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  A collapse of tropical forests around 252 million years ago may have kept Earth in an extremely hot climate for approximately five million years, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications. Researchers from the University of Leeds and the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan reconstructed ancient vegetation patterns using fossil records and incorporated the findings into a climate model. Their results suggest that the widespread loss of forests during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction weakened natural processes that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, prolonging global warming. The extinction occurred near the end of the Permian period, when Earth’s continents were joined into the supercontinent Pangea. Massive volcanic eruptions i...

Around 75% of the world’s tropical forest areas experienced at least six months of unprecedented simultaneous drought and extreme heat during the 2023–2024 El Niño, raising concerns that such conditions could become increasingly common over the next two decades if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced. A study scheduled for publication in the journal Earth’s Future on October 7 warns that the extreme conditions experienced during the last El Niño could offer a preview of the future climate facing tropical forests. Researchers found that rising global temperatures could intensify droughts damage ecosystems and weaken the ability of forests to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The Amazon is among the regions most vulnerable to this emerging climate pattern. Under a high emi...

Bangkok, Thailand: A community in Bangkok is using scientific data, local risk mapping and emergency preparedness training to protect residents from extreme heat demonstrating how community led initiatives can strengthen urban resilience to rising temperatures. The initiative in the Mahanak Mosque community, located in Bangkok’s Pom Prap Sattru Phai district, was highlighted during the Global Heat Forum 2026, held from October 6 to 9. Researchers, city officials and development partners visited the neighbourhood on October 7 to understand how scientific heat risk assessments can be translated into practical measures to safeguard vulnerable people. The community was identified as a heat hotspot through satellite mapping and health risk assessments conducted under a project led by the ...

October 16, 2026: Early warnings can help save lives during disasters, but receiving an alert does not guarantee that people can take protective action according to new findings from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll 2026 report “Alert to Agency,” highlighted by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). The findings show that four in five people who experienced a disaster in the previous five years reported receiving at least one warning beforehand. However, only 64% of those who received a warning said they were able to act on it, highlighting a significant gap between early warning and effective response. The report underscores the theme of the 2026 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, “Resilience Starts at Home,” which calls for stronge...

  October 16, 2026: Community participation, secure housing rights and inclusive planning are essential to making homes safer from disasters, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), which has highlighted seven initiatives from Asia, Africa and South America to demonstrate how residents can help build more resilient homes and neighbourhoods. Published ahead of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on October 13, the examples support this year’s theme, “Resilience Starts at Home.” UNDRR emphasised that residents often understand local risks better than anyone else, including flood prone areas, overheating homes and evacuation challenges. However, women, young people, older adults, persons with disabilities and families living in info...

  The Union government’s seventh draft notification to declare 56,825.7 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) has renewed debate over environmental protection land use and local livelihoods. Issued on July 27, 2026, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 the draft proposes restrictions on mining quarrying, sand mining, new thermal power projects, red category industries and certain large construction and township projects. However, it does not mandate the acquisition of private land, eviction of residents or a blanket ban on farming. Despite six earlier attempts to finalise the notification, disagreements between the Centre and state governments continue to delay ...

More than 300 glaciers have disappeared from the western United States since the mid 20th century while the total area covered by the remaining glaciers has declined by 35 per cent according to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The study reviewed glaciers across six western states and found that their combined area has continued to shrink with some regions experiencing particularly rapid ice loss. Researchers warned that rising global temperatures are increasing pressure on these mountain glaciers, many of which survive only because of their location in shaded and snow protected areas. In the middle of the 20th century, more than 1,450 glaciers covered approximately 217 square miles (562 square kilometres) across the contiguo...

  El Niño is driving unusual weather patterns across the world, bringing prolonged rainfall to Japan’s capital, Tokyo, and triggering rare flower blooms in Chile Atacama Desert. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that sea surface temperatures could reach record levels between October and December 2026 as the climate phenomenon intensifies. Tokyo recorded 35 consecutive days of rain, the longest such stretch since records began in 1886. The persistent rainfall disrupted tourism, affected vegetable prices and left residents facing an extended period of cloudy and wet weather. According to Japan’s Mainichi Shimbun, central Tokyo received nearly three times its normal rainfall in September. The city recorded only 45.8 hours of sunshine during the month the sec...

  Grape farmers in Maharashtra are facing the threat of severe crop losses as drought and water scarcity put vineyards at risk with growers warning that prolonged dry conditions could destroy vines and affect the 2027 harvest. Nashik district received only 34.3 per cent of its normal rainfall during the South-West Monsoon, which withdrew from the region about a month ago. The rainfall deficit has affected kharif crops, including pearl millet, onions and other rain-fed produce. Farmers said existing water reserves could help sustain vineyards until the December January harvest, but shortages continuing into 2027 could leave established vines unable to survive. Vasantrao Dhikale, a 59 year old grape farmer from Pimpalgaon Baswant, said his five acre vineyard was under threat...

  Antarctic sea ice reached its annual maximum extent on September 14, 2026 recording the third lowest peak in the satellite observation record according to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). The ice covered an estimated 17.59 million square kilometres (6.79 million square miles) highlighting the continued changes in sea ice conditions around the continent. Antarctic sea ice typically reaches its maximum in September towards the end of the Southern Hemisphere’s winter before retreating to its minimum extent in February. Unlike the Arctic, which is an ocean basin surrounded by land, Antarctica is a continent surrounded by the Southern Ocean. This geography allows sea ice to expand over a large area during winter although the ice also extends into warmer latit...