Himalayan hazards". Rapid development and building downstream meant that the damage caused was multiplied.
Straits Times
20 hours ago
- Straits Times
Deadly Indian Himalayan flood likely caused by glacier collapse, experts say
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Scores of people are missing after water and debris tore down a narrow mountain valley, smashing into the town of Dharali in Uttarakhand state on Aug 5. NEW DELHI - A deadly wall of muddy water that swept away an Indian Himalayan town this week was likely caused by a rapidly melting glacier exacerbated by the rising effects of climate change, experts said on Aug 7 . Scores of people are missing after water and debris tore down a narrow mountain valley , smashing into the town of Dharali in Uttarakhand state on Aug 5 . Several people could be seen in videos running before being engulfed as waves uprooted entire buildings, leaving others smothered in freezing sludge. At least four people have been confirmed killed, but at least 50 others are missing. Government officials said shortly after the disaster that the flood was caused by an intense 'cloudburst' of rain. However, experts assessing the damage suggested that it was only the final trigger, adding to days of prolonged rains that had already soaked and loosened the ground. Professor P.K. Joshi, of New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, an expert on Himalayan hazards, said it appeared the flood was caused by the collapse of debris – known as moraine – that had dammed a lake of meltwater from a retreating glacier. 'Given the persistent rainfall over preceding days and the sudden discharge observed, a glacial lake outburst flood (Glof) or collapse of a moraine-dammed lake is suspected as the primary trigger,' Prof Joshi told AFP. That would have contributed to a 'sudden high energy flash flood', he said, noting that glacial terrain upstream of the town included 'unstable sediment zones'. Cloud cover has obstructed satellite imagery to check for the exact source of the debris, and Prof Joshi cautioned that there was not enough satellite data for a 'definitive confirmation'. Disaster severity Mr Safi Ahsan Rizvi, an adviser to the National Disaster Management Authority, also said that it was 'likely' that the cause was a 'glacio-fluvial debris landslide'. Dr Sandip Tanu Mandal, a glaciologist at New Delhi's Mobius Foundation, also pointed to the 'possibility of a Glof', caused by 'significant water accumulation in the lake due to increased melting and rainfall'. Dr Mandal noted that while heavy, the amount of rain immediately before the flood was 'not very significant' in comparison to the vast volumes of water that poured down the valley. That would indicate the source was a potentially collapsing lake. Himalayan glaciers, which provide critical water to nearly two billion people, are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters, scientists warn. The softening of permafrost increases the chances of landslides. Prof Joshi said the latest disaster 'highlights the complex and interconnected nature of Himalayan hazards'. Rapid development and building downstream meant that the damage caused was multiplied. 'The land use patterns in the floodplain exacerbated the disaster severity,' Prof Joshi said. AFP
