Month: May 2026

A study suggests that many fossil fuel companies’ so called low carbon projects may actually support continued oil and gas use rather than replacing it. Researchers reviewed 48 projects including carbon capture, biofuels, hydrogen, and renewables and found that many are linked to enhanced fossil fuel extraction or help extend the industry’s lifespan instead of reducing emissions. The analysis argues these “false solutions” may delay a full transition away from fossil fuels while creating an impression of climate action. Dust storm from Thar Desert triggers yellow alert in Delhi-NCR According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and reporting by India Today Science Desk, a strong pre-monsoon dust storm moving from Rajasthan is expected to hit Delhi-NCR, reducing visibility and...

    Nepal’s plan to relocate 18 blackbucks to a new enclosure near Chitwan National Park has sparked concern among conservationists, who warn that the site may not be suitable for the antelope’s long-term survival. The blackbucks (Antilope cervicapra), native to the Indian subcontinent, will be moved to the Tikauli forest corridor area as part of an effort to expand their population beyond western Nepal. The animals will come from populations in Bardiya and Shuklaphanta, where earlier translocations have helped boost their numbers to over 500 individuals in the country. Officials say the move aims to create a second secure population in case disease, disaster, or habitat loss affects existing groups. However, experts argue that the Chitwan region may expose the animal...

    A growing body of climate research shows that extreme heatwaves are not experienced equally, with women often facing disproportionately severe impacts due to social roles, working conditions, and cultural expectations. According to a recent research review published via The Conversation and featured on disaster resilience platform PreventionWeb, rising temperatures across Asia, Africa, and Oceania are reshaping daily life in ways that go far beyond direct health risks. The study highlights that women are more likely to remain indoors during heatwaves due to caregiving responsibilities, often in poorly ventilated homes without cooling systems. This leads to increased physical strain and mental stress. In many workplaces, especially informal sectors in countries lik...

    African cities are increasingly using ecosystems such as wetlands, forests, and urban green corridors as natural infrastructure to reduce flooding, cool rising temperatures, and strengthen climate resilience, according to a recent report published on PreventionWeb. Rapid urban expansion, combined with climate change, has intensified flooding risks across many African cities. A major example occurred in Kinshasa, where heavy rainfall in April 2025 overwhelmed drainage systems, submerged large parts of the city, destroyed more than 1,000 homes, and displaced thousands of residents. The report highlights that conventional infrastructure such as dams, seawalls, and drainage systems is often too expensive or insufficient to keep up with worsening extreme weather. As a ...

    A fresh dust storm moving in from western India is expected to affect Delhi-NCR, bringing reduced visibility, strong winds, and a temporary drop in air quality, according to weather alerts issued for the region. These dust storms, locally known as aandhi are a common pre-monsoon phenomenon across northwest India and are closely linked to extreme heat conditions over the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. How dust storms form During late spring and early summer, surface temperatures in the Thar Desert can rise above 44°C, leaving soil extremely dry and loose. Under these conditions, strong thunderstorm systems often generate powerful downward air currents known as downdrafts. When these downdrafts hit the hot desert surface, they spread outward rapidly, creating high ...

    Scientists have discovered that plants exposed to extreme heat leave behind a unique chemical fingerprint, even when they have enough water to survive. The discovery is giving researchers a new way to understand how rising global temperatures silently stress forests and crops long before visible damage appears. The study, published in npj Science of Plants challenges the long-standing belief that heat becomes dangerous to plants mainly because it is accompanied by drought. Researchers found that heat alone can disrupt the internal chemistry of plants, forcing them into metabolic stress even when water is freely available. To isolate the effects of temperature, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research conducted experiments ...

    Latin America and the Caribbean witnessed record-breaking heat, devastating floods, severe droughts and accelerating glacier retreat in 2025, according to a new report released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The report warns that rising land and ocean temperatures, worsening water extremes and rapid sea-level rise are increasing risks for millions across the region. The WMO’s “State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2025” report highlights how climate change is reshaping weather patterns and threatening food systems, water security, public health and coastal economies. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said the signs of climate change are now “unmistakable” across the region, from stronger hurricanes and deadly heatwaves to shrin...

    Flood disasters combined with other climate hazards such as droughts, heatwaves and windstorms have increased sharply across Europe over the past three decades, according to a new international study led by scientists from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). The research found that more than 70% of flood events recorded in Europe between 1981 and 2020 were actually “compound events” disasters where floods occurred alongside at least one additional hazard. Researchers warned that these overlapping climate extremes are causing far greater economic and social damage than floods alone. The study revealed that losses from compound flood events were on average 2.8 times higher than losses caused by standalone floods. Every flood event ranked among the...

    Patna: With severe heatwave conditions expected across several districts of Bihar, the state government has decided to strengthen its early warning systems at the village level to protect vulnerable communities from extreme heat and lightning strikes. Disaster management minister Ratnesh Sada announced the move after a high-level review meeting held on Wednesday. He said the government’s top priority is to safeguard poor families, daily wage labourers, farmers and marginalised communities who face the greatest risk during extreme weather events. The meeting was chaired by Bihar State Disaster Management Authority (BSDMA) vice-chairman Uday Kant and attended by officials from the disaster management department and the Bihar Meteorological Service Centre. Accordi...

    While large parts of India continue to struggle under intense summer heat, Ladakh’s Zojila Pass witnessed an unexpected spell of fresh snowfall in May, turning the mountain landscape white and disrupting traffic along the Srinagar-Ladakh highway. Fresh snow covered areas near Minamarg on Thursday, creating a sharp contrast with conditions in the plains where temperatures have been hovering between 42°C and 47°C. The sudden weather shift brought chilly winds and freezing temperatures to the high-altitude region even as northern and central India remained under severe heatwave conditions. Authorities temporarily closed the strategic Srinagar-Ladakh road after snowfall made travel risky near Zojila Pass, which sits at an altitude of more than 3.5 kilometres above sea...