extreme weather News

Wildfire Risk Climbs for Spain as Heat Wave Moves to Iberia

The focus of Europe’s heat is switching to Spain, with a high risk of wildfires in southern parts of the Iberian peninsula. Southern Spain is expected to exceed 40C (104F) on Monday, with regions around Cordoba under alert for hot …

Extreme Weather Risks May Make Parts of the World ‘Uninsurable’

Soaring global temperatures may make large parts of the world “uninsurable,” according to Spain’s largest insurance firm. Climate change “has the potential of changing the insurance business profoundly and making part of the world uninsurable,” Gonzalo Gortazar, CaixaBank SA’s chief …

US Lawmakers Turn to Louisiana for Experience on Climate Change Impacts to Infrastructure

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – This summer – as blistering heat waves scorched the Southwest, wildfire smoke from Canada choked much of North America, a drought in the central U.S. devastated soybean and corn crops, and storms flooded parts of …

Global Natural Disasters Cost Insurers $43B in H1, Surpassing 10-Yr Average: Munich Re

Natural disasters during the first half of 2023 cost insurers an estimated US$43 billion with an overall economic price tag of $110 billion, according to Munich Re. These insured losses were slightly lower than the US$47 billion reported for the …

Ocean Temperatures Hit 90 Degrees, Fueling Weather Disasters

Heat searing enough to knock out mobile phones. Wildfire smoke that turns the skies an apocalyptic orange. Flash floods submerging towns in upstate New York and Vermont. This grim procession of recent disasters is being driven in part by climate …

Human-Induced Climate Change Plays ‘Overwhelming’ Role in July Heatwaves: Scientists

Human-induced climate change has played an “absolutely overwhelming” role in the extreme heatwaves that have swept across North America, Europe and China this month, according to an assessment by scientists published on Tuesday. Throughout July, extreme weather has caused havoc …

Connecticut Seeks Agriculture Disaster Declaration Due To Severe Flooding of Farms

Governor Ned Lamont has submitted a request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a federal agriculture disaster declaration for all eight counties in Connecticut due to the significant damage that occurred to farms and crops statewide from flooding, particularly …

European Heat Wave Sees Temperatures Reaching 115F in Sardinia as Greece Burns

Europe baked in intense heat, with temperatures reaching almost 46C (115F) on the Italian island of Sardinia on Wednesday, as wildfires continued to rage in Greece. Authorities warned lives were in danger after the latest blast of Saharan heat saw …

New Saharan Heat Blast Spells More Extreme Temperatures in Europe

The heat wave engulfing the Mediterranean is set to intensify as another Saharan anticyclone threatens record temperatures from Italy to Greece. The new weather system — named Charon after the mythological ferryman who delivered souls to the underworld – could …

South Korea Flood Death Toll Rises to 40; Yoon Blames Botched Disaster Responses

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday blamed authorities’ failure to follow disaster response rules as the death toll from days of torrential rain rose to 40, including a dozen people found dead in a submerged underpass. Deluges have …