drought News

Dry Fall And Worsening Drought in Oregon Portends Wildfires

A climate prediction report issued by the National Weather Service says Oregon will remain hot, dry and smoky well into autumn this year. The Statesman Journal reported that forecast in the report released last week means that the state’s existing …

Global Insured Catastrophe Losses Decline to $20 Billion in H1: Swiss Re

Global insured losses from natural catastrophes and man-made disasters during the first half of 2018 were US$20 billion, down from US$30 billion in H1 2017, according to Swiss Re Institute’s latest sigma study. On the other hand, during the first …

July’s Droughts, Wildfires, Floods Caused Billions in Global Economic Losses: Aon

Many countries across the globe saw worsening in drought-related and wildfire conditions during July, which have led to hundreds of deaths and created a significant financial impact – particularly in the agriculture, forestry, water management and fisheries industries. This was …

Fires, Floods & Heatwaves on 3 Continents: Blame the Jet Stream, a Warming World

Sweltering? Swimming? Choking on wildfire smoke? Blame it on the jet stream and a warming world. Kinked, buckled, stuck or stalled, it doesn’t matter how you describe it, the jet stream — the ribbon of wind that circles the Earth …

Extreme Weather in Europe and Asia Sparks Wildfires, Floods

Extreme weather that’s gripping northern Europe and parts of Asia may persist through early August, prolonging a deadly heatwave that’s parched crops and sparked devastating forest fires. Temperatures have risen to a record from Japan to Norway because of a …

San Antonio Among Numerous Texas Cities With Drought Water Use Restrictions

Some South Texas cities have started restricting water usage due to dropping Edwards Aquifer levels amid drought conditions. The Edwards Aquifer Authority this week announced Stage 1 pumping restrictions after the 10-day average level of an index well dropped below …

Argentine Drought Hits Farmers Who Begin Demanding Crop Insurance

Jorge Josifovich is silent and downcast as he walks under the pounding sun in one of Argentina’s most fertile agricultural regions, staring at soy crops parched by the country’s worst drought in years. The drought, which began in November, has …

12 Arizona Counties Re-Designated Natural Disaster Areas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the re-designation of 12 Arizona counties as primary natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by recent drought. The Mohave Valley Daily News reported farmers in eligible counties have eight months to …

Cape Town Companies Threatened by Water Shortages After Record Drought

Businesses in Cape Town are growing increasingly concerned about the risk that chronic water shortages pose to their operations in South Africa’s second-biggest city and are taking steps to reduce usage and secure supply, a survey has found. Almost 80 …

Drought-Ending Rain Built up Fuel to Feed Deadly California Fires

There’s a dark side to the torrent of precipitation that ended California’s long drought earlier this year: Rain and snow pumped life back into bushes, shrubs and grasses and created ideal fuel for infernos. They’ve been raging since Sunday in …