Latest news with #extremeweather
Reuters
2 days ago
- Climate
- Reuters
Sustainable Switch Climate Focus: Swiss village destroyed by glacier collapse
May 30 - This is an excerpt of the Sustainable Switch Climate Focus newsletter, where we make sense of companies and governments grappling with climate change on Fridays. To receive the full newsletter in your inbox for free sign up here. Hello, Today's newsletter focuses on extreme weather events, including a glacier collapse in a Swiss village and wildfires in Manitoba, Canada. These come as a U.N. report warns of rising global temperatures over the next five years, with Arctic warming predicted at more than three times the global average. Let's start with the glacier collapse in the Swiss Alps and the deluge of ice, mud and rock that crashed down a mountain and engulfed some 90% of the village of Blatten. Rescue teams with search dogs and thermal drone scans have been looking for a missing 64-year-old man. Local police suspended the search on Thursday afternoon, saying the mounds of debris were too unstable for now. Blatten's 300 residents had already been evacuated earlier in May after part of the mountain behind the Birch Glacier began to crumble. Water trapped behind a mass of glacial debris blocking a river in southern Switzerland has sparked warnings that further evacuations may be needed amid the risk of flooding in the Alpine valley. Up to 1 million cubic meters of water are accumulating daily as a result of the debris damming up the river, said Christian Huggel, a professor of environment and climate at the University of Zurich. Residents struggled to absorb the scale of devastation that buried most of their picturesque Swiss village, in what scientists suspect is a dramatic example of climate change's impact on the Alps. Scientists have found that the world is expected to experience more record temperatures over the next five years, with Arctic warming predicted at more than three times the global average, according to the report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). There is an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will see record heat, with a high likelihood that average warming will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, according to the report. Keep scrolling for more updates on this week's extreme weather events such as the wildfires in Manitoba and the drought in northwest England. And click here, opens new tab to let us know what you would like to read more about our Reuters climate tracker survey. What to Watch Click here for an inspiring Reuters video on cutting down carbon emissions in the construction industry through a brick made entirely from recycled building waste. Unlike traditional clay bricks, the K-BRIQ produces 95% less CO2, according to its Scottish maker, Kenoteq. Climate Commentary Climate Lens The European Commission will set a new EU climate target to cut net greenhouse gas emissions 90% by 2040, compared with 1990 levels, diplomats familiar with the closed-door talks told Reuters. The Commission has promised not to weaken Europe's ambitious climate aims, despite mounting criticism from governments and lawmakers concerned about the cost for European businesses, which are struggling with high energy prices and looming U.S. tariffs. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also subscribe here.
The National
2 days ago
- Business
- The National
We need an ugly but effective solution to our climate problem
British author Roald Dahl told the story of Pravdinsk in northern Russia, where the ground was frozen so hard it was impossible to bury a corpse in winter. 'So, do you know what they do? They simply sharpen his legs and knock him into the ground with a sledgehammer.' But with record heat striking Siberia, this macabre technique will not be needed. Places in the far north-east hit 21.5°C overnight – shattering records by more than 10°C. The current extreme weather is not just confined to Russia. The UAE had its hottest day yet recorded in May, as Sweihan near Al Ain sweltered at 51.6°C. The country's summers are now 10 days longer than they used to be. Parts of Britain have declared a drought after the driest and sunniest spring since records began in 1836. Yet this follows the wettest 18 months in national history. Switzerland had a different problem, after the collapse of a melting glacier destroyed the village of Blatten on Wednesday. So, what is going on? In 2015, countries signing the Paris Agreement on climate change agreed to limit global warning to 'well below' 2°C by the end of the century, and to target not exceeding 1.5°C. In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change thought 1.5°C would not be reached until 2040. Now, it is set to be broken in two years. The battleground is now the 2°C target. Now, that is likely to be overtaken around 2045, on the basis of the average over several years. Indeed, we could experience a year above 2°C as soon as 2029. Likely overall warming by end-century will be 2.5°C, a level that would have been thought disastrous a decade ago. Blatten is not the first place to be wiped out by unchecked climate change, and it will not be the last. The risk is growing of dramatic and irreversible climatic shifts: an Arctic free of ice in the summer before 2030, the dieback of the Amazon rainforest, a loss of 90 per cent of coral reefs by 2050. Atlantic oceanic circulation could collapse, bringing severe flooding to the US east coast and, paradoxically, freezing temperatures to Europe. It is no surprise that global warming continues to increase while emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are at record levels. There is some positive news from China, which might reach a peak in carbon dioxide emissions this year. It is adopting renewable and nuclear power, and switching from oil-fuelled to electric vehicles on a massive scale. As the world's biggest polluter, it leads the overall trend. But backsliding in the US could undo some of this progress. Right-wing parties in Europe have seized on climate policies as a populist line of attack. In any case, just reducing emissions is not enough – they need to fall to net-zero, where any remaining carbon dioxide releases are counterbalanced by soaking up the gas from the atmosphere – before warming will stop. Some other factors are playing a part in recent rapid heating. Sulphur dioxide released into the atmosphere was unintentionally helping limit global warming by reflecting some of the sun's rays. Over the past decade, China has tackled air pollution and switched its district heating systems from sulphurous coal to natural gas. The international shipping industry has also banned the use of high-sulphur fuel oil without scrubbers. These moves are good for human health and for reducing acid rain, but they have an unfortunate side effect. If India now cleans up its terrible coal pollution, that could push warming even faster. Sulphur dioxide apart, we are on a far better climate path than a decade or two ago. But this is a choice between the catastrophic and the terrible. Environmentalists remain stuck on policies that have achieved great success – cheap, mass-scale solar and wind power, batteries and electric vehicles – but not fast enough, and that cannot be the whole answer in the limited time remaining to us. Many appear secretly delighted when policies and technologies that don't fit the narrow renewables-only ideology run into technical or commercial problems. These include pricing and trading carbon dioxide emissions, capturing carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, removing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, using hydrogen, or expanding nuclear power. They call for more 'political will' or 'ambition'. This ignores that overbold targets have not been met, and that making them even bolder will not overcome the problem that a big new green factory or critical mineral mine or intercontinental power line takes a decade to build. Bad-faith mongers, now joined by AI chatbot Grok, are trying to chip away at support for climate policies. But there are genuine concerns about the cost and reliability of energy, in a world where political and trade fences are being built ever-higher. The 'pragmatists', meanwhile, seem to have resigned themselves to living with 2.5°C or more warming, and that many seaside cities, mountain villages, coral reefs, rainforests and ice-caps will disappear. The costs of this dystopian future, and the risks of something truly cataclysmic, greatly exceed the expense of working harder to stop it. But at least they have thought about the problem, and made a conscious decision, unlike many politicians, business leaders, media commentators and voters, who simply ignore it. There is a way forward, though not a comfortable one. First, accelerate the current progress on low-carbon energy, but be much more ruthless about hard choices, prioritisation, and keeping costs down. Second, advance the necessary but unpopular technologies – recognise that smashing capitalism or destroying the fossil fuel industry, however appealing to activists, has to come after saving a liveable climate. Third, learn from the experience of cleaning up sulphur pollution. We have unintentionally made warming go faster. But, intelligent 'geoengineering' with smaller amounts of sulphur or other particles can also cool the Earth, buying valuable years to cut carbon dioxide. Like the people of Pravdinsk, we need an ugly but effective solution to our climate problem.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
From droughts to downpours: How AI is revolutionizing extreme weather forecasting
The Brief A new groundbreaking study uncovers ways to use A.I. to prepare for extreme weather. A.I. could even help predict wildfires. Issues remain about the ethical use of this technology, and trust in the data. MILWAUKEE - There is a lot of talk these days about artificial intelligence or A.I., and that is also true in the world of weather forecasting. A.I. is rapidly transforming how we model, detect, and respond to extreme weather and climate events. In a 2025 review published in Nature Communications, a team of researchers explored the full potential of A.I. and its ability to forecast floods, droughts, heatwaves, and even wildfires. The goal was to uncover ways to help communities prepare before disaster strikes. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android What we know Machine learning and deep learning A.I. models were found to outperform some traditional forecasting techniques and seemed to excel at identifying and predicting extreme events. That accuracy went up when multiple data sources were integrated into the models, like satellite imagery, climate data, and ground sensors. The study went beyond basic forecasting and used A.I. to explore the "why," "what if," scenarios of different extreme weather events and even asked A.I. "how confident" it was in those predictions. Droughts: Hybrid models were able to help predict impacts on agriculture and forest health. Heatwaves: Specific models were able to give improved forecasts of regional temperature anomalies. Wildfires: Deep learning A.I. was able to provide early detection of dangerous fire events. Floods: A.I. was seen to enhance early warning systems and real-time alerts. The other side Not everything in the study was a net positive. The authors clearly stressed the need for transparent, ethical, and localized AI systems, particularly in high-stakes scenarios where false alarms can erode public trust or mislead disaster responses. In short, A.I. isn't ready to be handed the reins and will still need significant human oversight, but it could be an amazing tool for forecasters in the very near future. There are other significant hurdles as well, such as: Data Limitations: Extreme events, by their very nature, are rare, which makes it hard to train A.I. models. There's also a shortage of data that reflects the diverse geographic and socio-economic realities of our country and our planet. Integration Issues: AI models, in some cases, under-performed traditional methods. Real-world applications came up short due to high uncertainty, and incomplete data. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News What's next To unlock A.I.'s full potential, the study's authors suggest we develop better datasets that are tailored for each type of extreme weather event. They call for greater collaboration across A.I., climate science, and policy disciplines and again stress the need for ethical safeguards, especially for vulnerable communities. The Source Camps-Valls, G., Fernández-Torres, M.Á., Cohrs, K.-H., Höhl, A., Castelletti, A., Pacal, A., et al. (2025). Artificial intelligence for modeling and understanding extreme weather and climate events. Nature Communications, 16, 1919.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
US insurers' profits double as price rises exceed extreme weather claims
US property and casualty insurers nearly doubled their earnings between 2023 and last year despite costly extreme-weather events, according
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Climate
- Khaleej Times
Egypt's Alexandria battered by unseasonal hailstorm
An unseasonal rainstorm battered the Egyptian city of Alexandria on Saturday, flooding roads and damaging seafront businesses in the latest bout of erratic weather to hit the region. Hailstones pelted the city overnight, forcing people to flee cafes as gusts of wind blew the ice pellets through windows, according to footage posted on social media. Lightning lit up the skies and underpasses were submerged. Alexandria governor Ahmed Khaled Hassan raised the alert level and emergency crews worked through the morning to tow cars and clear debris. No casualties were reported, Egypt's health ministry said. Storms are common along Egypt's Mediterranean coast in winter, but media outlets described this spring event as "unprecedented". Scientists warn extreme weather is becoming more frequent due to climate change, which drives both droughts and intense, unpredictable rainstorms. Alexandria is highly vulnerable to climate impacts, suffering from coastal erosion, rising sea levels and flooding from annual storms. The Mediterranean could rise by up to a metre (three feet) within three decades, according to the UN-mandated Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Even under more optimistic forecasts, a 50-centimetre rise by 2050 would flood 30 percent of Alexandria, displace a quarter of its six million residents and cost 195,000 jobs. Authorities have begun mitigation efforts, including constructing a massive breakwater along the coast.
