Monday, November 3News That Matters

Environment

Cold Vortex From Mongolia Brings Typhoon-Like Winds Disrupts Life Across Northern China

Cold Vortex From Mongolia Brings Typhoon-Like Winds Disrupts Life Across Northern China

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
Northern China is bracing for a weekend of extreme weather, as a powerful cold vortex sweeping in from Mongolia unleashes typhoon-strength winds heavy snow, and hailstorms, causing widespread disruption. The system has forced major event cancellations, including a half marathon in Beijing suspended dozens of train services, and led officials to urge residents to stay indoors and avoid travel. The Chinese capital, home to over 22 million people, has issued its first orange gale alert in a decade, warning of wind gusts reaching up to 150 kilometers per hour (93 mph). Temperatures in the city are expected to plummet by as much as 12°C, with forecasters suggesting wind speeds may set new April records. The storm’s impact stretches beyond Beijing. Inner Mongolia and parts of northeastern ...
UP Unveils Heatwave Action Plan Amid Rising Temperatures

UP Unveils Heatwave Action Plan Amid Rising Temperatures

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
With scorching summer months looming, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has rolled out a multi-departmental heatwave action plan to shield citizens from soaring temperatures and related health risks. The move comes as the India Meteorological Department predicts above-normal temperatures continuing until mid-May, following the state’s worst heatwave spell in over a decade between March and June 2024. The comprehensive strategy, developed in coordination with the health, urban development, labor, and animal husbandry departments, focuses on both preventive and responsive measures. These include Health checkup camps across the state, Water sprinkling on city roads to reduce surface temperatures, Setting up shaded rest zones in public areas, Awareness campaigns on heatstroke pre...
Hurricane Lab Breakthrough Miami Scientists Unlock Secrets of Wave Growth in Extreme Winds

Hurricane Lab Breakthrough Miami Scientists Unlock Secrets of Wave Growth in Extreme Winds

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
In a first-of-its-kind experiment scientists at the University of Miami’s SUSTAIN (SUrge‐Structure Atmosphere INteraction) lab have taken a major leap in understanding how ocean waves form and grow under extreme wind conditions including hurricanes. This pioneering research offers fresh insights into the air-sea interaction process, which is key to improving weather forecasts, hurricane modeling, and coastal resilience planning. The study, conducted in the university’s high-tech wind-wave tank capable of simulating Category 5 hurricane-force winds, captured a high-resolution profile of air pressure and airflow above moving water. Using a combination of Constant Temperature Anemometry, Particle Image Velocimetry, and Multi-beam Imaging, the team measured more than 1,000 data points per s...
New Floodplain Study Offers Breakthrough in Building Climate-Resilient Communities

New Floodplain Study Offers Breakthrough in Building Climate-Resilient Communities

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
As climate change fuels more intense and frequent storms, strengthening flood mitigation strategies has become a top priority. Lives, agriculture, and critical infrastructure are at increasing risk, particularly in downstream communities where effective flood resilience is essential. A new study from the University of Vermont (UVM) sheds light on a powerful yet underutilized natural ally in this fight: floodplains. Floodplains the low-lying land flanking rivers and streams act as nature’s shock absorbers. By temporarily storing excess water during floods, they reduce flood peaks, slow water velocity, and limit erosion in a process called attenuation. But not all floodplains work the same way. The latest research published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface introduces ...
Australia  Faces 37% Spike in Heatwave Hazards: New Report Warns of Climate Health Crisis

Australia Faces 37% Spike in Heatwave Hazards: New Report Warns of Climate Health Crisis

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
Australia has recorded a sharp 37 per cent rise in health-threatening heatwaves over the past two decades, according to the latest MJA–Lancet Countdown report released this week. The findings come as part of a broader annual assessment tracking how climate change is impacting public health across the nation. Lead author Professor Paul Beggs from Macquarie University, who heads the Lancet Countdown Centre in Oceania, stressed that the data highlights the need for consistent, long-term tracking of climate risks in Australia. “The frequency of health-damaging heat has increased substantially since the 1970s,” he said. The 2024 report covers five major domains: health impacts, adaptation, mitigation efforts, economics, and public engagement. One standout concern is the growing intersecti...
Rapid Agricultural Driving Severe Groundwater Depletion Despite Rising Rainfall in Thar Desert

Rapid Agricultural Driving Severe Groundwater Depletion Despite Rising Rainfall in Thar Desert

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
New study has revealed a striking transformation in the Thar Desert long known for its arid climate showing significant greening across both monsoon and non-monsoon seasons between 2001 and 2020. But behind this apparent revival lies a looming ecological concern: groundwater depletion, driven by rapid agricultural and urban expansion. Researchers compared the seasonal cycle of vegetation greenness between 2001–2010 and 2011–2020, finding a substantial rise in greenery during both summer monsoon (June–September) and the drier months (October–May). However, they traced this trend back to a dramatic surge in farming activity and irrigation. Between 1980 and 2015, the Thar region witnessed a 74% rise in crop area and a 24% increase in irrigated area. Gross and net irrigated areas expande...
Brazil Pushes Fast Track Global Climate Action Proposal But Europe Warns Against Weakening UN Climate Process

Brazil Pushes Fast Track Global Climate Action Proposal But Europe Warns Against Weakening UN Climate Process

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
As the world struggles to stay on track with its climate goals, Brazil has come forward with a bold idea create a new Climate Change Council under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to speed up global decision-making and implementation. The proposal is being floated ahead of the COP30 climate summit, which Brazil is set to host in Belem later this year. According to Brazilian officials, the aim of the council would be to bypass the current sluggish pace of international climate negotiations and provide a more agile mechanism for action. The suggestion was a key talking point during the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin. While the idea has caught the attention of several European countries namely Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden they have voiced...
Telangana University Land Taken Forest Cut  2,000 acres at Kancha Gachibowli

Telangana University Land Taken Forest Cut 2,000 acres at Kancha Gachibowli

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
In a move that has sparked outrage the Telangana government has unveiled a grand plan to build one of the world largest eco parks by taking over 2,000 acres at Kancha Gachibowli land that includes the University of Hyderabad campus. But what’s being called an ‘eco dream’ by the state feels like a green disaster to many on the ground. Just weeks ago, 400 acres were marked for auction. But after protests and legal action, including intervention by the Supreme Court, the government didn’t back down it doubled down. The new plan? Remove UoH, shift it outside the city, and use the entire land for the park project. Students and environmentalists are calling this a cover-up for the damage already done. Large patches of green have been cleared, trees cut, and the local ecosystem visibly dist...
El Niño Now Lasts Longer Hits Harder Scientists Warn of Deepening Global Crisis

El Niño Now Lasts Longer Hits Harder Scientists Warn of Deepening Global Crisis

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
El Niño, the notorious climate disruptor, is evolving and not in a good way. Once known for its irregular but relatively short-lived bouts of weather chaos, new research reveals that both El Niño and La Niña are now persisting longer, bringing amplified and prolonged destruction to ecosystems, economies and communities worldwide. Triggered by shifts in Pacific Ocean temperatures, El Niño and its cold-phase counterpart La Niña have long reshaped global weather drying out regions like Africa and Australia, flooding the Americas, and damaging agriculture and fisheries. The 1997-98 El Niño alone caused an estimated $5.7 trillion in global income losses. But what's emerging now is far more alarming. A recent study combining fossilised coral records and cutting-edge climate models revea...
Are the World’s Water Towers Running Dry? UN Report Warns of Glacier Crisis

Are the World’s Water Towers Running Dry? UN Report Warns of Glacier Crisis

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
Half of the world’s population faces severe water scarcity for part of the year, and the situation is worsening as mountains and glaciers the planet’s natural water towers are melting rapidly, according to the United Nations World Water Development Report 2025. The report highlights that glacier retreat is threatening freshwater supplies for over two billion people worldwide. The crisis is further compounded by the fact that 3.5 billion people lack access to safely managed sanitation, creating a severe water security challenge. With 2025 designated as the "International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation", the UN is emphasizing the urgent need for global action to protect these critical freshwater reserves. Scientists warn that unchecked global warming could accelerate glacier loss, wors...