Month: June 2026

Paris, June 25: A powerful and rare heat dome has engulfed much of Europe, pushing temperatures to record-breaking levels, disrupting daily life, and causing dozens of deaths across the continent. Authorities in several countries have issued emergency alerts as the extreme heat continues to strain public health systems, energy infrastructure, agriculture, and transportation networks. France, Britain, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland have all been affected by the intense heatwave, with temperatures in some regions soaring up to 18°C above normal seasonal averages. Parts of southwestern France recorded temperatures as high as 44.3°C, marking the country's hottest day since modern weather records began nearly 80 years ago. French authorities placed more than 50 de...

New programme aims to protect expectant mothers from extreme heat through insurance payouts, cash support and early warning systems A groundbreaking insurance programme designed to protect pregnant women from the growing dangers of extreme heat has been launched, marking a first in climate adaptation and maternal health protection. Called HERA Materna the initiative has been introduced by the climate resilience organisation HERA and its partners to provide financial and practical support to expectant mothers facing increasing heat related risks. The programme is being described as the world's first heat pregnancy insurance scheme. The launch comes as scientific evidence continues to highlight the serious health threats posed by extreme heat during pregnancy. A 2023 study published...

Extreme weather is increasingly affecting some of the world’s biggest tennis tournaments with rising temperatures and heavier rainfall creating new challenges for players, spectators, and organizers according to a new analysis by Climate Central. The study examined temperature and rainfall trends at the four Grand Slam tournaments the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open between 1970 and 2025. Researchers found that climate change has significantly increased the number of hot days during these events and, in some locations, has also contributed to more frequent heavy rainfall. According to the analysis, the likelihood of experiencing a hot tournament day, defined as temperatures reaching 28°C or higher, has increased across all four Grand Slam venues over the past...

Microscopic marine organisms generate more oxygen than rainforests, highlighting the crucial role oceans play in sustaining life on Earth. When people think about the source of Earth's oxygen, vast rainforests such as the Amazon often come to mind. However, scientists say that nearly half of the oxygen humans breathe actually comes from the ocean, produced by trillions of microscopic organisms known as phytoplankton. According to scientific assessments cited by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), these tiny marine organisms carry out photosynthesis on a massive scale across the world's oceans. Floating in the sunlit surface waters, phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide and use sunlight to produce energy, releasing oxygen as a byproduct. Despite ...

UNICEF's Children's Climate Risk Report 2026 reveals that 1.1 billion children face at least three overlapping climate hazards, putting their health education and survival at risk. Climate Crisis Putting Billions of Children at Risk Almost every child on Earth is now exposed to at least one major climate hazard, according to UNICEF Children Climate Risk Report 2026. The report warns that climate change is creating growing threats to children's health, education and overall well being. Using data from UNICEF Global Child Hazard Database, researchers found that nearly half of the world's children about 1.1 billion face at least three overlapping climate hazards. More than 4 million children are exposed to as many as six different climate-related threats. The report highlights a r...

Asia experienced one of its most challenging climate years on record in 2025, with extreme heat, devastating floods prolonged droughts, shrinking glaciers and record breaking ocean temperatures affecting millions of people across the continent according to a new report released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The report titled State of the Climate in Asia 2025 highlights how climate change is intensifying weather related disasters across the region and underscores the growing importance of early warning systems in reducing loss of life and economic damage. According to the WMO, Asia is warming faster than the global average. The region's warming trend between 1991 and 2025 was nearly twice as strong as during the period from 1961 to 1990. The year 2025 ranked between ...

Heat waves are playing a much larger role in fueling wildfires across the western United States than previously understood, according to a new study that examined wildfire activity from 2001 to 2024. Researchers found that although heat waves accounted for only 12% to 15% of warm season days they were associated with 42% of the total area burned by wildfires during the study period. The findings highlight the growing connection between climate change, extreme heat and wildfire activity. The study conducted by a team of fire and climate scientists analyzed two decades of wildfire data across the western U.S. and quantified the impact of heat waves on fire behavior for the first time. Researchers defined a heat wave as a period of at least three consecutive days with temperatures ranki...

Scientists warn a potential super El Nino in 2026 could disrupt fisheries damage coral reefs and leave seals sea lions and other marine wildlife struggling to survive. Scientists are warning that there is more than a 60% chance of a super El Nino developing by the end of 2026. If it occurs, the powerful climate event could have severe consequences for marine ecosystems, global fisheries and ocean wildlife. A super El Nino is the strongest form of El Niño and occurs when sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean rise by more than 2 degrees Celsius above average. The additional heat released from the ocean can increase global temperatures and intensify climate related impacts worldwide. Researchers say climate change is making El Niño events stronger and more frequent...

A new study has found that tropical rainfall patterns are shifting northward in ways that many climate models failed to predict, raising concerns about the future of monsoons and water supplies across some of the world's most densely populated regions. Researchers analyzing weather and satellite records from 1979 to 2024 discovered that the major tropical rain belts have gradually moved north over the past four decades. The findings suggest that changes in atmospheric circulation, driven partly by rapidly warming land areas, are reshaping rainfall patterns across India, Southeast Asia, West Africa and other tropical regions. The study, published in Nature Communications challenges the long-standing assumption that climate change would simply make wet regions wetter and dry regions dr...

Chandrapur, Maharashtra: What was once a migration-prone tribal village in Maharashtra has transformed into a model of community led development, thanks to legal rights over its ancestral forests and a thriving bamboo enterprise. Pachgaon a village in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district inhabited primarily by the Gond Adivasi community, has generated nearly Rs 3.4 crore in profits over the past decade through sustainable bamboo harvesting and forest management. The achievement follows the village's successful claim over 1,006 hectares of ancestral forest land under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) in 2012. The Forest Rights Act, enacted in 2006, was designed to recognize the traditional rights of indigenous and forest dwelling communities over lands and resources they have depended on for g...