Heavy rainfall floods Argentine highways, forces evacuations
A bus with 44 passengers was stranded overnight for more than 10 hours on one of the roadways connecting Buenos Aires to the interior.
Between 8 and 15 inches (300 and 400 mm) of rain has fallen in the past 72 hours when the average monthly precipitation is about 1.7 inches, officials said. More wet weather followed by heavy wind is expected and authorities are urging residents, especially the 275,000 near the city of Zarate along the Parana River, to remain indoors.
Authorities likened the storm to one in March that killed at least 16 people.
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Associated Press
6 hours ago
- Associated Press
Pakistan's deadly monsoon floods were worsened by global warming, study finds
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Heavy rainfall that triggered floods in Pakistan in recent weeks, killing hundreds of people, was worsened by human-caused climate change, according to a new study. The study by World Weather Attribution, a group of international scientists who study global warming's role in extreme weather, found that rainfall from June 24 to July 23 in the South Asian nation was 10% to 15% heavier because of climate change, leading to many building collapses in urban and rural Pakistan. Pakistan's government has reported at least 300 deaths and 1,600 damaged houses due to the floods, heavy rain and other weather since June 26. Saqib Hassan, a 50-year-old businessman in northern Pakistan, said flooding on July 22 destroyed his home and 18 of his relatives' homes, along with their dairy farms. His farm animals were washed away, resulting in heavy losses — likely 100 million rupees ($360,000) — for him and his family. Last-minute announcements from a nearby mosque were the only warning they got to evacuate their homes in the small town of Sarwarabad and get to higher ground. 'We are homeless now. Our houses have been destroyed. All the government has given us is food rations worth 50,000 rupees ($177) and seven tents, where we've been living for the past two weeks,' Hassan told The Associated Press over the phone. Heavy rains cause series of disasters High temperatures and intense precipitation worsened by global warming have accelerated the pace of recent extreme weather events faster than climate experts expected, said Islamabad-based climate scientist Jakob Steiner, who was not part of the WWA study. 'In the last few weeks, we have been scrambling to look at the number of events, not just in Pakistan, but in the South Asian region that have baffled us,' he said. 'Many events we projected to happen in 2050 have happened in 2025, as temperatures this summer, yet again, have been far above the average,' said Steiner, a geoscientist with the University of Graz, Austria, who studies water resources and associated risks in mountain regions. Heavy monsoon rains have resulted in a series of disasters that have battered South Asia, especially the Himalayan mountains, which span across five countries, in the last few months. Overflowing glacial lakes resulted in flooding that washed away a key bridge connecting Nepal and China, along with several hydropower dams in July. Earlier this week, a village in northern India was hit by floods and landslides, killing at least four people and leaving hundreds missing. The authors of the WWA study, which was released early Thursday, said that the rainfall they analyzed in Pakistan shows that climate change is making floods more dangerous. Climate scientists have found that a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, which can make rain more intense. 'Every tenth of a degree of warming will lead to heavier monsoon rainfall, highlighting why a rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is so urgent,' said Mariam Zachariah, a researcher at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London and lead author of the WWA study. Extreme weather's impact on Pakistan Even though Pakistan is responsible for less than 1% of planet-heating gases in the atmosphere, research shows that it incurs an outsized amount of damage from extreme weather. Pakistan witnessed its most devastating monsoon season in 2022, with floods that killed more than 1,700 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in damage. According to the United Nations, global funds set up to deal with loss and damages because of climate change or funds set up to adapt to climate change are falling well short of the amounts needed to help countries like Pakistan deal with climate impacts. The U.N. warns that its loss and damage fund only holds a fraction of what's needed to address yearly economic damage related to human-caused climate change. Similarly, U.N. reports state that developed countries such as the United States and European nations, which are responsible for the largest chunk of planet-heating gases in the atmosphere, are providing far less than what's needed in adaptation financing. These funds could help improve housing and infrastructure in areas vulnerable to flooding. The WWA report says much of Pakistan's fast-growing urban population lives in makeshift homes, often in flood-prone areas. The collapsing of homes was the leading cause of the 300 deaths cited in the report, responsible for more than half. 'Half of Pakistan's urban population lives in fragile settlements where floods collapse homes and cost lives,' said Maja Vahlberg of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, who also helped author the WWA report, in a press statement. 'Building flood-resilient houses and avoiding construction in flood zones will help reduce the impacts of heavy monsoon rain.' ___ Arasu reported from Bengaluru, India. ___ Follow Sibi Arasu on X at @sibi123 ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
The Hill
6 hours ago
- The Hill
Tropical Storm Ivo forms in the eastern Pacific and could impact coastal Mexico, forecasters say
MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Ivo formed Wednesday in the eastern Pacific Ocean and was expected to bring rain and rough surf to parts of Mexico's southwest coast, forecasters said. Ivo had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and was centered about 195 miles (310 kilometers) south-southeast of Acapulco, according to the National Hurricane Center based in Miami. Forecasters said Ivo is expected to be near hurricane strength by the end of the week as it spends a few days moving offshore, and generally parallel to the coast, before turning west away from land. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect as Ivo moves west-northwest at 22 mph (35 kph). But large ocean swells kicked up by Ivo could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents, the hurricane center said. The storm also threatened flash flooding and was expected to dump 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) of rain with isolated totals of up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) in spots around parts of the Mexican states of Guerrero, Michoacan and southwestern portions of Oaxaca through Saturday. Ivo was the second tropical storm in the eastern Pacific, joining Tropical Storm Henriette. On Wednesday, Henriette had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) and was located 1,555 miles (2,505 kilometers) east of Hilo, Hawaii, and moving west. In the Atlantic, Dexter remained a tropical storm but was forecast to become a powerful extra-tropical cyclone.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Massive central California wildfire keeps growing and becomes state's largest blaze of the year
California Wildfires SANTA MARIA, Calif. (AP) — Rising temperatures on Wednesday posed new challenges for firefighters who have made incremental progress against a massive wildfire in central California that injured four people as it became the biggest blaze in the state so far this year. More than 870 remote homes and other structures at the northern edge of Los Padres National Forest are threatened by the Gifford Fire, which grew only slightly overnight after burning out of control for days. The fire has scorched at least 131 square miles (339 square kilometers) of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, with just 9% containment. It surpassed the 126-square mile (326-square-kilometer) Madre Fire, which erupted last month in southeastern San Luis Obispo County, as the state's largest fire of 2025. Crews working in steep, inaccessible terrain will be dealing with temperatures in the mid-90s (35 Celsius) on Wednesday and above 100 (38 Celsius) on Thursday, said Capt. Scott Safechuck with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. 'We have hot weather, and we have low relative humidity,' Safechuck said Wednesday. 'So we expect extreme fire behavior.' Luckily, winds are expected to remain relatively calm, he said. Wildfire risk will be elevated through the weekend across much of inland California as the heat wave intensifies. The southern part of the state has seen very little rain, drying out vegetation and making it 'ripe to burn,' the National Weather Service for Los Angeles warned in a statement. Triple-digit temperatures (around 38 Celsius) are forecast for the Sacramento Valley. A dozen major blazes are burning statewide, and officials warn the threat will only grow in August and September, typically the most dangerous months for wildfires. Across the Sierra and northern parts of California, months of little to no rain are 'pushing conditions toward critical levels faster than usual,' according to a wildfire forecast by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. 'In Southern California, the threat is driven by persistent drought, high grass loads, and weakening coastal moisture,' Cal Fire said. More than 2,200 personnel are battling the Gifford Fire, which grew out of at least four smaller fires that erupted Friday along State Route 166, forcing closures in both directions east of Santa Maria, a city of about 110,000 people. The causes of the fires are under investigation. Flames are racing through a vast, mostly unpopulated region that includes forestland, ranches, large canyon properties and agricultural parcels growing wine grapes and strawberries. The weather service warned of health risks from spreading smoke that could affect much of southwest California. Officials reported four injuries, including a firefighter who was treated for dehydration. Over the weekend, a motorist was hospitalized with burn injuries after getting out of his vehicle and being overrun by flames. And two contract employees assisting firefighters were also hurt when their all-terrain vehicle overturned.
