Huge thanks to my sponsor for July, who has asked me to promote the excellent Environmental Coffeehouse YouTube channel. For the uninitiated, the channel covers climate, conservation, pollution, biodiversity, sustainability, and the intersection of environment, society, and policy.
“Breaking News! Code: y-Axis Alert!
“On July 25th, global sea-surface temperatures set a record high anomaly of 0.80°C above the 1991-2020 mean, breaking the previous record of 0.76°C set in January, 2024.
“I had to extend the y-axis to show yesterday’s SST anomaly.” [Prof Eliot Jacobson]
https://x.com/EliotJacobson/status/2081412532913512884
“The 3-year running average for the global mean surface temperature is now 1.54°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial baseline.
“The Climate 8-ball is looking at pictures of kids playing in fountains.”
[Prof Eliot Jacobson]
https://x.com/EliotJacobson/status/2081356813497417744
“El Niño Threatens to Push World Past 2C Warming Threshold.
“A powerful El Niño already beginning to roil weather around the world may push the monthly global average temperature past 2C of warming for the first time on record, according to projections published by a University of Miami-based ocean and atmospheric research center.”
“This is very insane; the latest subsurface anomalies are now approaching 3.0 °C above average, with a max value of 9.1 °C above normal.
“With never-ending westerly wind bursts (WWB) this will push the upcoming El Niño into hyperdrive.” [David Schlotthauer]
https://x.com/Weatherunited1/status/2081813596976369883
“Warmer, drier, more flammable: what climate change means for Sweden’s forests…
“Because of Arctic amplification, warming is strongest in northern Sweden. According to SMHI, the whole country will get warmer, with the biggest increases in the north and in winter.”
“Swathes of Cairngorms unrecognisable after 12 days of ‘cataclysmic’ wildfires [Scotland].
“It is the jewel in the crown of the Highlands, one of Scotland’s most impressive natural landscapes, but 12 days on from the start of an enormous wildfire that is tearing through moorland and forest, the Cairngorms national park is unrecognisable.”
“NHS faces growing summer pressure as heatwaves take their toll.
“The NHS in Wales is facing increasing pressure as prolonged periods of hot weather continue to affect hospitals, ambulance services and frontline staff, according to the latest health performance figures.”
“July set to be the driest, warmest and sunniest on record [Reading Uni, UK]…
“Dr Stephen Burt, University of Reading, said: “Parts of Reading have remained rainless throughout July to date. With little or no rainfall in prospect for the next few days, the entire calendar month is likely to end without measurable rainfall in places.”
“UK restaurants under strain from extreme heat rush to install air conditioning.
“…operators said cooling systems were increasingly crucial to retaining staff and attracting customers as extreme heat becomes more commonplace. “Going forward, air conditioning will be a key focus for all new sites,” said Khalil Rehman, co-founder of pizza takeaway franchise Caprinos.”
https://www.ft.com/content/bd24ab7b-0312-4156-ae8b-4f25bd5223da?syn-25a6b1a6=1
“Europe’s Heat Dome Furnace Returns: Brutal 40+ °C Record Heatwave Builds Into August.
“As July transitions into August, the European continent is bracing for yet another intense heatwave and potentially historic escalation in the excessive heat. Driven by a textbook atmospheric Omega block, a monstrous, long-lasting fourth heatwave of the season will surge northward from North Africa…”
“France firestorm phenomenon: monster clouds that spawn lightning and new blazes.
“…the inferno was no longer simply being propelled by the weather. It was making its own. The thundercloud also produced violent, erratic winds capable of driving the flames in new directions. The phenomenon, called a pyrocumulonimbus is [was] rare in Europe…”
“Fires in France have now burned over 91,000 acres, by far the most of any year since the satellite record started in 2006.
“Current area burned is about 34x larger than this date in a typical (median) year:” [Zeke Hausfather]
https://x.com/hausfath/status/2081949141442191526
“France and Spain race to contain huge wildfires before fresh heatwave begins…
“Spain’s interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said Monday and Tuesday were “absolutely crucial days” before temperatures rise again from Wednesday, prompting prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, to warn: “We face difficult hours, complex hours” ahead.”
“The difference between the French Mer de Glace 2005 and 2026 is almost unbelievable.”
[Iain Cameron]
https://x.com/theiaincameron/status/2080759340701520033
“Giant swing opens high in Swiss Alps as ski resorts prepare for less reliable snow.
“The new BalancAIR attraction lifts three riders to a 90-degree angle at 2,110 meters before releasing them above the valley, part of a broader effort to draw summer visitors as climate change makes Alpine snowfall less predictable.”
https://www.ynetnews.com/travel/article/sj4csprrgl
“Covered roofs, broken windows, flying container – a tornado wreaked havoc during a storm on the west coast and in Glückstadt. [Germany; ironically town’s name means “Luck-town”]
“Due to a broken overhead line, train traffic to Hamburg is affected today… After the tornado that passed through the districts of Steinburg and Pinneberg on Sunday, the clean-up work is in full swing.”
“Violent storm over Genoa during the night: flooding, roads closed, motorists rescued. [Italy].
“A strong storm hit Genoa during the night, hitting Valpolcevera and the western city with particular violence. Numerous floods and fire interventions, while the Fegino stream, already responsible for several floods in the past, was once again frightening…”
“Italian Coast Guard Evacuates 700 People by Sea as Wildfires Approach [SE Italy].
“The Italian Coast Guard on Sunday, July 26, organized an evacuation of more than 700 people, including tourists, after people were fleeing to the beach and into the water as a wildfire approached a seaside town on the Adriatic.”
“Danube drought curbs 0.9 GW nuclear output in Balkans.
“(Montel) Drought conditions affecting the river Danube have led to the shutdown of nearly 1 GW of nuclear power generation in Romania and Hungary, with record low water levels affecting cooling.”
“Three Villages in Kosice Region Declare Emergency Over Hailstorm Damage [Bratislava].
“A storm accompanied by large hail caused damage in several villages in the Kosice region on Monday afternoon, prompting local authorities to declare a state of emergency in the villages of Palin, Zemplinska Siroka and Senne.”
https://newsnow.tasr.sk/three-villages-in-kosice-region-declare-emergency-over-hailstorm-damage/
“Severe weather kills one, injures 13 in Rostov-on-Don [W Russia].
“”Unfortunately, the bad weather brought not only destruction: 13 people were injured, seven of them were hospitalized, and one person died,” he wrote. About 100 incidents were recorded as a result of heavy rain and squally winds.”
https://report.az/en/region/severe-weather-kills-one-injures-13-in-russia-s-rostov-on-don
“Torrential rains triggered flash floods and mudslides in Türkiye’s northern Kastamonu province, inundating residential areas…
“Floodwaters submerged residential neighborhoods and commercial properties, while vehicles and the main highway linking Kastamonu with the neighboring province of Bartın were also inundated.”
https://caliber.az/en/post/heavy-rains-flood-residential-areas-in-turkiye-s-kastamonu-province
“EXTRAORDINARY 51 DEGREES IN ALGERIA – 2 weeks 49/50C and Minimums 35/36C; never seen anything like this in African history.
“ALGERIA – 50.6 [123.1F] Touggourt all time record; (50.4 Ouargla), Min 33.0 Tinalkoun; TUNISIA – 49.2 Tozeur all time record, Min 29.1 Sfax.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2081447350350831778
“Morocco faces repeated heatwaves and fears water shortages…
“In just three months, the country has experienced four heatwaves, with temperatures rising up to 12°C above seasonal averages and the thermometer approaching 50°C in some areas, according to the national meteorology directorate.”
“EXTRAORDINARY EVENT – 40c [104F] IN WINTER. WORLD CLIMATIC HISTORY REWRITTEN – insane mind blowing winter heat in SOUTH AFRICA.
“40C in Namibia, 36.1C in South Africa coast at Alexander Baai (MININMUMS 22/23!). Records pulverized. Temperatures are 10C ABOVE MID SUMMER AVERAGES!” Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2081427522722361795
“Khartoum faces acute water crisis as Nile levels drop [Sudan]…
“A Khartoum State Water Corporation engineer told Sudan Tribune on condition of anonymity that technical teams are confronting unprecedented operating conditions. The receding river course has combined with heavy structural destruction to leave major treatment facilities severely impaired across the capital.”
https://sudantribune.com/article/316652
“The water shortage crisis in Kabul has reached an alarming stage, with millions of the city’s residents facing severe difficulties in accessing drinking water.
“This situation, compounded by economic pressures, has heightened concerns about the future of the capital’s water resources. Kabul relies heavily on underground water sources to meet its needs…”
https://atlaspress.news/en/2026/07/27/kabul-water-crisis-drinking-shortage-groundwater-depletion/
“Flooding forces residents to flee homes by boat in Pakistan.
“AFP journalists witnessed small motor boats chartered by volunteers ferrying residents to safety, but many more were left stranded in Muridke district in Pakistan’s most populous province of Punjab. “It has been four days, and no rescue team has reached us,” said 32-year old Iqra Salman.”
“Heavy rain lash Himachal, landslides bury vehicles, block over 100 roads.
“The Meteorological Department on Tuesday warned of a moderate flash-flood threat in a few watersheds and neighbourhoods of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur and Solan over the next 24 hours.”
“Why Assam is experiencing unprecedented flooding this year…
“In general, experts agree that with climate change, high intensity rainfall events of more than 50 mm or 100 mm in one day, which cause damage and floods, are becoming more frequent, and will increase in coming years.”
“Drought leaves farmland barren [Nepal].
“Western parts of Salyan have been hit by drought due to inadequate rainfall for a prolonged period. Despite the monsoon reaching its mid-season, insufficient rain has begun affecting paddy, maize, millet and other monsoon crops.”
https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/84144
“HISTORIC HEAT IN SIBERIA AND MONGOLIA:
“Another 40C day [104F] with record hot nights. Dozens of Siberian stations pulverized their records of hottest nights with MINIMUMS >25C [77F] even north of 53N latitude.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2081764186221162544
“Western Siberia’s Tyumen region is bracing for potential catastrophic flooding this week after the Tura River, which runs through its capital city, surged to dangerous levels on Monday.
““The main waterway of Tyumen is behaving very unusually this year… There’s a lot of water, the entire floodplain is submerged,” Governor Alexander Moor wrote in a Telegram post on Sunday.”
“Flash Flood at Campsite in Northwestern China Kills 10, Injures 23.
“A sudden flash flood tore through a popular campsite in Gansu province in northwestern China on Sunday afternoon, killing at least 10 people and injuring 23 others after local authorities failed to evacuate tourists despite receiving advance weather warnings.”
“Typhoon Noul made landfall in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, early this morning, becoming the strongest typhoon to hit the city.
“Meteorological stations recorded gusts of 53.6 m/s and sustained winds of 43.7 m/s!”
[Jim Yang]
https://x.com/yangyubin1998/status/2081215749662929131
“Japan sees temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius for record 5th [now 7th, actually] straight day.
“The mercury rose to 40 degrees Celsius or higher in six cities in central Japan on Saturday, including all four prefectures in the Tokai region, Shizuoka, Gifu, Mie and Aichi, marking the fifth straight day that temperatures of 40 degrees or above have been recorded in the country…”
“RECORD HEAT IN THE KOREAS:
“Record heat has been going on for weeks with records broken and rebroken and will just get worse with no end in sight in any foreseeable future. More JULY HIGHEST MINIMUMS – 28.2 [82.8F] Pusan, 27.7 Wando.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2081348389044707685
“NEVER ENDING RECORD HEAT IN SE ASIA. Thailand and Indonesia are living an insanity with hundreds of records smashed for over 1150+ consecutive days every single day.
“Last July records: THAILAND – 37.6 [99.7F] Suvanaphumi AP, High Min 29.5 Tak; INDONESIA (cool season) – High Min. 27.0 Poso.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2081358132912042108
“Drought tightens grip across Indonesia…
“Thousands of households across several regencies have already gone weeks without rain, prompting the National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure, or BNPB, to urge regional administrations to strengthen drought preparedness.”
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202607/27/WS6a66b8dda310986e2b4676b6.html
“Major orangutan study finds Sumatran population fell nearly 20% despite slower forest loss.
“The researchers found that habitat loss alone cannot explain the declines, pointing to additional threats such as killing, conflict and habitat fragmentation. The study is the first comprehensive reassessment of Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutans since a landmark 2016 survey.”
“Genevieve Becomes First Category 5 Pacific Hurricane Since 2024.
“Major Hurricane Genevieve has made headlines across the Pacific, not for threatening cities or causing destruction, but for its sheer power and rapid intensification far from land.”
https://evrimagaci.org/gpt/genevieve-becomes-first-category-5-pacific-hurricane-since-2024-543230
“SUMMER IN WINTER IN PERU. We are already firmly under El Niño rule with the result of a completely non-existent winter along the Pacific coast of South America.
“Tonight it was the July hottest night in Lima, PERU with a full-summer minimum of 22.0C [71.6F]. There won’t be a single cold day.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2081466086680035584
“Chile lost 344,000 hectares of glaciers in 28 years: the retreat is equivalent to 21 times the area of Rapa Nui.
“A study by MapBiomas Agua-Chile revealed that between 1998 and 2025 the country lost 344 thousand hectares of glaciers, equivalent to 21 times the surface of Rapa Nui. The most affected region was Ñuble, which lost 91% of its glacier surface.”
“Uruguay prepares protocols for the risk of El Niño flooding in the spring.
“A central concern is the effect of rainfall in southern Brazil on the flow of the Uruguay River, which runs along the country’s western edge. Rio Grande do Sul has already recorded flooding episodes this month.”
“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN SOUTH AMERICA – mind blowing MINIMUM 28.7 [83.7F] Georgetown is GUYANA HOTTEST NIGHT IN HISTORY.
“40C IN WINTER – insane winter heat in BRAZIL with 38/40C Next days HUNDREDS of records in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2081494447703851219
“Between rains and hurricane winds [Maracaibo, Venezuela]…
“The regional president reported that the strong discharges caused the loss of 300 MW, caused electrical failures that took 36 circuits out of service and temporarily paralyzed the water supply in the Burro Negro and Tulé systems…”
https://www.laiguana.tv/articulos/1567415-entre-lluvias-y-vientos-huracana/
“Endless record heat in the CARIBBEAN:
“34.6C [94.3F] at Caravelle MARTINIQUE is a new record of July highest Temperature. Every single country in the Americas from Canada to Chile has been breaking records.”
[Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2081680277995196537
“‘Mini Dust Bowl’ could be forming in the US, expert warns. Will El Niño make it worse?
“…Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle are seeing large swaths of “extreme” and “exceptional” drought, as of mid-July. For many of those states, the dry season is far from over.”
“EXTRAORDINARY – HOT NIGHT RECORDS smashed all across Central States.
“Records, including all time, broken with huge margins like Minimums of 76F in Colorado Springs and 85F in Salt Lake City and all across the Rockies… Another MINIMUM of 97F/36.1C in Phoenix, Arizona – the first time Phoenix has 2 consecutive Minimums of 95F, but also of 96F and even 97F. [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2081886196079214677
“Las Vegas has just endured 5 straight days of 110°F+: 112, 114, 113, 111, 110.
“The next 7 days look even worse: 111, 111, 112, 115, 117, 117, 115. That would make 12 consecutive days of 110°F or higher, the longest stretch of 110°F in city history.” [Colin McCarthy]
https://x.com/US_Stormwatch/status/2081936712897577468
“Lake Mead inches from new record four years after historic low…
“On Monday afternoon, Lake Mead’s water level measured at 1,041.27 feet above sea level, less than a foot from its all-time low. The Bureau of Reclamation projected Lake Mead to dip below its historic mark by the end of the month.”
“Whales at risk, hungry pelicans: Marine heat wave hits California.
“Surface water temperatures along the California coast are now three to four degrees C above normal… The current heat wave has been ongoing for “about six months,” said Andrew Leising, a research oceanographer at NOAA. What makes it more worrying is that it coincides with the return of El Niño…”
https://phys.org/news/2026-07-whales-hungry-pelicans-marine-california.html
“These Pacific NW fires are explosive!
“The active wildfires in Oregon and Washington have already burned ~1.2 million acres, an area nearly four times the size of New York City! And there’s nothing standing in their way with no rain expected, and a big heat dome growing over the SW into next weekend.” [Jeff Berardelli]
https://x.com/WeatherProf/status/2081592621818896554
“Record-high water temperatures recorded on Niobrara National Scenic River [Missouri].
“The U.S. Geological Survey stream gage at Berry Bridge recorded a temperature of 91 degrees Fahrenheit on July 19, setting a new high. That record was broken just days later, when the water temperature climbed to nearly 93 degrees on July 26.”
“Chicago-area residents reported golf ball-sized hail as severe storms brought destructive and life-threatening wind gusts over 80 mph to parts of the area, leaving thousands without power Monday.
“The storms downed trees, flooded streets, grounded planes and left a trail of damage across several suburbs as they powered through the region.”
“Intense tornado tears through Appleton, Wisconsin…
“If the National Weather Service confirms EF3 damage, this would be Wisconsin’s fourth such tornado of the year. The tornado dissipated over Lake Winnebago between 12:20 and 12:25 p.m. after being on the ground for about 30 minutes.”
“Edmonton mops up — again — in what is officially the rainiest summer on record.
“Edmonton’s soggy summer has officially set a new seasonal record. The news from Environment Canada comes as the city mops up from a Saturday evening storm that rolled through the capital city region, dropping 30 millimetres of rain from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.”
“Another B.C. community evacuated as massive wildfires merge…
“The Pear Lake wildfire merged with the Fiftynine Creek wildfire over the weekend and is now measured at more than 63,000 hectares. The fire also jumped Highway 97.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/11995381/bc-community-evacuated-70-mile-house-massive-wildfires-merge/
“Antalya’s historic old town gears up for COP31 visitor influx [Turkey]…
“Historic boutique hotels in the district are approaching full occupancy for the conference period, as local authorities pursue projects to make the neighbourhood a model for sustainable, low-carbon tourism while preserving its historic character.”
https://www.trtworld.com/article/af4e7e957af9
I rely on donations and tips from my readers to keep the site running. Every little bit helps. Can you chip in even a dollar? Buy me a coffee or become a Patreon supporter. A huge thank you to those who do subscribe or donate.
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
With sinks failing starting from 2008 (if I recall correctly from recent paper) and taking a big step down this year with much warmer ocean surface temperatures, and wildfires going bonkers, CO2 rise this year could be up to 4 ppm. Next year could be worse – bad as the European and Canadian fires are, they may be dwarfed by those coming for Australia and Indonesia as the monster El Nino takes hold. Maybe worse, it looks like it is going to last up to eighteen months even if its intensity declines (although it looks like such a kick to the system I don’t think a return to putative normality can be assured, and it may be that the extreme ocean stratification sticks around in some way, not necessarily as a continued El Nino though).
“I don’t think a return to putative normality can be assured.”
George, that study I keep posting suggests there is a strong possibility that there will be no return to putative normality. This El Nino could very well push several feedback mechanisms (soil moisture regime shift, loss of carbon sinks due to fire, changes to the PDO etc.) past a point where they compound rather than fade.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-66143-7
Swinging While the Mer de Glace Disappears
High in the Swiss Alps, a new attraction has opened. A giant swing that lifts visitors to a ninety-degree angle above a mountain valley before releasing them into a breathtaking arc. It is called BalancAIR, and its purpose is simple: attract more summer tourists. Because reliable snow can no longer be taken for granted.
At first glance, it almost sounds reasonable.
Until you look at the photographs of the Mer de Glace near Chamonix.
Side by side: 2005 and 2026.
In the first image, the glacier still fills almost the entire valley. In the second, a vast expanse of bare rock has emerged. Where there was once ice, there is now a grey field of rubble. The transformation is so dramatic that it almost looks like two different landscapes.
And so…
we build a swing.
It is a remarkable form of adaptation. Rather like a hospital, while its intensive care unit is overflowing, deciding that what really matters is making the waiting room more attractive.
Of course, mountain communities have to survive economically. Hotels, restaurants, cable cars and entire villages depend on visitors. No one would deny that. But sometimes it feels as though the tourism industry is drifting ever further away from what people came to see in the first place.
The mountain is no longer the attraction.
The attraction has become the attraction. The mountain is merely the backdrop.
That may be the greatest dissociation of our time. While one of Europe’s most iconic glaciers is visibly disappearing, we suspend a giant swing above the valley, as if to distract ourselves from what is happening below.
It is as though the landscape is slowly being transformed into a theme park, where the greatest attraction is no longer nature itself, but our attempt to forget that nature is disappearing before our very eyes.
Yeah. Awful. Distasteful.
From Zip,”…nature is disappearing before our very eyes”.
Pan’s link above of the orangutan mother and baby in utter agony filled my eyes with tears.
It won’t be long until untold millions of pics of mothers and babies in utter agony fill C & E day after day…
Bob Shaw Are Humans Smarter than Yeast?
Same reaction here Bob
Duke,
To bad this orangutan couldn’t morph into a giant King Kong…
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/06/facebook-video-shows-orangutan-defending-forest-against-bulldozer/amp/
Heartbreaking.
Humans flexing our power
Destructing the perfect
Anticipating a rescue
From source, price
Unknown
“Destructing the perfect.”
I suppose nature has always been upended by cataclysms, Black Peat – asteroids, flood basalt eruptions, sudden methane releases etc. It just sucks that this time it’s us.
Bob, that picture got me, too. As did one I posted of a rhino killed by poachers a week or two ago.
I don’t want to sensationalise the suffering of these creatures but then I don’t want to sugarcoat either. It is a difficult balance to strike.
The paradigm we have been sold by the Green Spin Machine is one in which we, “Treat the symptom to make the world safe for the pathology.”
Jeff Gibbs made a documentary on that premise which he ends with a sole orangutan 🦧 in a treetop surrounded by a devastated jungle.
https://robertlowrey.blogspot.com/2020/04/michael-moore-presents-planet-of-humans.html
Mer de Merd.
Zip, well said. There is something deeply unsettling about the intersection of leisure activities with climate change.
I think that’s why images like that couple apparently relaxing under a beach parasol on Cap Ferret, whilst a huge pyrocumulonimbus erupts in the background, or those golfers stubbonly finishing their round whilst the Eagle Creek fire rages behind them in Washington a few years ago really stick with people.
“Europe’s Heat Dome Furnace Returns: Brutal 40+ °C Record Heatwave Builds Into August.”
Move as a team
Never move alone
But regardless, welcome
To the TERRORDOME
I still workout to that album and it still sounds great. How can it be 36 years old?! Does not compute. 😂
https://finance.yahoo.com/energy/articles/exelon-ceo-says-ai-data-103000692.html
Ai data center causes blackout. Yeah the tech bros really thought this one out.
I was listening to a variety of music on YouTube today & stumbled across Cameo’s “Word Up”
Here’s a word up for the stupid species, overpopulation. Not to worry, Mother Nature is going to correct that stupidity.