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.

Many thanks to my friend, Barry Smiler, for being May’s sponsor. Do take a look at his website, which nicely complements mine: Climate News · Research · Perspectives. He recently upgraded the site and welcomes any feedback you’d care to offer.


“The latest global temperature data from Copernicus has the planet at a record daily high on May 13th, likely the hottest May 13th in the last 120,000+ years. And El Nino is just getting started.

“We live in interesting times.” [Prof Eliot Jacobson]

https://x.com/EliotJacobson/status/2055267059203006941


“El Niño ocean-atmosphere coupling is coming soon.

“Rising air is predicted to develop across the tropical Pacific, signaling an atmosphere that’s responding to the fast-warming ocean. Weather-related impacts from this building El Niño should begin to be felt over the next month.” [Ben Noll]

https://x.com/BenNollWeather/status/2054919797075492935


“Limiting global warming to 2C would not ‘rule out’ extreme impacts…

“…Fischer warns that from a “risk perspective”, focusing solely on the multi-model mean could give a “misleading picture”. For example, he adds, the changes that specific regions may see could be “much, much higher” than the global average.”

https://www.carbonbrief.org/limiting-global-warming-to-2c-would-not-rule-out-extreme-impacts/


“Climate warming causes bleaching in key Arctic lichen, study finds.

“The study shows how rising temperatures are disrupting one of the Arctic’s most important and widespread organisms, with potential consequences for fragile tundra ecosystems. Lichens – symbiotic organisms formed by algae and fungi – play a vital role in harsh Arctic environments.”

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1128448


“Melting of Greenland ice sheet could release methane ‘fire ice’.

“Seismic surveys and sediment cores suggest that dozens of deep pockmarks on the sea floor were created when Arctic methane stores were disrupted by climate change after the last glacial maximum – and scientists warn it could happen again.”

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2526620-melting-of-greenland-ice-sheet-could-release-methane-fire-ice/


“Cleaning up air pollution could weaken vital AMOC ocean current…

“The smog and soot dirtying the air around the world claim some 7 million lives every year and induce illnesses that affect many others. Yet aerosols – small particles of substances like sulphur dioxide that make up most ground-level pollution – tend to reflect sunlight and brighten clouds, which wards away some of the sun’s heat.”

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2526785-cleaning-up-air-pollution-could-weaken-vital-amoc-ocean-current/


“UK could face first 40C heatwave since 2022 with predicted summer scorchio [104F].

“A so-called ‘Super El Niño’ is predicted to make next year the warmest on record as scientists warn the weather system could push summer temperatures in the UK beyond 40C in 2026.”

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/uk-could-face-first-40c-33943978


“Marine wildlife experts in the Channels Islands are hoping conservation measures will boost the puffin population after thousands died in storms earlier this year.

“Gabriella Stewart of Alderney Wildlife Trust said an estimated 40,000 seabirds had washed up dead on European beaches in late February and early April following severe storms.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g0zyel9plo


“Hundreds of extra French communes recognised as ‘natural disaster’ zones.

“The Journal Officiel issued the announcement on May 14, adding the communes to the existing list of those that have experienced periods of drought and flooding, thereby placing them within the natural disaster range.”

https://www.connexionfrance.com/news/hundreds-of-extra-french-communes-recognised-as-natural-disaster-zones/791021


“Russia’s ‘Huge’ Spring Wheat Delays Risk Lowering Harvests.

“Heavy rains and colder-than-usual weather in Russia have resulted in the worst start to spring planting in many years, risking lower wheat harvests in the world’s top exporter of the grain.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-15/russia-s-huge-spring-wheat-delays-risk-lowering-harvests


“While Central Europe and the Mediterranean will still be cool and rainy (but very harsh heat wave month end in Spain and Portugal), an extraordinary heat wave will sweep European Russia.

“Hundreds of spring records will be pulverized with temperatures up to 35C [95F].”

[Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2055044150098022696


“New fires erupt in Chernobyl exclusion zone after drone strike…

“The agency reported that the fires started on May 14 at around 13:21 local time after the downing of Russian “Geran-2” unmanned aerial vehicles. The blazes were recorded in the area of the Opachitsky Nature Conservation Research Department within the Chernobyl Radiation-Ecological Biosphere Reserve.”

https://caliber.az/en/post/new-fires-erupt-in-chernobyl-exclusion-zone-after-drone-strike


“Experts warn plastic pollution in Mediterranean is putting sea turtles at risk…

“According to data collected by the CRAM Foundation, a marine conservation organisation based in Barcelona, 98 sea turtles were treated last year, most of which had ingested plastic. Analyses of 63 samples, including faeces from recovering turtles and necropsy examinations, found plastic in 74 per cent of cases.”

https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/05/16/experts-warn-plastic-pollution-in-mediterranean-is-putting-sea-turtles-at-risk


“HISTORIC AFRICAN HEAT WAVE:

“Extraordinary hot day and night in ALGERIA Mins 35.2 at 1064m asl. Illizi broke its May record of BOTH Min 31.8 and Max. 46.1… THE MINIMUM (yes MINIMUM!) temperature at Moulay Lahcen at 1054m asl in Algeria was +35.2C [95.4F].” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2055234003964150205


“Cape of storms: Record rainfall figures reported over 3 days [South Africa].

“In Cape Town, the SAWS recorded 191mm of rainfall at Kirstenbosch and 195mm at Kenilworth Racecourse over the same three days. Similar readings were recorded in the Cape Winelands and Overberg districts. At least six people died during the storms, and thousands were displaced by flooding.”

https://www.news24.com/southafrica/weather/cape-of-storms-record-rainfall-figures-reported-over-3-days-last-week-20260515-0735


“Roads gone, crops lost, lights out: Floods push farmers to the brink.

“Charl Herbst, CEO of the Hortgro stone fruit division, says the recent Western Cape storms left producers in an extremely vulnerable position on the back of poor export returns. Photographed is the damage to Tulbagh Valley in the Western Cape.”

https://www.news24.com/business/economy/roads-gone-crops-lost-lights-out-western-cape-farmers-pushed-to-the-brink-20260515-1069


“Somalia’s worst-ever drought leaves millions starving as Trump’s aid cuts and Iran war deepen hunger crisis…

“Food security experts are sounding the alarm, predicting that nearly half a million children could face severe acute malnutrition – a figure higher than those requiring treatment during the droughts of 2011 and 2022, Unicef reports.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/somalia-drought-famine-trump-aid-cuts-iran-war-b2976537.html


“Tehran water consumption hits 3bn litres a day as Iran braces for crisis summer…

“President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued repeated calls in recent days for households and businesses to cut consumption, framing conservation as a national duty rather than a discretionary measure.”

https://www.intellinews.com/tehran-water-consumption-hits-3bn-litres-a-day-as-iran-braces-for-crisis-summer-442872/


“The world’s largest inland body of water is retreating at an alarming speed. From stranded buildings to vanishing habitats, scientists warn the Caspian Sea may be approaching a tipping point…

“…the current drop in water levels, which began in the 1990s, is unlikely to reverse. Predictions point to an even greater retreat this century.”

https://www.dw.com/en/the-sea-that-is-vanishing-in-real-time/a-76813409


“Central Asia faces severe water stress as glaciers melt and infrastructure crumbles…

“For decades, glaciers have acted as a natural reserve, sustaining river systems during the dry summer months when agricultural demand peaks. That buffer is now shrinking… The wider picture points to a system under mounting strain…”

https://anewz.tv/region/central-asia/20124/central-asia-faces-severe-water-stress-as-glaciers-melt/news


“Pakistan: deforestation and record temperatures as the climate emergency escalates.

“Concerns are growing over the effects of deforestation on the climate and public health. Activists are speaking out against the loss of green spaces and urban sprawl, which are exacerbating heatwaves, pollution and drought.”

https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Pakistan:-deforestation-and-record-temperatures-as-the-climate-emergency-escalates-65449.html


“Extreme Heat Now a ‘Regular Reality’ in India, Pakistan: Study.

““Temperatures are being pushed to dangerous levels, making life-threatening conditions more common for hundreds of millions in India and Pakistan,” said Zachariah… The urban and rural poor are often disproportionately exposed to heat due to informal housing arrangements and lack of access to cooling.”

https://earth.org/extreme-heat-now-a-regular-reality-in-india-pakistan-study/


“Explosive winds in the deadly Uttar Pradesh storms a symptom of warming.

“The devastating storms in Uttar Pradesh on May 13 and May 14 that have killed more than 117 people were caused by the interaction of multiple weather systems with wind speeds similar to very severe cyclones in some of the affected areas.”

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/climate-change/explosive-winds-in-the-deadly-uttar-pradesh-storms-a-symptom-of-warming


“Heavy rains trigger floods in Sri Lanka.

“This photo taken on May 15, 2026 shows flooded areas after heavy rains in Gampaha, Sri Lanka. A persistent low-pressure area has brought cloudy skies and widespread showers across several provinces in the country.”

https://english.news.cn/20260515/e30f6466df4746ce872e78c28062c5c2/c.html


“Chinese study finds warming accelerates Himalayan river changes.

“A Chinese-led scientific study has found that global warming is significantly accelerating the bending, migration and reshaping of rivers in the high-altitude Himalayas, offering new evidence of how climate change is transforming one of the world’s most sensitive mountain regions.”

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-05-15/Chinese-study-finds-warming-accelerates-Himalayan-river-changes-1NaH8KrdUS4/share_amp.html


“Jiangxi’s Shangyou County was hit by record-breaking torrential rain, with 210mm [8.3 inches] of rainfall in 12 hours causing severe flooding.”

“Guangzhou was hit by a sudden rainstorm today, with a maximum hourly rainfall of 117.6mm, causing severe flooding on many roads.” [Jim Yang]

https://x.com/yangyubin1998/status/2055486284119097399


“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT – WORLD CLIMATIC HISTORY REWRITTEN – MINIMUMS +24C [75.2F] at 1000m asl in MONGOLIA.

“Never happened anything like this this time of the year in mid-May. Max. Temperatures of 30C at 2000m asl. Another WORLD RECORD event.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054848496914625021


“Early summer heat grips Korea until early next week…

“In Wonju, Gangwon Province, the daytime high reached 31.5 degrees Celsius, marking the highest mid-May temperature since recordkeeping began in September 1971. Paju in Gyeonggi Province also saw a new mid-May record.”

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/southkorea/society/20260515/early-summer-heat-grips-korea-until-early-next-week


“Hail Storm and Floods Hit Yokohama [Japan], Road Turn into Rivers

“Yokohama was hit by extreme weather, including a guerrilla rainstorm accompanied by hail and massive lightning strikes, on Thursday, May 14, 2026. The city’s underground drainage system was unable to accommodate the massive volume of water that fell so quickly.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDW7EBYL-_Y


“More evidence of the relentless deforestation happening across Indonesia.

“This is Beringin Jaya Village in South Sulawesi after yesterday’s flooding. Strip away the forests and the land can’t absorb the rain anymore. Entire communities end up paying the price… [Volcaholic]

https://x.com/volcaholic1/status/2054890408811909359


“INDONESIA AGAIN – every day of the year there is a record hot day or night.

“Indeed, tonight Minimum of 26.4C at Kupang, West Timor, was the hottest ever recorded in May. Bali Airport hasn’t dropped below 27.9C [82.2F] for three consecutive nights – unprecedented in history.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054873831429300436


“Landslides are New Zealand’s most expensive natural hazard, and the costs are rising quickly…

“In total, since 2021 NHC has received 13,000 landslide claims and has paid out NZ$322 million (US$191 million). New Zealand is seeing an abrupt increase in landslide losses, driven primarily by increasingly frequent high magnitude rainfall events.”

https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/new-zealand-landslides


“With a Strong El Niño imminent, concern grows for life on the Galapagos.

“In the 1982-83 event 77% of the penguin population did not survive. 97% of the shallow water coral perished. That’s because cold water upwelling and nutrients are shutdown, as warm water invades the eastern Equatorial islands.” [Jeff Beardelli]

https://x.com/WeatherProf/status/2055294699124953497


“Storms are speeding up carbon loss across the Amazon rainforest…

“Convective storms – the kind of extreme weather events characterised by intense short-duration rainfall and strong winds – turned out to be a stronger driver of biomass carbon turnover than drought-related stress indicators.”

https://www.earth.com/news/storms-are-speeding-up-carbon-loss-across-the-amazon-rainforest/


“After quinoa’s boom, Bolivian farmers face degraded soils and climate stress.

“The 2010-2014 quinoa boom benefited some farmers in the region, but intensified production also brought soil depletion, increased erosion and social conflicts. Climate change and shifts in regional weather patterns have also brought more frequent and irregular frosts, rains and heat, making quinoa production more difficult.”

https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/after-quinoas-boom-bolivian-farmers-face-degraded-soils-and-climate-stress/


“RECORD HEAT IN FRENCH GUIANA.

“Every single tropical country is smashing heat records and the Guyanas are not an exception. Hottest May night in history yesterday at Cayenne Airport with a Minimum of 26.5C [79.7F].” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054912913182208485


“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN MEXICO.

“Insane hot night in the Pacific coast: records of May hottest nights were pulverized with ridiculous margins such as: 29.3C [84.7F] Empalme (it would rank 2nd hottest night in JUNE!); 28.0C Loreto. Tomorrow night Baja California Sur can be even hotter.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054981347500781988


“Gooey blue blobs are washing up on U.S. beaches—here’s why…

“The water must also be warmer than usual, which might explain why so many washed up this year. “There’s a humongous tongue of warmer-than-normal water that’s licking up from the equator,” she says. March 2026 was the warmest March in the U.S. in 132 years, likely due to climate change.”

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/velella-velella-stranding


“Wood burning is reintroducing lead pollution into the air, US scientists find.

“Wood heating is reintroducing lead into the air of local communities and homes, a systematic investigation by academics has found. Overwhelming evidence of lead’s neurotoxicity meant the metal was banned as an additive in petrol more than 25 years ago.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/15/wood-burning-for-heat-reintroducing-lead-pollution-into-the-air-us-scientists-find


“Will the Great Salt Lake hit a new record low this year?

“…“With what’s looking like another hot and dry summer we expect impacts to Great Salt Lake,” the Utah Department of Natural Resources said in an emailed statement. “We continue to urge all Utahns to incorporate all conservation measures as we face extreme drought across the state.””

https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2026/05/15/will-utahs-great-salt-lake-hit/


“Lake Mead’s outlook just went from bad to historically bad.

“Lake Mead just got told its worst fortune yet, with federal forecasters predicting that over the next two years, the reservoir is likely to drop more than 20 feet below its lowest level on record set in 2022.”

https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/environment/lake-meads-outlook-just-went-from-bad-to-historically-bad-3824939/


“A fungal disease, along with climate change, threatens Colorado’s prized peaches.

“A recent survey conducted by Colorado State University in Orchard Mesa found that 100% of the orchards have trees infected with cytospora canker. In some orchards, you can smell the sweetness of gummosis, the sweet oozing of sap from a tree that occurs from injury, stress, pathogen infection or insect damage.”

https://theconversation.com/a-fungal-disease-along-with-climate-change-threatens-colorados-prized-peaches-263246


“Wildfires prompt evacuations, highway closures in northeast Minnesota…

““Multiple local, state and federal agencies are responding to the Stewart Trail Fire, along with numerous aircraft capable of providing water and fire retardant drops,” the center reported in an update just after 8 p.m. “Fire crews are expected to remain engaged with the fire overnight.””

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/05/15/iron-range-gilbert-highway-135-wildfire


“HISTORIC HEAT IN WYOMING AND MONTANA:

“Extremely hot days on Tuesday and Wednesday with several historic records of May highest Temperature, despite being so early in the month. MOST IMPORTANT MONTHLY RECORDS – WY: 96 Greybull, 96 [35.6F] Worland, 95 Sheridan, 93 Buffalo, MT: 97 Big Horn, 92 Bozeman.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2055033249651470783


“A blinding dust storm swept across North Dakota and parts of South Dakota on Thursday, May 14, 2026…

“Driven by a powerful low-pressure Canadian system generating wind gusts between 40 and over 70 mph, the high winds whipped up dry topsoil during planting season. This created blizzard-like conditions that caused multiple vehicular accidents…”

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/15/weather/video/blinding-dust-storm-sweeps-across-north-dakota


“This winter was a tough one’: B.C.’s parks are being battered by extreme weather…

“Across B.C., extreme weather has led to temporary closures of dozens of parks, trails and campsites over the past five years, costing millions in repairs and raising questions about the safety and sustainability of B.C.’s park system.”

https://vancouversun.com/feature/bc-parks-battered-by-extreme-weather


“Vancouver cuts cooling kits as B.C. faces more record-breaking summer temperatures.

“The City of Vancouver has stopped funding a program that provided low-income residents with spray bottles and cooling gel packs… The “cool kits” were part of the Resilient Neighbourhoods Program, which was developed after the 2021 heat dome. That weather event led to 619 heat-related deaths in B.C.”

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-vancouver-cooling-kits-discontinued/


“Summers are getting longer each year, and it isn’t all fun and games…

“We found that the number of days with typical summer weather has been growing 1.5 times faster over the past 30 years than in prior reports. On average, in mid-latitude regions, summers have lengthened by around six days every decade since 1990.”

https://theconversation.com/summers-are-getting-longer-each-year-and-it-isnt-all-fun-and-games-280884


“Scientists find climate change is reducing oxygen in rivers worldwide.

“Researchers in China used satellites and artificial intelligence to track and analyze oxygen levels in more than 21,000 rivers across the globe since 1985. They found oxygen levels have dropped an average of 2.1% since 1985.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/scientists-washington-india-china-science-advances-b2977668.html


“Satellite launches are filling up the atmosphere with pollution, study warns…

“When rockets are launched carrying the satellites, they put black carbon or soot into the upper atmosphere. That lasts much longer than the soot generated on the ground – leading to a 540 times more significant impact on the environment.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/space/launch-pollution-satellite-study-new-b2977364.html


“Israeli tech company aiming to cool the Earth with masses of tiny particles…

“Stardust Solutions had previously kept the makeup of its geoengineering particles a closely-guarded secret, protected with nondisclosure agreements. As it turns out, they are made from amorphous silica, which is a food additive, and calcium carbonate, which is in eggshells and limestone.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-tech-company-aiming-to-cool-the-earth-with-masses-of-tiny-particles-report/


“Declare climate crisis a global public health emergency, experts tell WHO…

“The international spread of vector-borne disease, such as dengue and chikungunya, as well as the health impacts of extreme weather events, global heating, food insecurity and air pollution make the declaration “a public health emergency of international concern” necessary, said the commission’s report…”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/16/who-should-declare-climate-crisis-global-public-health-emergency-experts-say


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 on Monday with an “Economic” thread.