Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.

Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.
Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.

Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.
Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.

Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.
Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.

Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.
Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.

Huge thanks to this month’s anonymous sponsor, who wishes me to lead with this public notice she spotted and which tickled her: “If special arrangements need to be made to accommodate residents with disabilities in order for them to participate in the public hearing, including a Spanish or Karen interpreter, please call…”


“Even as oceans take up 90% of the heat from global warming, air temperatures over land increase faster than over oceans.

“The land only trendline has already reached +2°C! This is based on observations:“ [Leon Simons]

https://x.com/LeonSimons8/status/1943654812056166714


“We should look at the global temperature change for a longer period than my yesterday’s posts.

“This is NASA GISS data plotted differently [global surface temp relative to 1880 – 1920 mean]. Even with a recent slight drop, global warming is accelerating.” [Makiko Sato]

https://x.com/MakikoSato6/status/1943324893052862772


“Global surface temperatures have continually been running more than 8 standard deviations above the 1941-1970 mean since January 23, 2024.

“If temperatures were normally distributed (they aren’t), 8 SD’s would be about 1-in 1,500,000,000,000,000 (1-in-1.5 quadrillion).” [Eliot Jacobson]

https://x.com/EliotJacobson/status/1943338984010334509


“Bowhead whales are ingesting toxins driven by warming in Arctic, study finds…

“Warming Arctic conditions resulting from climate change are increasing the prevalence and concentration of neurotoxins in the whales’ poop, researchers found. These conditions include shrinking sea ice, expanding tracts of open water and more sunlight penetrating the ocean’s depths.”

https://alaskabeacon.com/2025/07/11/bowhead-whales-are-ingesting-toxins-driven-by-warming-in-arctic-study-finds/


“Lithuania to save Baltic seals as ice sheets recede due to climate change…

“The effects of climate change on the seals’ habitat are severe, as the Baltic Sea, which is shared by the European Union and Russia, rarely freezes over now, depriving the seals of sanctuaries to rear their cubs.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/11/lithuania-to-save-baltic-seals-as-ice-sheets-recede-due-to-climate-change


“Using the coin as a reference object, the largest hailstone in the photo is 11 cm across. This makes it the first giant hail reported (>= 10 cm) in Latvia, at least based on what is available in the ESWD.

“Photograph by Sigita Zaļā in Palsmane.” [Tomas Pucik]

https://x.com/Djpuco/status/1943759965833114015


“Millions of Moscow residents were placed under a heat advisory Thursday as forecasters warned of potentially record-breaking temperatures, just days after powerful storms swept through the capital…

“The heat wave follows two consecutive days of storms that brought down trees and caused damage across the Moscow region, with some areas reporting hail as large as 2.5 centimeters (nearly 1 inch) in diameter.”

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/07/10/moscow-swelters-in-heat-wave-after-powerful-storms-batter-the-city-a89759


“An extreme heat wave is ongoing in DONBAS with daytime temperatures reaching 40C [104F] and night minimums up to 26C.

“This put an extra suffering for the people in the conflict areas. On Sunday we expect the heat to peak to as much as 41/42C.”

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1943674869847146951


“Flash floods hit Lviv after torrential rains swamp western Ukraine…

“The Shchyrka and Zubra rivers burst their banks following heavy rainfall, prompting widespread inundation. Emergency crews have already pumped out more than 10,000 cubic meters of water and rescued eight people, including five children.”

https://english.nv.ua/life/flash-floods-inundate-lviv-and-nearby-communities-after-heavy-rains-50529039.html


“Climate change poses growing threat to UK economy, says BoE official.

“Climate change represents a growing threat to the UK’s economic stability, with the potential to worsen inflationary shocks and trigger the sudden repricing of assets, a top Bank of England official warned on Thursday.”

https://www.ft.com/content/947fd05f-5fbb-40d1-b341-c641d438cbe4


“Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world…

“Switzerland is landlocked and cannot benefit from the buffering effect of the oceans, which are able to absorb large amounts of heat. Globally, continents warm more than oceans. The altitude and morphology of the Alps also play a key role.”

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/climate-adaptation/why-switzerland-is-among-the-ten-fastest-warming-countries-in-the-world/89646710


“On thin ice: a two-day trek down the Alps’ biggest glacier [Aletsch, Switzerland]…

“Since official records began in 1892, its surface level has dropped at different points between 200 and 400 metres, and it has retreated by more than 3km in length. Recently, the pace of destruction has accelerated, and its snout is now shrinking at a rate of more than 50 metres a year.”

https://www.ft.com/content/e903c2ed-32ba-41e1-b41b-b73159a9e93c


“The State Meteorological Agency of Spain (Aemet) issued a red alert on Friday night due to the heavy rains that have fallen in recent hours.

“The Government of Aragon has sent a message to the cell phones of residents near the banks of the Ebro River in Aragon.”

https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/aragon/2025/07/11/ultima-hora-dana-aragon-lluvias-tormentas-granizo-zaragoza-huesca-teruel-directo-1838829.html


“Sea snot: The noxious plague troubling Istanbul’s coast…

“The mucilage is an overgrowth of phytoplankton, which coats the living things in the water with a mucus-like layer of slime that prevent oxygen transfer and can kill fish larvae, eggs, mussels, corals and whatever else comes in its path.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20250710-the-summer-slime-threatening-turkish-beaches


“‘We belong to this land’: Syrians navigate landmines to battle wildfires.

“The scene around Abu Jameel’s destroyed home reflects a broader catastrophe unfolding across Syria’s Mediterranean coast. Wildfires have consumed more than 14,000 hectares (34,600 acres) of land over the past week, according to Syria’s Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Raed al-Saleh…”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/11/we-belong-to-this-land-syrians-navigate-landmines-to-battle-wildfires


“RECORD HEAT IN KENYA. Records everywhere and Kenya is not spared.

“Yesterday MINIMUM temperature of 27.8C [82F] at Lodwar. HOTTEST JULY NIGHT IN KENYAN HISTORY (July is cool season). Previous record was set last year.”

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1943625580584308767


“The heat index reached a ridiculous 129°F (54°C) this evening in Dubai.

“A small glimpse into the future for the Persian Gulf, which could become uninhabitable in the coming decades due to rising temperatures.” [Colin McCarthy]

https://x.com/US_Stormwatch/status/1943132591999033847


“Record again at Aminidivi, [Lakshadweep islands off southwestern coast of] India.

“Minimum 29.0C [84.2F] again, hottest July night in history for the second time in a row. There isn’t one single tropical country from Oceania to Asia which hasn’t been breaking records.”

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1943578388368588813


“Record eight-hour rainfall devastates Lahore [Pakistan], causes widespread flooding.

“Lahore received 136 mm [5.4 inches] of rainfall over eight hours on Thursday, the highest in recent history. Several areas of the city turned into waterways, submerging low-lying neighbourhoods and flooding homes.”

https://english.aaj.tv/news/330423587/record-eight-hour-rainfall-devastates-lahore-causes-widespread-flooding


“Torrential rain floods 80 villages in Cox’s Bazar, 70,000 families stranded [Bangladesh].

“The Cox’s Bazar Meteorological Office recorded 226 mm [8.9 inches] of rainfall over the past 30 hours as of noon Monday. Assistant meteorologist Md Abdul Hannan reported that 146 mm of rain fell between 6am Sunday and 6am Monday, with an additional 80 mm recorded by noon. The heavy rainfall is expected to continue…”

https://www.daily-sun.com/printversion/details/812791


“Tibetan glacial lake drainage triggered deadly flood in Nepal, climate body says.

“The deadly flood in Nepal’s Bhote Koshi River that killed at least nine people and left more than two dozen missing this week was triggered by the draining of a supraglacial lake in the Tibet region of China, a regional climate monitoring body said on Wednesday.”

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/tibetan-glacial-lake-drainage-triggered-deadly-flood-nepal-climate-body-says-2025-07-10/


“Baotou and Bayannur in Inner Mongolia, close to the China-Mongolia border, were hit by extreme rainstorms, with 195 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, equivalent to the local annual rainfall in one and a half years!”

[Jim Yang]

https://x.com/yangyubin1998/status/1943663694942245080


“Japan record rainfall submerges roads in water as drivers wade through severe flooding.

“Footage recorded on Thursday (10 July) shows queues of cars in an underpass in Shibuya, Tokyo driving through huge floods as 100mm of rainfall accumulated across the capital. Multiple “record-breaking short-duration heavy rain” warnings were issued, mainly in the Kanto-Koshin region amid the record breaking rainfall.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/japan-record-rainfall-submerges-roads-flooding-video-b2787380.html


“EAST ASIA RECORD HEAT. More terrible heat in the Koreas and Japan.

“July hottest night in history at Haeju, NORTH KOREA. Min 27.6C [81.7F]. THI’s locally >50C… North Koreans have no AC except Kim and his friends…”

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1943287570999222699


“South Korea mandates breaks for outdoor workers in deadly heat…

“The revision was made following mounting criticism from labour groups and a surge in heat-related deaths among outdoor workers during the relentless and intense heat… On July 7, a Vietnamese day labourer in his 20s was found dead at an apartment complex construction site in Gumi, North Gyeongsang province.”

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/south-korea-mandates-breaks-for-outdoor-workers-in-deadly-heat


“Thai Army assists Nan flood victims as flash floods hit Wiang Sa and Mae Charim.

“On July 11, the Royal Thai Army, through the Disaster Relief Centre of the 38th Military District, dispatched personnel to assist residents affected by severe flooding in Nan province.”

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40052456


“Algal bloom fears grow as video shows dead fish in ‘neon green’ waters near Ardrossan [South Australia].

“New underwater vision shows how the state’s toxic algal bloom has ravaged marine life near the Ardrossan jetty on SA’s Yorke Peninsula. The footage shows scores of fish lying dead in “dark neon green” waters.”

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-12/ardrossan-algal-bloom-update/105522596


“‘It can’t withstand the heat’: fears ‘stable’ Patagonia glacier in irreversible decline…

“”The first year the glacier didn’t return to its previous year’s position was 2022. The same happened in 2023, again in 2024, and now in 2025. The truth is, the retreat continues. The glacier keeps thinning, especially along its northern margin…””

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/11/glacier-patagonia-perito-moreno-decline


“Texas flood rescue teams continue to search for scores of missing people as death toll climbs.

“The search for more than 170 people still missing after flash floods devastated Central Texas stretched into an eighth day on Friday. At least 121 people have been confirmed dead, according to local law enforcement and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.”

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-floods-missing-people-death-toll-climbs/


“How extreme rainfall in New Mexico is linked to wildfires…

“Burn scars caused by wildfires remove vegetation that helps to stop rainwater from flowing above ground into rivers, increasing the risk of a flash flood. More rain is expected in New Mexico and Texas at the weekend.”

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/jul/11/how-extreme-rainfall-in-new-mexico-is-linked-to-wildfires


“Wildfires force evacuations at two national parks in the US west…

“An extreme heat warning was also issued for the lower elevations of the Grand Canyon as daytime temperatures are expected to reach dangerous levels of up to 115F through the weekend.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/11/wildfires-evacuations-grand-canyon


“Flash floods once again hit Vermont, damaging homes and roads.

“Communities in rural parts of Vermont on Friday woke up once again to damaged homes and washed-out roads due to heavy rainfall and flash flooding, making it the third consecutive summer that severe floods have inundated parts of the state.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/vermont-flash-floods-sutton-communities-national-weather-service-b2787475.html


“A large lake near Sachs Harbour, N.W.T. [Canada], which has long been a popular fishing spot, has unexpectedly drained, according to people who frequently use the area…

“Antoni Lewkowicz is a permafrost expert who worked in Sachs Harbour in the 1970s and is now a professor at the University of Ottawa. He says the change at Angus Lake was most likely due to underground ice melting on the south side of the lake.”

https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/1.7581386


“The relative Niño Index shows a *moderate-strength La Niña* possible later this year.

“This modern index accounts for how warm or cool the Niño 3.4 region is relative to the rest of the global tropics and is regarded as a better indicator… It’s a more robust way of measuring El Niño and La Niña amid a warming climate.” [Ben Noll]

https://x.com/BenNollWeather/status/1943673129965949186


“This^^^ is a crucial point, especially now that global warming has accelerated.

“The conventional Ocean Niño Index (ONI) is too high for >15 years, as it compares recent tropical Pacific temperatures (Niño 3.4 region) to ‘centered 30-year base periods updated every 5 years.'” [Leon Simons]

https://x.com/LeonSimons8/status/1943676294132101205


“Global warming may create a “permanent El Nino”, changing the world’s weather patterns.

“Scientists are warning that global warming is disrupting the natural rhythm of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), potentially creating the conditions for a type of “permanent El Niño” climate state, with significant consequences for global weather patterns, food security, more extreme storms and putting large ecosystems in danger.”

https://www.intellinews.com/global-warming-may-create-a-permanent-el-nino-changing-the-world-s-weather-patterns-390632/


“Experts: Which climate tipping point is the most concerning?

“Dr Andrew Hartley: “The tipping point I’m most concerned about is Amazon forest dieback…because of the significance of the carbon cycle and the feedback to the global climate. Also [due to] the effects that Amazon tipping has on food security, both locally and globally.””

https://www.carbonbrief.org/experts-which-climate-tipping-point-is-the-most-concerning/


“Climate anxiety meant I could no longer work as a pilot. But I love flying – and I know we can transform aviation…

“In the future, a long-haul journey might comprise multiple, slower hops in a low-carbon hybrid electric aircraft, while shorter, essential flights, such as those to and from Scottish islands, could be taken in small electric aircraft.”

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/10/pilot-climate-crisis-aviation-industry-flying


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You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back on Monday with an “Economic” thread.