Wednesday, October 29News That Matters

Breaking News

Greater Horn of Africa Braces for Above Normal June–September Rainfall

Greater Horn of Africa Braces for Above Normal June–September Rainfall

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
A new regional climate outlook warns of an above-normal rainy season across much of the Greater Horn of Africa from June to September 2025, raising hopes for improved agricultural output while spotlighting risks of flooding and disease outbreaks. Issued during the 70th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF), the forecast anticipates wetter-than-average conditions across key parts of Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and Djibouti. The forecast was released by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), in collaboration with WMO and national meteorological agencies. Key Rainfall Highlights The seasonal forecast projects a 55% chance of above-normal rainfall in: Central Sudan Eastern South Sudan Northern and southwestern Ethio...
Australia Reels from Deadly Floods: 5 Dead, Thousands Displaced in Southeast

Australia Reels from Deadly Floods: 5 Dead, Thousands Displaced in Southeast

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
Australia southeast is facing a grim aftermath after torrential rains triggered devastating floods, killing five people and damaging over 10,000 properties. The New South Wales mid-north coast has been hardest hit with entire towns isolated, homes destroyed and livestock lost to surging floodwaters. Emergency services remain on high alert, conducting rescues and damage assessments as floodwaters slowly recede. Over 50 rescues were carried out overnight with many residents still sheltering in evacuation centers. The latest confirmed fatality was an elderly man discovered at a flooded property near Taree. Government Mobilizes National Response Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed condolences to the families of those lost and pledged full federal support. In a post on X (for...
NOAA Forecasts Active 2025 Hurricane Season: 13–19 Named Storms Expected

NOAA Forecasts Active 2025 Hurricane Season: 13–19 Named Storms Expected

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
U.S. meteorologists are warning of a potentially busy Atlantic hurricane season for 2025, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicting 13 to 19 named storms 6 to 10 of which could intensify into hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins June 1 and runs through November 30. This above-normal forecast is based on two critical climate indicators: warmer-than-average Atlantic sea surface temperatures and the current neutral phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). These conditions tip the scales toward a more active season though experts stress that forecasting does not equate to guarantees. Warmer Waters and ENSO Fuel Storm Formation Hurricanes feed off warm ocean waters, and current sea surface temperatures are above the 3...
WMO Predicts Stronger 2025 Monsoon Across Asia as ENSO Influence Weakens

WMO Predicts Stronger 2025 Monsoon Across Asia as ENSO Influence Weakens

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has forecasted an above-normal summer monsoon across East and South Asia in 2025, signaling a potentially wetter season for a region that is home to more than 60% of the world’s population. The prediction, issued through the Forum on Regional Climate Monitoring, Assessment and Prediction for Asia (FOCRA II), comes amid a global transition from La Niña to ENSO-neutral conditions. According to seasonal projections consolidated from WMO’s Global Producing Centres for Long-Range Forecasts, the 2025 boreal summer will bring above-average rainfall to large parts of East and South Asia. This monsoon uptick is expected to benefit agriculture-dependent economies but also raises the risk of flooding and landslides, particularly in low-lying and urba...
India Sets Carbon Targets to Kickstart Domestic Market, Faces Design Challenges Ahead

India Sets Carbon Targets to Kickstart Domestic Market, Faces Design Challenges Ahead

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
In a significant move toward launching its domestic carbon market, the Indian government has announced the first set of emission reduction targets under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). While the initial compliance year opts for relatively modest reductions, the government has signaled a steeper decarbonisation trajectory in the years ahead. The strategy appears calibrated to avoid cost shocks in the early phase while nudging industries toward energy efficiency and cleaner technologies. Gradual Targets, Long-Term Vision The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has adopted a cautious approach for the first year, easing industries into the compliance regime. However, starting in the second year, targets are expected to become more stringent, comp...
Two Landslides Devastate Guizhou Province, China – 4 Dead, 17 Missing

Two Landslides Devastate Guizhou Province, China – 4 Dead, 17 Missing

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
A wave of deadly landslides triggered by torrential rains has struck China’s southwestern Guizhou province, killing at least four people and leaving 17 others missing, according to Chinese authorities. The disaster has prompted a large-scale rescue operation involving military personnel and national emergency teams as the region reels under the mounting effects of climate change. The landslides occurred in multiple locations across the province, including Changshi township and Qingyang village. In Changshi alone two people were killed, and several others remain trapped. In Guowa township, 19 residents from eight households were reported missing after homes were buried in debris and mud. As rainfall continues China’s Ministry of Natural Resources has increased the emergency respon...
Plastic Recycling Industry in EU Faces Existential Crisis as Closures Mount

Plastic Recycling Industry in EU Faces Existential Crisis as Closures Mount

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
The European Union plastic recycling sector is teetering on the edge of collapse, hit hard by a combination of economic pressures, rising imports, and surging operational costs. With plant closures doubling in 2024 and continuing into 2025, thousands of green jobs are now at risk posing a significant challenge to the EU’s green transition strategy. Sharp Decline in Production Despite €5 Billion Investment Between 2020 and 2023, Plastics Recyclers Europe reports that the sector attracted €5 billion in investments aimed at meeting EU sustainability targets. Yet despite this significant funding, recycling rates have started to drop. The reasons: rising production costs, soaring energy bills, and growing competition from cheap, low-quality imported plastic much of it with questionable e...
Early Monsoon Onset May Be Strong—But Faces Risk of Stalling Again

Early Monsoon Onset May Be Strong—But Faces Risk of Stalling Again

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
India is set for an early and seemingly strong onset of the Southwest Monsoon, but weather models and past trends are raising red flags about a possible stall. The emergence of twin cyclonic systems one in the Arabian Sea and another in the Bay of Bengal could disrupt the seasonal rains just as they begin. Monsoon Arriving Early Kerala to See Rains Before June 1 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced that the monsoon has already advanced over parts of the southern Arabian Sea, the Maldives, the Bay of Bengal, and Northeast India. According to their May 21 bulletin, conditions are rapidly becoming favorable for the monsoon to reach Kerala between May 24 and May 27 about a week ahead of the June 1 average. Twin Cyclonic Systems Could Disrupt Monsoon Progress Desp...
Europe Faces €28.3 Billion in Annual Agricultural Losses Due to Climate Change 70% Uninsured: Study

Europe Faces €28.3 Billion in Annual Agricultural Losses Due to Climate Change 70% Uninsured: Study

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
A new report reveals that climate change is causing direct and escalating damage to Europe’s agriculture, with annual losses averaging €28.3 billion roughly six per cent of the continent’s total agricultural and livestock output. Startlingly, nearly 70 per cent of these climate-related losses are uninsured or uncompensated, leaving farmers financially exposed to disasters like droughts, floods, and hailstorms. Published jointly by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission the report marks the first comprehensive review of agricultural insurance systems across all 27 EU member states. It paints a grim picture: unless rapid reforms are enacted, uninsured losses in European agriculture could rise from 42 per cent to as high as 66 per cent by 2050. Insurance and risk...
Ice Giant Shatters: World Largest Iceberg A23a Breaks Up Posing Risk to Penguins, Ships and Climate Stability

Ice Giant Shatters: World Largest Iceberg A23a Breaks Up Posing Risk to Penguins, Ships and Climate Stability

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
The world’s largest iceberg, A23a is disintegrating into thousands of smaller ice chunks, posing environmental and navigational threats in the Southern Ocean. NASA’s Aqua satellite, using its MODIS instrument, captured striking images of this slow-motion collapse near South Georgia Island, where the iceberg is currently grounded. A23a with a surface area once estimated at 1,200 square miles roughly the size of South Georgia Island has been slowly breaking apart via a process called "edge wasting." Since becoming lodged again in March, the massive sheet has already lost nearly 200 square miles of ice. NASA reports that the largest fragment so far, dubbed A23c, spans around 50 square miles, while many other splintering pieces still stretch over a kilometre across, making them dangerou...