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28 Buried Chamoli Avalanche Climate Change Behind Deadly Disaster, Say Experts

28 Buried Chamoli Avalanche Climate Change Behind Deadly Disaster, Say Experts

Breaking News, Disasters
A devastating avalanche in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on February 28 buried 55 workers of the Border Roads Organization (BRO), killing four and leaving five missing. Experts blame climate change for shifting snowfall patterns, which may have triggered the disaster. The workers were clearing snow on the road between Badrinath and Mana when the avalanche struck. Some reports suggest it happened around noon, while others claim it hit at 5 am when the workers were sleeping in their tin shed. Rescue teams, facing heavy snowfall and poor communication, have managed to save 50 people. Efforts continue to locate the missing. Changing Weather Patterns Raise Avalanche Risk Uttarakhand’s winter was drier than usual, with only 6.9 mm of rainfall recorded between January 1 and February 15 ...
IMD Reports India Faces Hottest February in 125 Years

IMD Reports India Faces Hottest February in 125 Years

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Opinions
February 2025 has been the hottest in India since 1901, with the average mean temperature reaching 22.04°C, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The month also recorded the second-highest maximum temperature at 29.07°C, nearly 1.5°C above normal. Experts attribute this extreme heat to climate change and the absence of western disturbances. Unprecedented Heat and Rainfall Deficit The IMD report highlights that February 2025 was not only abnormally warm but also among the driest in 125 years. The country received less than half of its usual rainfall, with an overall deficit of 59% during the winter season (January-February). Central India was hit hardest, recording an 89.3% rainfall deficit, while Northwest India saw a 64.4% shortfall. The cumulative rainfa...
Shockingly Avalanche Strikes Near Badrinath chamoli 55 Workers Still Trapped

Shockingly Avalanche Strikes Near Badrinath chamoli 55 Workers Still Trapped

Breaking News, Disasters
A massive avalanche hit Badrinath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday morning, trapping 57 workers engaged in snow-clearing operations to facilitate army movement. So far, 32 workers have been rescued, while 25 remain stranded near a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp in Mana village. Rescue Operations Underway The avalanche struck between Mana and Mana Pass, burying a BRO camp where the workers, employed by a private contractor, were stationed for road construction. Despite continuous snowfall and rain, rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and BRO are working tirelessly to locate and extract the stranded workers. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami assured that...
Experts Warn of Rising Urban Heat and Extreme Weather at Anil Agarwal Dialogue 2025

Experts Warn of Rising Urban Heat and Extreme Weather at Anil Agarwal Dialogue 2025

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Thoughts & Talks
At the Anil Agarwal Dialogue 2025, climate experts painted a grim picture of India's worsening extreme weather, highlighting urban heat, rising nighttime temperatures, and the growing impact of climate change on agriculture. Urban Heat and Warm Nights on the Rise In the session titled "In the Red: Why Are Our Cities Heating Up?", experts discussed how increasing urban heat islands and warm nights are endangering public health and livelihoods. Climate scientist Roxy Mathew Koll from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, explained that India is highly vulnerable to extreme weather due to its tropical location and rapidly warming oceans. “The Indian Ocean may enter a permanent heatwave state by 2050,” Koll warned, adding that oceanic heatwaves could increase from 20–50 ...
Rescue Operations Underway After Avalanche Traps 57 Near Badrinath

Rescue Operations Underway After Avalanche Traps 57 Near Badrinath

Breaking News, Disasters
A massive avalanche struck near Mana village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday, trapping 57 workers at a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) project site. So far, 33 people have been rescued and shifted to an ITBP camp in Mana for treatment, while rescue teams continue efforts to save the remaining workers. Mana, located 55 km from the India-China border, is a well-known tourist destination once referred to as "the last village of India" but now recognized as "the first Indian village" before the border. Every year, residents migrate to lower altitudes between November and April to escape extreme winter temperatures, which often plunge below -17°C. At the time of the avalanche, the village was deserted, with its residents staying in Gopeshwar, the district headquarters, about 1...
Taranaki Drought Declared Medium-Scale Adverse Event as Farmers Struggle

Taranaki Drought Declared Medium-Scale Adverse Event as Farmers Struggle

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
New Zealand’s Taranaki region has been officially classified as experiencing a medium-scale adverse event due to persistent drought conditions, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. The extreme heat and lack of rainfall have severely impacted pasture growth, forcing many farmers to sell livestock early or rely on stored feed. "Conditions on the ground are becoming extremely difficult," McClay said. "Taranaki is experiencing persistent dry weather, and we recognize the toll this is taking on the farming community." In response, the government has allocated $30,000 to rural support groups providing direct aid to affected farmers. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is also monitoring conditions nationwide to determine if further intervention is needed. Rural Communities ...
Mathare Flood Survivors Struggle to Rebuild Amid Climate and Housing Crisis

Mathare Flood Survivors Struggle to Rebuild Amid Climate and Housing Crisis

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
In the shadow of Nairobi’s skyline Mathare one of Kenya’s largest informal settlements bears the deep scars of nature’s wrath. The March-to-May rainy season of 2024 brought devastating floods that swept through the community, destroying homes, displacing thousands, and claiming lives. On April 24, floodwaters surged through Mathare, leaving more than 7,000 people displaced, according to a report by Save the Children. A month later, families were still grappling with the scale of destruction. Doreen Achieng, a mother of four, recalls how water seeped into her house overnight. Used to occasional flooding, she began mopping until she realized the water wasn’t stopping. Within hours, it had risen three meters, trapping her family inside. “We were stuck in the water, but the men came t...
Rare Triple Cyclone Event Seen on South Pacific Raising Climate Concerns

Rare Triple Cyclone Event Seen on South Pacific Raising Climate Concerns

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Tech
Satellite imagery has captured an extraordinary meteorological phenomenon in the South Pacific, where three tropical cyclones Rae, Seru, and Alfred are simultaneously active. Stretching over 8,000 kilometers from the eastern coast of Australia into the Pacific Ocean, this rare occurrence underscores the unpredictability of extreme weather patterns. Unprecedented Cyclone Activity Amid La Niña This triple cyclone event coincides with the peak of the region’s cyclone season. Meteorologists note that while such occurrences are rare, they are not without precedent the last recorded instance was in January 2021, with cyclones Lucas, Ana, and Bina. However, what makes this event particularly striking is that it is happening during a La Niña phase, a climate pattern that typically cools ocea...
Devastating Earthquake Strikes Nepal High Casualties Feared as Tremors Shake Himalayan Region

Devastating Earthquake Strikes Nepal High Casualties Feared as Tremors Shake Himalayan Region

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment
Kathmandu: A powerful earthquake struck Nepal early Tuesday morning, sending shockwaves across the Himalayan region and triggering widespread destruction. The tremors, felt in neighboring India, China, and Bhutan, caused buildings to collapse, landslides to block key highways, and panic among millions. The full scale of the disaster is yet to be determined, but officials fear high casualties as rescue efforts intensify. According to seismologists, the quake was a result of the Indian tectonic plate pushing into the Eurasian plate at a rate of approximately 5 cm per year, a process that continuously builds stress beneath the Earth's surface. When this stress reaches a breaking point, it is released as a powerful seismic event. The Himalayas, being one of the most geologically active regi...
Texas Child Dies from Measles in First US Fatality in a Decade

Texas Child Dies from Measles in First US Fatality in a Decade

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
A measles outbreak in West Texas has taken a tragic turn with the death of an unvaccinated child, marking the first measles-related fatality in the United States in ten years, state health officials reported Wednesday. The child, who succumbed overnight at a children's hospital, was among the more than 130 cases reported across Texas and eastern New Mexico. The outbreak has primarily affected children, with health experts linking its spread to a large under-vaccinated population in a rural Mennonite community. Texas health officials have warned of the disease’s severity, emphasizing its high hospitalization rate. A press conference with local and state health authorities is scheduled to provide updates and address community concerns. From News Desk