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A powerful mass of hot air moving north from Africa is set to trigger an intense heatwave across Spain and France, with temperatures expected to soar above 40°C in several regions and potentially reach 45°C in the hottest areas. The heatwave is forecast to begin this weekend and continue through Tuesday, June 23, coinciding with the start of the summer season. Meteorologists warn that the event could become one of the most significant early-summer heat episodes in recent years. According to climate monitoring service Copernicus, temperatures will begin rising sharply across western and central Europe before spreading further across the continent. Spain is expected to be among the hardest-hit countries, while large parts of France will also experience exceptionally high temperatures. ...

Amazon announced on June 19 that its operations in India have become "water positive," meaning the company now replenishes more water to communities than it consumes across its facilities, including data centres, warehouses, and corporate offices. The announcement comes as major technology firms face increasing scrutiny over the environmental impact of rapidly expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure. Data centres, which support cloud computing and AI services, are often criticized for their high energy and water consumption. According to Amazon, the company achieved its India water positive target one year ahead of schedule through a combination of water saving measures and community based conservation projects. These efforts include watershed restoration, rainwater harvesti...

In the high altitude region of Ladakh where farming depends on a short growing season and melting glaciers a new technology is helping communities cope with climate change and shrinking water supplies. For generations, villages such as Sakti relied on small Himalayan glaciers that stored winter snow and released meltwater during spring. However, rising temperatures have caused many low altitude glaciers to disappear, leaving farmers without enough water when crops need it most. To address this problem, local communities began creating artificial glaciers known as "ice stupas" in the early 2010s. Water from mountain streams was piped downhill during winter and sprayed into freezing air, forming towering cones of ice. These structures slowly melted in spring, supplying water for crops....

A new study has found that an unusual patch of cold water in the North Atlantic Ocean known as the "cold blob," may be altering the Indian summer monsoon and affecting rainfall patterns across South Asia. Researchers discovered that since 1999, rainfall distribution during the monsoon season has shifted significantly. Northwestern parts of India now receive about 25% more rainfall than before, while the fertile Indo Gangetic Plain receives around 4% less rainfall. These changes have increased flood risks in some areas while creating drought conditions in others, posing challenges for agriculture and food security. The study links these changes to the Atlantic cold blob, a region southeast of Greenland where ocean temperatures have remained unusually cool despite global ocean warming....

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 ra...

A once polluted lagoon in Portugal is showing remarkable signs of recovery after scientists successfully restored underwater seagrass meadows that had been wiped out by decades of industrial contamination. The restoration effort, supported by European Union funding, has transformed parts of the Ria de Aveiro lagoon, where mercury and arsenic pollution had poisoned sediments and severely damaged aquatic ecosystems. Researchers say the project demonstrates how nature based solutions can play a major role in repairing environmental damage. Largo do Laranjo, a section of the lagoon, was once covered with extensive meadows of Zostera noltei seagrass. However, industrial pollution over several decades contaminated the area, destroying much of the underwater vegetation. Although water quali...

As technology companies race to build hundreds of new data centers across the United States to support the growing demand for artificial intelligence local communities are increasingly challenging projects over concerns about pollution, water consumption, noise and rising electricity costs. According to researchers studying the energy impacts of data centers, more than 1,000 proposed facilities are currently awaiting approval across the country. While technology companies argue that these projects create jobs, boost economic growth and strengthen digital infrastructure, many residents and local leaders say the environmental and social costs are becoming too difficult to ignore. Data centers require enormous amounts of electricity and water to operate and cool their equipment. Critics...

The Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Jharkhand has adopted an innovative water conservation technique inspired by practices used in Israel and parts of Africa to improve groundwater recharge, strengthen wildlife habitats, and combat water scarcity in the drought prone region. As part of the initiative more than 50,000 half moon shaped shallow trenches have been created across a 400 hectare grassland area. The project aims to improve rainwater retention, maintain soil moisture, and enhance the reserve’s ecological health. The grasslands were developed to support a stronger prey base for wildlife and improve habitat conditions within the reserve. According to PTR Deputy Director Prajesh Kant Jena, the project is expected to significantly boost groundwater recharge and has the potential to...

In a significant environmental ruling the Gujarat High Court has held Tata Chemicals Ltd (TCL) responsible for extensive ecological damage to the Gulf of Kutch Marine Sanctuary and directed the company to continue paying for restoration efforts until the protected ecosystem fully recovers. The judgment came after years of legal proceedings linked to allegations that the company’s Mithapur plant in Gujarat had been discharging industrial wastewater into the marine sanctuary. The case gained renewed attention after a resident of Devpara village raised concerns with the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) over alleged environmental violations. The High Court dismissed Tata Chemicals’ long-pending petition and upheld previous decisions by local authorities that rejected the company’s ...

A new scientific study has found that Southern California’s major fault system is carrying more stress than at any point in the last 1,000 years, raising concerns about the possibility of a powerful future earthquake. Researchers have also identified a critical geological junction that could determine whether a rupture remains limited to one fault or spreads across multiple fault systems, potentially creating a much larger disaster. The study, led by scientists from the University of Bern and published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth examined a millennium of earthquake activity along the San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems. Using a physics based model, researchers reconstructed how stress has accumulated over centuries and found that current levels are at histo...