Month: July 2026

  Heat stored in warming oceans is increasingly driving deadly heatwaves on land intensifying storms raising sea levels and amplifying climate risks worldwide, according to a report published by Grist and featured on PreventionWeb. The report says the world oceans absorb more than 90 per cent of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases making them a major driver of rising global temperatures and extreme weather. June 2026 was the hottest June ever recorded for the world's oceans, while nearly 40 per cent of global ocean areas experienced marine heatwaves with parts of the Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean recording temperatures more than 10°F above normal. Scientists say the warming oceans are no longer just a marine issue but are increasingly influencing weather on land...

  Dominican Republic: UNICEF used its digital youth engagement platform, U-Report, to support emergency response efforts in the Dominican Republic after Hurricane Melissa caused widespread flooding across the Caribbean in late 2025. The initiative aimed to provide young people with timely accurate and practical information while gathering real time feedback from affected communities to guide relief efforts. Before the storm UNICEF conducted a U-Report poll to assess preparedness levels. A second survey, launched after the hurricane, collected information on the immediate needs of affected communities. The responses helped shape communication strategies and adapt emergency messaging based on local conditions. Drawing on the survey findings UNICEF developed five interactive ...

  A new international study has warned that small alpine lakes formed by glacier retreat and thawing permafrost pose an overlooked but growing flood risk, urging governments to rethink how mountain hazards are monitored in a warming climate. Published in Nature Sustainability the research found that many small mountain lakes, often too small to appear in conventional hazard databases can trigger sudden and destructive floods despite their limited size. The study introduces a new hazard category called Small Alpine Lake Outbursts (SALOs) which includes floods originating from small glacial and thaw lakes. Researchers said these events are commonly triggered by rockfalls, ice collapses, landslides, earthquakes, extreme rainfall or the failure of natural dams holding the lakes i...

  Heat waves and rising global temperatures are increasingly pushing tropical forests beyond the temperature limits required for photosynthesis reducing their ability to absorb carbon dioxide and increasing the risk of tree mortality according to a new study. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study found that around 57 million hectares of tropical forests experienced treetop temperatures above the average critical threshold between 2001 and 2020. Researchers warn this area could expand to more than 93 million hectares by 2050 and nearly 160 million hectares by 2100 an area larger than South Africa. Researchers from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) compared the heat tolerance of 200 plant species with satellite deri...

  A developing low pressure system over the Bay of Bengal is expected to revive the southwest monsoon after a brief dry spell, bringing widespread rainfall to several parts of India from July 19 according to meteorologists. The weather system is drawing moisture from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, strengthening monsoon conditions after many regions experienced rising temperatures and humid weather due to reduced rainfall. Satellite imagery shows dense cloud formation and strong upward air movement over the Bay of Bengal. The low pressure area is expected to move westwards towards Odisha and West Bengal over the next two to three days before influencing weather across northern and central India. Rainfall activity is expected to intensify between July 19 and 20 with ...

  The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has awarded contracts to process nearly 5,900 metric tonnes of fresh municipal waste every day at five locations including the city three major landfill sites at Bhalswa, Okhla and Ghazipur. According to officials the contracts aim to prevent the accumulation of new garbage while remediation of legacy waste continues at the landfill sites. The selected firms will establish the required infrastructure before beginning waste processing operations. Under the new arrangement, Bhalswa will process 1,800 metric tonnes of fresh waste daily, Okhla 1,400 metric tonnes, Narela Bawana 1,200 metric tonnes Ghazipur 800 metric tonnes and Singhola 700 metric tonnes. The initiative comes as Delhi continues efforts to clear decades-old legacy wast...

  Deforestation in Brazil Amazon rainforest has dropped to its lowest level in more than a decade, marking a significant milestone in the country's efforts to protect one of the world's most important ecosystems, according to new satellite data released by Brazil's National Space Research Institute (INPE). The latest figures show that the area of forest cleared over the past year declined by 37 per cent compared with the previous year, representing the lowest level of Amazon deforestation since 2014. Environmental experts attributed the decline to stronger government action against illegal logging and environmental crimes. Marcio Astrini, executive secretary of the environmental network Observatório do Clima, described the figures as a "solid result" reflecting enhanced fores...

  Despite the southwest monsoon advancing across the country Telangana continues to experience below normal rainfall with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributing the dry spell to the absence of rain triggering weather systems and the state's current position in a rain shadow region. According to IMD Hyderabad, neighbouring states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka have received 60 to 80 cm of rainfall in recent weeks while Telangana has recorded only around 6 to 7 cm during the same period. Srinivas G.N.R.S., Senior Meteorologist at IMD Hyderabad, said the arrival of monsoon winds alone does not ensure widespread rainfall. He explained that precipitation depends on the formation of weather systems such as low pressure areas, upper air cyclonic circulations or oth...

  New Delhi: An ecological restoration project in Ladakh has turned nearly 800 acres of barren land near Leh into green fields dotted with bright yellow mustard flowers by using glacier meltwater to recharge the soil, offering a potential model for restoring degraded landscapes in the Himalayan cold desert. The initiative launched in May near Spituk in Leh, channels fresh glacier water across arid terrain before sowing mustard seeds. Within a little over a month the once dust covered landscape has witnessed widespread germination, demonstrating how improved soil moisture can support vegetation even in one of India's harshest environments. Officials say the project aims to test whether glacier fed irrigation can reclaim degraded land and expand cultivable areas in Ladakh, wher...

New Delhi: Brightening low lying clouds over the eastern Pacific Ocean by spraying fine seawater droplets could potentially reduce the intensity of future super El Niño events, according to a new modelling study published in Science Advances. Researchers say the approach may help limit global temperature spikes and reduce the widespread economic and social impacts associated with extreme El Niño episodes, although significant uncertainties and potential regional risks remain. El Niño is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that develops when trade winds weaken, allowing warm surface waters to spread eastward across the Pacific Ocean. The resulting rise in sea surface temperatures influences weather patterns worldwide, often triggering droughts, floods, heatwaves and disruptions to a...