heatwave News

NOAA: 6th Warmest August on Record

August 2022 was the world’s sixth-warmest August in 143 years, according to scientists at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. The warm August wrapped up the Northern Hemisphere’s second-hottest meteorological summer on record. Climate by the numbers August 2022 The …

China Battles Forest Fires as Fears Linger over Harvest

SHANGHAI —The southwestern Chinese regions of Chonqging and Sichuan were battling fires on Tuesday as they awaited a long-anticipated drop in temperatures over the next week, but the country’s important autumn harvest remained under serious threat. Officials warned this month …

Wildfires Scorch Parts of Europe Amid Extreme Heat Wave

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — A spate of wildfires is scorching parts of Europe, with firefighters battling blazes in Portugal, Spain and southern France on Wednesday amid an unusual heat wave that authorities are linking to climate change. In Portugal, Civil …

‘Attribution Science’ May Help Plaintiffs Push Climate Suits Ahead

Although a U.S. Supreme Court decision put an end to climate lawsuits alleging violations of the federal common law of public nuisance, a second round of state actions may get further, researchers said recently. There are two major categories of …

Texas Power Demand to Hit 2021 High During Another Heatwave

The Texas power grid operator forecast demand would reach its highest in 2021 on Wednesday and Thursday as homes and businesses crank up their air conditioners to escape another heatwave. The grid, however, also forecast power use would reach that …

Aon Says Natural Disaster Insured Losses for First Half of Year Hit 10-Year High

LONDON — Insured losses from natural disasters hit a 10-year high of $42 billion in the first half of 2021, with the biggest loss related to extreme cold in the United States in February, insurance broker Aon said on Wednesday. …

Brutal Heatwave to Descend on U.S. West, Prompting Fire Warnings

LOS ANGELES — A heatwave already punishing parts of the U.S. Southwest on Monday was expected to move into California this week, prompting the forecasters to warn of health and fire dangers. A high-pressure ridge that built over southwestern deserts …

Hurricane Laura and the California Fires Are Part of the Same Crisis

As Hurricane Laura pounded the U.S. Gulf Coast with nearly 150 mile-per-hour winds, causing water levels to rise almost 10 feet above normal in the wee hours of the morning, wildfires in California were still raging across more than a …

Thousands Evacuated as Wildfires Hit Southeast Australia

Thousands of holiday-makers have evacuated a popular tourist spot in southeast Australia as a heatwave and strong winds fuel wildfires sweeping through the region. But with temperatures hitting 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) Monday and blazes closing sections of …

Wildfire-Weary Australians Eye Christmas Blighted by Blazes

Australia’s devastating wildfires, which at the weekend destroyed close to 200 homes and claimed another life, show no sign of abating and are poised to blight Christmas celebrations. Around 200 blazes were burning across the world’s driest inhabited continent on …