Daily updates on climate change and the global economy.

23rd May 2026 Today’s Round-Up of Climate 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.


“Breaking News!

“May 21st saw yet another daily record for the global sea surface temperature, with El Nino just getting started.

“And the other 3 lines in that snapshot? 2023, 2024 and 2025.” [Prof Eliot Jacobson]

https://x.com/EliotJacobson/status/2057841074975260894


“Sea level rise is speeding up and scientists now know exactly why.

“The world’s oceans are rising at an accelerating pace, and scientists now say they can fully explain what’s driving it. Warming seawater is the biggest factor, while melting glaciers and polar ice sheets are increasingly pouring more water into the oceans each year.”

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260522023116.htm


“Antarctic Treaty meeting in Hiroshima fails to reach accord.

“The 48th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting ended its 11-day session in the city of Hiroshima on Thursday without reaching an agreement on key issues, including the protection of emperor penguins.”

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/05/22/japan/antarctic-treaty-meeting-no-accord/


“With Hormuz shut, Norway urges EU to rethink Arctic oil ban…

“In submissions to the EU’s public consultation on its Arctic policy, which closed in March, Norway’s Equinor and a lobby group backed by Shell, TotalEnergies and ConocoPhillips also urged the EU to drop the effective ban on Arctic drilling.”

https://euobserver.com/218137/with-hormuz-shut-norway-urges-eu-to-rethink-arctic-oil-ban-despite-analysts-and-environmentalists-doubts/


“Record heat continues in RUSSIA. Fifth consecutive day >30C [86F] north of 60N latitude – Unprecedented in spring.

“Today’s May records of highest temperature include: Gagarin, Uglik,V. Volocek, Ustyuzhna,etc. 30C is being recorded close to the Arctic Circle.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2057520464717590718


“Snow Melt Triggers Flooding in Far East Russia’s Buryatia.

“Melting snow has triggered flooding between the southern shores of Lake Baikal and northern Mongolia in Far East Russia’s republic of Buryatia, killing at least one person, according to regional emergency authorities.”

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/05/22/snow-melt-triggers-flooding-in-far-east-russias-buryatia-a92821


“Large-scale forest fire breaks out near the combat zone in Kharkiv region [Ukraine].

“A forest fire broke out on the territory of the Artemivske forestry of the Izyum forest district. Due to severe drought, wind, and proximity to the combat zone, the fire is spreading rapidly across forest areas.”

https://unn.ua/en/news/large-scale-forest-fire-breaks-out-near-the-combat-zone-in-kharkiv-region


“Climate change seeing roses bloom earlier than ever [UK].

“…flowering at the likes of Chartwell House in Westerham, Kent, is being brought forward from its traditional June high point, with this year’s first rose arriving as early as March. The shift has been driven by a milder, wetter winters and unusually warm spells in spring…”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgjpw966p1po


“Health alerts for bank holiday weekend as record May heat forecast in UK…

“The UK is forecast to have its hottest ever day in May over the long weekend, marginally exceeding the 32.8C recorded around parts of London, West Sussex and Kent more than 80 years ago, on 29 May 1944.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/may/22/heat-health-alerts-bank-holiday-weekend-forecast-record-may-temperature-uk


“We can say it clearly now: we are heading toward one of the most spectacular thermal events ever observed in France across all months combined, totally outside the statistical range of anything known so far in May.

It’s absolutely insane: the national heat record for the month of May could be broken, with over 36-37°C expected in France for SEVERAL DAYS.” [Dr Serge Zaka]

https://x.com/SergeZaka/status/2057850278251016627


“Girl, two, dies after being left in car as extreme heat sweeps Spain…

“Spain has been bracing for the kind of heat more commonly associated with midsummer. The state meteorological office, Aemet, said the “exceptionally high temperatures” could reach 36-38C [100.4F] in some southern parts of the country.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/21/girl-dies-car-extreme-heat-spain


“Severe Hailstorm and Flooding Devastate Farmland in Central Greece…

“Officials said thousands of acres of agricultural land were flooded, while thousands more suffered significant crop damage from the intense hailfall. The full scale of the destruction remains unclear, as many fields are still covered by water.”

https://www.tovima.com/world/severe-hailstorm-and-flooding-devastate-farmland-in-central-greece/


“Floods, landslide kill three in country’s south [Turkey].

“Severe rainfall has battered the southern province of Hatay, as one person was killed after a house collapsed in a landslide, another died when a collapsing overpass sent a vehicle plunging into a creek bed and a man lost his life after being swept away by floodwaters.”

https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/floods-landslide-kill-three-in-countrys-south-222416


“From abundance to scarcity: How climate change is hurting Nigerian farmers…

“What was once one of Nigeria’s simplest pleasures, roasted corn eaten casually by the roadside, is quietly slipping out of reach. When the seasons stopped making sense. In Ogun State farms, one of the farms where Nigeria’s food system begins, the problem is already deeply felt.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/05/from-abundance-to-scarcity-how-climate-change-is-hurting-nigerian-farmers/


“Record heat again in MADAGASCAR.

“Yesterday Antsiranana (formerly known as Diego Suarez) re-broke its record of May highest temperature with 34.6C [94.3F].” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2057875794215526442


“Kenyan communities protest planned nuclear plant near Lake Victoria…

“The presence of a nuclear power plant near the ecologically sensitive Lake Victoria is also raising alarm among fishing communities that depend on the lake for sustenance and their livelihoods… The lake and its extraordinary biodiversity are already compromised by climate change and invasive species.”

https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/kenyan-communities-protest-planned-nuclear-plant-near-lake-victoria/


“Drought and displacement affect millions in Somalia and Ethiopia…

“More than 6.5 million people, approximately 1 in every 4 Somalis, now face high levels of acute food insecurity, according to the widely used Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). More than 2 million people are in IPC Phase 4, indicating extreme food gaps and a high risk of malnutrition and death.”

https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/drought-and-displacement-affect-millions-somalia-and-ethiopia


“Cancer Risks, Toxic Gases, and a $3 Billion Price Tag: Iraq Confronts Its Plastic Waste Crisis.

“Every day, across Iraq’s cities and towns, approximately 40 million people discard around one kilogram of waste each. Some 400 grams of that is plastic. Multiplied across the population, the result is staggering: nearly 16,000 tons of plastic waste generated every single day.”

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/915610


“Flooding In Baghlan Kills 15 People [Afghanistan].

“The Taliban governor’s spokesman in Baghlan Province said on Friday that at least 15 people were killed in overnight floods, which also destroyed more than 200 homes and vast areas of farmland.”

https://www.afintl.com/en/202605220709


“Floods in the southern region of the country and on Issyk-Kul Lake: Floodwaters flood houses and destroy bridges [Kyrgyzstan].

“See the collapse and damage of one of the vital bridges due to the devastating floods that struck the Aksy District area affiliated with Jalal-Abad Province.”

https://x.com/Arab_Storms/status/2057876307539804509


“Himalayan rivers are becoming dangerously unstable as glaciers melt…

“According to a new study, these rivers are becoming dangerously unstable. They are shifting course faster than at any point in recorded observation, increasing the risks to nearby communities, farmland, and infrastructure.”

https://www.earth.com/news/himalayan-rivers-are-becoming-dangerously-unstable-as-glaciers-melt/


“Water As A Weapon In The Nuclearized South Asia: The Relevance Of Indus Waters Treaty…

“..Indian infrastructure development upstream in the western rivers goes against the technical and legal provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty [and] underlines a new threat for the region, which is the securitization and possible militarization of water in the region characterized by military rivalry, unstable nuclear deterrence, and worsening climate conditions.”

https://www.eurasiareview.com/21052026-water-as-a-weapon-in-the-nuclearized-south-asia-the-relevance-of-indus-waters-treaty-oped/


“Heatwave grips India as record temperatures disrupt schools and close shops.

“The India Meteorological Department warns that these conditions are likely to persist across several northern regions, with temperatures remaining well above seasonal averages. Climate experts attribute India’s rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves to human-made climate change.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/india-heatwave-record-temperatures-delhi-b2981280.html


“Torrential rains cause havoc countrywide [Sri Lanka].

“Heavy and persistent rains lashed several parts of Sri Lanka yesterday, triggering flooding, transport disruptions, flight diversions and multiple disaster warnings as water levels rose in key river basins and low-lying urban areas.”

https://island.lk/torrential-rains-cause-havoc-countrywide/


“New extreme rainfall records set in mainland China! From May 18th to 22nd, 2026, the rainfall in Yangjiang Xiashuang (AWS):

1058.5 mm in 24 hours
1555.5 mm in 48 hours [61.2 inches]
1767.0 mm in 72 hours.

“This broke the records for the highest 48h & 72h rainfall in mainland China!” [Jim Yang]

https://x.com/yangyubin1998/status/2057814760935366741


“Guangdong floods prompt class suspensions, evacuations as monsoon rains intensify.

“Affected by floodwaters in the upper reaches of the Tanjiang River, the Changsha hydrological station is expected to reach a peak water level of around 2.4 meters… exceeding the warning level by 0.4 meters, putting the whole of Kaiping city under severe flood prevention pressure, the statement said.”

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202605/21/WS6a0ec45ea310d6866eb49f70.html


“Rescue efforts intensify in China’s Hunan as record floods kill 6, leave 10 missing.

“Rescue operations are in full swing in central China’s Hunan Province after record-breaking rains triggered devastating floods, killing at least six people and leaving ten missing as of Thursday morning, local authorities said.”

https://www.bastillepost.com/global/article/5876010-rescue-efforts-intensify-in-chinas-hunan-as-record-floods-kill-6-leave-10-missing


“EXTRAORDINARY WARMTH IN JAPAN:

“52 stations recorded their hottest spring night in history yesterday with Minimums locally >23C [73.4F] (like in August). See below: In Total 118 records fell in Japan in just 5 days in this historic spring heat wave.”

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2057737773562380461


“‘Heat acclimation’ important to prevent heatstroke even in May: Japan experts.

“As “summer days” with temperatures soaring to 25 degrees Celsius or above have already been observed in many areas in Japan, experts are underscoring the importance of “heat acclimation,” or getting the body used to the heat in preventing heatstroke.”

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260518/p2a/00m/0li/013000c


“RECORD HEAT PHILIPPINES & INDONESIA:

“Minimum temperature 27.0C Palangkaraya (Borneo) Highest ever recorded in its climatic history. Minimum 27.6C Tuguegarao also its Hottest night in history. 11 days >39C [102.2F] and many more to come. Harshest heat wave ever in the Philippines.”

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2057822268936335644


“Crazy how much ice Viedma Glacier in Patagonia (2nd largest in south America) has lost recently!

“Pic from yesterday, where you can see the right margin almost reaching the south tributary valley occupied by Laguna del Viedma (that used to drain into Lago Viedma).” [Melaine Le Roy]

https://x.com/subfossilguy/status/2057861065673781702


“Forest fires in Patagonia increase tenfold: Greenpeace warns of the worst season in six decades.

“The satellite data shows that most of the damage was concentrated in Chubut (60,304 hectares), followed by Santa Cruz (290 hectares), Neuquén (238 hectares), and Río Negro (13 hectares).”

https://noticiasambientales.com/environment-en/forest-fires-in-patagonia-increase-tenfold-greenpeace-warns-of-the-worst-season-in-six-decades/


“The Brazilian Supreme Court Makes Way for the ‘Grain Train’…

“A nearly 600-mile railway that would cut through the heart of the Amazon rainforest got one step closer to reality Thursday when the Brazilian Supreme Court ruled that a national park could be resized to accommodate its passage.”

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22052026/brazil-supreme-court-greenlights-amazon-grain-train/


“HISTORIC HEAT WAVE IN COLOMBIA.

“Endless extreme heat all over the country with records in several regions including 40.5C [104.9F] Valledupar, 37.0C Cartagena and 33.8C Medellin.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2057555901121187850


“UNBELIEVABLE – HONDURAS DID IT AGAIN.

“43.1C [109.6F] at Choluteca is HOTTEST DAY IN HONDURAS’ HISTORY and 11th monthly national record broken in 21 days!”

[Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2057724145756938417


“Floods in Pachuca are due to “extraordinary issues” [Mexico]…

“”Rain accompanied by wind and hail generate damage, no matter how prepared an infrastructure was, it happens anywhere in the world.” As a result of the recent rainfall, damage was recorded in government facilities, shopping centers and private homes…”

https://sintesis.com.mx/hidalgo/2026/05/22/inundaciones-en-pachuca-son-por-cuestiones-extraordinarias-menchaca/


“Rare: after days into the 108/115F in The West or Texas, the US National highest temperature on May 20nd dropped to 100F in few places including one station in NEW JERSEY which is more unique than rare.”

[Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2057355156090507524


“Are Dust Storms the New Hurricanes?

“…last week, Fargo, along with stretches of the rest of the Dakotas, Minnesota and Montana, spent days blanketed in vast dust clouds, kicked up by winds gusting to 70 miles per hour. Some of these turned into swirling “dirtnados…””

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2026-05-21/dakota-dust-storms-expose-a-150-billion-economic-nightmare


“Bad outlook for U.S. winter wheat crop gets worse.

“Many suspected the U.S. hard red winter wheat crop was in bad shape following months of drought across the Southern Plains. Few foresaw it getting this bad… Smaller crops expected in the U.S. as well as other top producers including Argentina, Australia and Canada should shrink the global balance sheet…”

https://www.farmprogress.com/marketing/usda-forecasts-smallest-us-winter-wheat-crop-since-1965-as-drought-devastates-key-growing-regions-in-the-plains


“West Braces for Critical Water Shortages After Unprecedented Snow Drought…

“This year’s peak snowpack will be the new benchmark low for Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico; there are no comparable years. In these states, snow water equivalent (SWE) around April 1, the usual peak date, was 32- 53% lower than the previous record low…”

https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/snow-drought-current-conditions-and-impacts-west-2026-05-14


“Gov. Cox declares state of emergency for Utah’s drought…

“”We are coming off a winter that was the warmest on record, by nearly three degrees. Unfortunately these warmer temperatures are expected to continue through the summer,” the governor said at a news conference at Little Dell Reservoir.”

https://www.fox13now.com/news/utah-drought/gov-cox-declares-state-of-emergency-over-drought


“Fish out of water: Historic drought leaves little water for endangered species in critical stretch of Colorado River.

““It is really clear to me that we do not have enough tools in our toolbox to be able to manage for conditions like we have this year in the 15-mile reach,” said Julie Stahli, recovery program director. “We are so far outside the bounds of what we have ever seen before, that it’s really just hard to be able to make any good decisions.””

https://www.montrosepress.com/news/fish-out-of-water-historic-drought-leaves-little-water-for-endangered-species-in-critical-stretch/article_55362270-5433-4644-bce7-d02a5ab2c400.html


“Why an immense marine heatwave off the US west coast has alarmed scientists…

“As recently as early April, marine scientists had hoped that the heatwave might diminish and the worst of its effects might be avoided. However, new projections released last week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) show it is now expected to expand and strengthen in the months to come.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/22/marine-heatwave-west-coast


“Vampire Planet: When the Oceans Die…

“What this current El Niño means for krill and seabirds remains to be seen, but if the past few months are any indication of what lies ahead, it’s not looking good.”

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/05/22/vampire-planet-when-the-oceans-die/


“The network watching the world’s oceans is under pressure – just when it’s needed most…

“We found that if observations from a single major contributor, the United States, were withdrawn from GOOS, errors in estimates of how fast the ocean is warming would jump by 163% – worse than randomly losing 80% of all global ocean data.”

https://theconversation.com/the-network-watching-the-worlds-oceans-is-under-pressure-just-when-its-needed-most-283365


“Global lake anoxia is projected to intensify under climate change.

“Climate change, the paramount challenge of the 21st century, is affecting virtually every ecosystem across the globe… oxygen depletion is projected to become more frequent and prolonged, particularly in nutrient-rich lakes, where many are expected to experience extended oxygen-free conditions.”

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44458-026-00093-z


“Hotter 2026 and El Nino could trigger extreme fires…

“The world could see a “particularly severe year” of wildfires fueled by climate change and a potentially strong El Nino weather phenomenon after a record-breaking first few months of 2026, researchers warned Tuesday… Record-breaking burn areas have been observed in almost all countries in West Africa and the Sahel region.”

https://www.dw.com/en/el-nino-forest-fires-drought-extreme-weather-heat-climate/a-77137100


“UN backs historic climate crisis ruling, despite US attempts to stop resolution.

“The US joined Saudi Arabia, Russia, Israel, Iran, Yemen, Liberia and Belarus in opposing the resolution on Wednesday. Cop31 climate summit host Turkey, India, and oil producers Qatar and Nigeria were among those abstaining.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/21/un-vote-support-icj-world-court-climate-change-opinion


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

21st May 2026 Today’s Round-Up of Climate 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.


“Updated ERA5 daily global temperature plot. 2026 just set a new record for day 134: 15.922°C

“Previous record: 15.798°C in 2024.

“That’s extraordinary by itself — but even more so because this is happening before El Niño has really found its footing. The warming baseline is doing a lot of heavy lifting now.” [The Global Warmer]

https://x.com/TheGlobalWarmer/status/2057146643078652414


“There are few modern comparisons to this big blob of warmth across the undersea Pacific — called a Kelvin wave.

“Its intensity rivals what occurred at this time in 1997. But there is more warm water available in 2026 that could further boost El Niño’s eventual strength.”

[Ben Noll]

https://x.com/BenNollWeather/status/2057089541983637720


“Climate change is destroying Arctic cultural heritage sites…

“In this study, researchers explored preservation patterns at the 17th-century whaling site of Likneset in the Svalbard archipelago. Comparing the results of excavations from the 1980s to those from the 2010s, the team observed a significant increase in erosional damage to grave sites along the coastline.”

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1128153


“The Arctic’s vanishing caribou…

“These large, migratory animals are facing a catastrophic decline that could destroy not just the species but a connection to thousands of years of history for local Arctic communities. In the mid-1980s local surveys counted around 470,000 adult Bathurst caribou. Last year that figure had fallen to just over 3,600.”

https://www.ft.com/content/884c848a-d682-4ca9-a3a2-5cbe1bfe4710?syn-25a6b1a6=1


“One of the fastest warming regions of the Arctic is around the Barents Sea.

“April 2026 was yet another month with unusual temperature anomalies around that area (>5°C above the 1981-2010 climatological average).” [Zack Labe]

https://bsky.app/profile/zacklabe.com/post/3mmbubxqgkc2b


“EXTRAORDINARY, HISTORIC HEAT IN NORTHERN RUSSIA.

“Insane heat 5C+ warmer than JULY averages up to 60 latitude: 33.0 [91.4F] Micurinsk, 32.0 Vohma, 31.6 Vologda etc. Records smashed everywhere both of High Max and High Min.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2056762932231327759


“Moscow Bakes in Record Heat Just Weeks After Late-Spring Snowstorm…

“Meteorologists say the unseasonable high temperatures are being caused by a stagnant, high-pressure atmospheric blocking system centered over the Ural Mountains… Meanwhile, southern Russia has been battered by severe thunderstorms, flash floods and mudslides…”

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/05/19/moscow-bakes-in-record-heat-just-weeks-after-late-spring-snowstorm-a92794


“EXCEPTIONAL 30C [86F] IN FINLAND.

“Insane heat wave in NE Europe with 30.2C [86.4F] in FINLAND well above 60 latitude. The record earliest 30C in Finnish history is 19 May. May records broken: 29.3CJoensuu, 28.6C Kajaani, Sotkamo, Valtimo, Tohmajarvi, Juuka Niemela etc.. Historic.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2057175804610535540


“Estonia’s “forest people” are watching their woods disappear.

“…under the growing demand for wood biomass. Considered by the EU as a renewable energy source, the large-scale logging is leading to a loss of biodiversity. And Estonian forests are now producing more emissions than they can absorb.”

https://voxeurop.eu/en/estonia-forest-people-woods-deforestation-logging-biomass/


“Scientists say four-day moorland blaze was UK’s first megafire [NE Scotland]…

“A wildfire that burned for four days across parts of the Highlands and Moray last year was the UK’s first megafire, researchers say. They said the fire on Dava Moor almost torched as much land as typically burns across the UK in an entire year.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8d80g8y166o


“UK ‘built for climate that no longer exists’ and needs urgent changes to survive global heating, report warns…

“Air conditioning should be installed in all care homes and hospitals within the next 10 years, and in all schools within 25 years, according to the Climate Change Committee (CCC)… The government should also set a maximum temperature for working…”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/20/uk-built-for-climate-that-no-longer-exists-and-needs-urgent-changes-to-survive-global-heating-report-warns


“British farms face ‘unviable’ future as climate extremes intensify.

“British farms could become unviable in the worst years of climate disruption unless urgent action is taken to protect food production from heat, flooding and drought, the government’s climate advisers have warned.”

https://www.farminguk.com/news/british-farms-face-unviable-future-as-climate-extremes-intensify_68518.html


“Record (literally) Heat Dome for May builds over West-Central Europe the next several days.

“Peak temperatures will reach 15° above normal in Spain, France and Germany as well as surrounding areas [including parts of UK]. Maximum temperatures will reach 39°C/ 102°F into next week, with the highest in SW Spain.” [Jeff Berardelli]

https://x.com/WeatherProf/status/2057074452395872766


“May heatwave! The 1st near-heatwave of the season starts tomorrow. This translates in the Alps by an ‘explosion’ of snow/ice melting.

“Snow depth is -25% / normal. With this event, we’ll reach melt levels similar to the record 2022!” [Melaine Le Roy]

https://x.com/subfossilguy/status/2057012153874317742


“Swiss glacier shows instability near disaster‑hit Blatten.

“Almost a year after the glacier collapse that destroyed the Swiss mountain village of Blatten, another ice giant in the same Alpine valley threatens to partially collapse. Authorities have stepped up monitoring but say the risk remains limited.”

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/glaciers-permafrost/swiss-glacier-shows-instability-near-disaster%E2%80%91hit-blatten/91446693


“A state of emergency to tackle drought [Greece].

“Island municipalities grappling with chronic water scarcity are taking measures to speed up the process of renting desalination units… Astypalaia has become the sixth Greek island after Symi, Patmos, Leros, Meganisi along with part of Corfu to declare a state of emergency due to water shortages from 2025.”

https://www.ekathimerini.com/in-depth/society-in-depth/1304104/a-state-of-emergency-to-tackle-drought/


“Inside Portugal’s huge operation to beat wildfires with Black Hawks, bulldozers and firefighters…

“Devastating wildfires gripped Portugal in 2025, when more than a quarter of a million hectares of land burned. With fears that this year could be even worse, Portugal has mounted an intensive nationwide operation to clear fallen trees and dry leaves – the tinder that wildfires thrive on.”

https://www.euronews.com/2026/05/20/storms-set-stage-for-wildfires-how-portugal-plans-to-face-a-terrible-summer


“EXTRAORDINARY: ALMOST 50 DEGREES [122F]. Worst African heat wave in history:

“49.3C Aswan EGYPT, 49C Dongola SUDAN, 48.0C Faya CHAD HOTTEST DAY EVER: Records of Hot nights as well: 32.0 Shalatin, 30.8 South Valley, 30.2 Kufra LIBYA.”

[Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2056810605508538666


“SUMMER NIGHT IN SOUTH AFRICA:

“It’s almost winter in South Africa, yet tonight it was an insanely mid summer night in Cape Town with a minimum of 19.9C [67.8F]. Record May High Minimums were broken nearby: 18.2 Slangkop, 17.2 Robben Island. More summer warmth tomorrow.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2056715772425060520


“Wheat production in Iraq’s Diyala has dropped by 50–55% this season after severe water shortages forced authorities to reduce cultivated areas…

“Director General of Diyala Agriculture Directorate Iyad Al-Jubouri told Shafaq News that severe water shortages at the start of the season forced authorities to reduce the areas allocated for wheat cultivation.”

https://shafaq.com/amp/en/society/Wheat-production-falls-by-50-in-Iraq-s-Diyala


“Sandstorm covers Baghdad as hundreds across Iraq suffer breathing problems.

“As the storm moved across the country’s center and southern regions, 837 individuals had breathing issues over the course of two days, according to Iraq’s health ministry. The majority of recorded cases were related to suffocation and respiratory distress…”

https://www.iraqinews.com/iraq/sandstorm-covers-baghdad-as-hundreds-across-iraq-suffer-breathing-problems/


“Tajik scientists warn of alarming glacier melt in Pamir Mountains.

“Tajik scientists have warned that glaciers in the Pamir Mountains are melting at an alarming rate, including in high-altitude areas previously considered relatively stable, following the country’s first direct winter glacier measurements since independence.”

https://anewz.tv/region/central-asia/20262/tajik-glaciers-melting-rapidly-scientists-warn/news


“Northern India swelters as temperatures hit record highs…

“”The hot weather has caused us a lot of trouble. Even in the evening, it would still be 42 or 43 degrees Celsius, and on Tuesday, the temperature hit 46 degrees. Workers cover their heads up like this to shield from the sun, try to stay in the shade as much as possible, and cut back on time outdoors.””

https://www.bastillepost.com/global/article/5872246-northern-india-swelters-as-temperatures-hit-record-highs


“48C heatwave: Banda forced into 10 AM shutdown as mercury breaches record marks…

“With temperatures soaring to a record 48.2 degrees Celsius [118.8F] on Tuesday, Banda in Uttar Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region has emerged as the hottest place in the country, triggering an unprecedented heat crisis that has brought daily life to a halt by mid-morning.”

https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/India/48c-heatwave-banda-forced-into-10-am-shutdown-as-mercury-breaches-record-marks/ar-AA23E8Rz


“Bangladesh salt farmers struggle as climate shifts disrupt harvests.

“…in recent years, unpredictable weather — such as increased rainy days and cold waves — has been disrupting salt production, forcing farmers to quit their generational livelihoods.”

https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/bangladesh-salt-farmers-struggle-as-climate-shifts-disrupt-harvests/


“Record Rainfall Kills 21 in China as Massive Storm System Floods Cities…

“Damage was particularly severe in central Hubei province. Swollen rivers overflowed onto roads, transforming entire downtown areas into vast lakes, while vehicles were seen being swept away by rushing waters.”

https://en.sedaily.com/international/2026/05/20/record-rainfall-kills-21-in-china-as-massive-storm-system


“Breaking News! The 24-hour rainfall recorded at the Xiashuang AWS in Yangchun, Guangdong, reached 1057.5mm [41.6 inches], marking the first time in May that China has experienced an extreme rainstorm with more than 1000 mm of rainfall in 24 hours!”

[Jim Yang]

https://x.com/yangyubin1998/status/2057111999587471736


“HISTORIC HEAT IN JAPAN:

“Japanese climatic history is being rewritten with dozens of records smashed every day and there is no end in sight to this unprecedented spring heat wave. Next night will be insanely hot with Mins locally >25C [77F]. It’s like August.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2057016766643998799


“Japan is gripped by mass allergies. A 1950s project is to blame…

“Every spring (which is already arriving earlier in Japan due to climate change) you’ll see people of all ages wearing masks on the streets of cities across the country. The reason: hay fever, driven by all the pollen… Aiming for rapid reforestation, the government chose to plant reams of only two different native, fast-growing evergreen species…”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20260515-the-1950s-blunder-which-causes-mass-hay-fever-in-japan


“ENDLESS RECORD HEAT IN INDONESIA:

“Absolute insanity going on in Indonesia (and ALL tropical countries in the world). Records smashed in pieces everywhere every single day of 2026 (and 2025, 2024 and 2023). Today the victim was Jambi which had its hottest May day ever with 35.4C [95.7F].” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2056749991889080581


“Two killed as landslide strikes North Sumatra after heavy rainfall.

“Authorities said search operations for both victims were carried out under difficult conditions and with extreme caution, as the nearby hillside remained unstable and continued to pose a risk of further landslides.”

https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/05/21/two-killed-as-landslide-strikes-north-sumatra-after-heavy-rainfall.html


“Indonesians sue government over deadly Sumatra flood response.

“Survivors of Indonesia’s deadly Sumatra floods are suing the government over what they say was an inadequate disaster response. As Al Jazeera’s Jessica Washington reports, they’re seeking a court order to declare the floods a national disaster and improve recovery efforts.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/video/newsfeed/2026/5/21/indonesians-sue-government-over-deadly-sumatra-flood-response


“SOUTH AMERICA UPSIDE DOWN. Cold in the tropics, record warmth in Patagonia.

“The warmth was specially extraordinary in CHILE. Records of May highest Temperatures smashed in pieces: 24.1C [75.4F] Puerto Varas, 25.2C Temuco AP, 23.9C Osorno, 22.3C Puerto Montt, 24.5C Nueva Chaiten, and many more.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2057279475893633415


“A sudden rainstorm accompanied by fierce winds strikes the city of “Nova Friburgo” in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“The storm lasted only 15 minutes, but it uprooted trees and roofs, causing floods and a complete power outage after the sky suddenly darkened.” [Arab Storms]

https://x.com/Arab_Storms/status/2057166401052500464


“Meet Peru’s potato guardians, fighting to protect the country’s beloved tubers against climate change…

“Globally, potatoes are the fourth-largest food crop after wheat, rice and maize. They’re calorie-dense and rich in vitamin C and potassium, and are becoming known as a superfood – plus they’re adaptable to poor soils. Yet even this hardy crop is vulnerable.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/south-america/peru/peru-potato-guardians-climate-change-b2956687.html


“HISTORIC HEAT WAVE IN COLOMBIA:

“Colombia is with an unprecedented heat wave and it’s smashing record after record every day since weeks. Today Temperatures >40C [104F] in Valledupar, breaking the May record, after the records broken yesterday.”

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2057276857817407953


“Climate Change in Colombia: Challenges and Realities amid El Super Niño Phenomenon…

“Climate change has become an urgent concern in Colombia. The rising average temperature of the country, increasing extreme weather events, and changing rainfall patterns are unmistakable signs that the climate is changing.”

https://colombiaone.com/2026/05/19/climate-change-colombia-challenges-realities-nino-nina-phenomena/


“ABSOLUTE INSANITY IN HONDURAS – NATIONAL MAY RECORD BROKEN FOR THE 10TH TIME IN 19 DAYS…

“42.8C [109F] again at Choluteca – MAY RECORD AGAIN AND HONDURAN HOTTEST MAY DAY IN HISTORY.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2057002048617365606


“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT ALLOVER NORTH AMERICA. Records from Canada to Costa Rica.

“In particular, history was rewritten again in MEXICO – 42.3C Salina Cruz HOTTEST DAY IN HISTORY… Hottest night in history at Puerto Angel
Min 28.6C/84F.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2057203839137206358


“NE HISTORIC MAY HEAT – 101F in 3 NE States:

“Delaware (state hottest May day), New Jersey and Pennsylvania tons of Monthly records including: NJ: 99 Newark, 98 Mc Guire, 97 Belmar, PA: 98 Philadelphia, 97 Reading, NH: 97 Manchester, DE: 97 Cheswold, MA: 98 Harvard, 97 Chicopee, 96 Orange.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2056868105154863536


“Record Heat Forces New England to Tap Oil to Power the Grid.

“An unseasonably early heat wave forced New England’s electric grid to burn oil for power generation. Grid operator ISO New England issued an “abnormal conditions” alert, causing oil-fired plants to generate over 700 megawatts of electricity to meet surging air conditioning demands.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-20/record-heat-forces-new-england-to-tap-oil-to-power-electric-grid


“Severe weather hits states from coast to coast.

“From extreme heat in the east to a tornado outbreak in the midwest to growing wildfires in California, extreme weather is putting millions at risk. NBC News’ Shaquille Brewster reports from the storm zone.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/severe-weather-hits-states-from-coast-to-coast-263611461784


“A massive amount of rain fell during the evening rush on Wednesday night, causing flash floods across parts of downtown and midtown Atlanta.

“Rescue after rescue was caught on camera as drivers floated in floodwaters on interstates and side streets. At one point, the downtown connector was underwater, bringing the evening commute to a halt…”

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/atlanta-man-saves-woman-trapped-by-flash-floods-middle-downtown-connector/UY2X2SG4XFA6LFH4YTXBVWV2XI/


“Kansas farmers pulled by weather extremes and growing costs, wheat crop could be worst since 1972…

“Record-setting drought and hotter-than-average temperatures mixed with sharp drops have impacted much of the U.S. early this year, including the Plains region. Drought conditions have worsened the spread of the wheat streak mosaic virus and barley yellow dwarf virus…”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/kansas-kan-kansas-state-el-nino-russia-b2980328.html


“A UCLA-led study by Williams et al. (2022) found 2000–2021 was the driest 22-year period in southwestern North America since at least 800 CE.

“Since then, the region has seen intense drought, with conditions expected to worsen dramatically this summer.” [Colin McCarthy]

https://x.com/US_Stormwatch/status/2057296722267930728


“The American West just saw its earliest snow meltout in the modern record (since ~1980).

“In California, the average snow-monitoring site melted out 43 days earlier than normal. A brutal year for a region already stuck in its worst megadrought in at least 1,200 years.” [Colin McCarthy]

https://x.com/US_Stormwatch/status/2057296718648262832


“Can the West survive ‘drastic’ Colorado River cuts?

“…The Interior Department’s proposal would likely face years of legal challenges, but the system of dams and reservoirs along the river “could cease to function due to lack of water” before the lawsuits play out. So the states must find agreement before the federal government imposes one.”

https://theweek.com/environment/colorado-river-drastic-cuts-water-supply-california-arizona


“San Francisco turns to AI to save whales from ship strikes as deaths soar…

“The system, called WhaleSpotter, scans the bay around the clock for whale blows and heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away, alerting mariners to slow down or reroute when whales are nearby.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/20/san-francisco-bay-ai-whales


“Fishermen could soon be allowed to hunt more sharks under Trump team proposal…

“…ocean and conservation groups assert that the updates are not based on what the science shows and could hurt species in the process of recovering after assessments showed a third of all sharks and rays were at risk of extinction.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/noaa-fisheries-trump-shark-fishing-b2979646.html


“Warming oceans are wiping out kelp forests at alarming speed.

“Deep under the cold waters of the Gulf of Maine, giant kelp forests once covered rocky reefs. Long brown seaweed swayed with the ocean currents while fish swam between the plants and lobsters hid underneath.”

https://www.earth.com/news/warming-oceans-are-wiping-out-kelp-forests-at-alarming-speed/


“Rising seawater heat may collapse coral oxygen flow before bleaching appears.

“”Marine heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of global warming, affecting coral reefs worldwide. At the same time, oxygen levels in the oceans are declining. Both changes are critical for marine life, and our study identifies a mechanism that directly links ocean warming and oxygen loss, which in the worst case can lead to rapid coral death…””

https://phys.org/news/2026-05-seawater-collapse-coral-oxygen.html


“Seabird world shrinks as oceans warm, forcing longer flights to survive…

“The first-of-its-kind research, published in Nature Climate Change, found that when temperatures rose rapidly in the past, seabirds did not get smaller, as some fish and other ocean creatures do. Instead, they shrank their territories and flew greater distances to reach suitable habitats.”

https://phys.org/news/2026-05-seabird-world-oceans-longer-flights.html


“Plastic food and drink packaging ‘world’s most common coastal litter’…

““It’s the everyday stuff that we’re using,” said Richard Thompson, the founder of the University of Plymouth’s international marine litter research unit. “Even in countries with fairly advanced waste management, those are the dominant items on the shoreline.””

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/20/plastic-food-drink-packaging-worlds-most-common-coastal-litter


“Extreme weather events are accelerating tidal wetland loss, satellite data show…

“Due to human development and climate change, tidal wetland areas have been shrinking globally. A new study using 40 years of satellite data shows that this loss has been accelerating in the U.S. and that this acceleration is being increasingly driven by extreme weather events.”

https://phys.org/news/2026-05-extreme-weather-events-tidal-wetland.html


“Extreme weather events may leave rivers unable to rebound…

“in most cases, nature is unable to return to its previous state after successive extreme weather events. The consequences range from local extinctions and food chain collapses to permanent changes in the services that rivers provide to human societies.”

https://phys.org/news/2026-05-extreme-weather-events-rivers-unable.html


“Rainforests pushed to breaking point by new demands for resources, report says…

“Fresh demands for critical minerals, biofuels and pulp – used in fast fashion, processed food and packaging – are compounding existing pressures from cattle ranching, monocrops, oil and logging, the analysis finds. Mining, in particular, has a far greater environmental footprint than previously thought…”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/20/rainforests-pushed-to-breaking-point-by-new-demands-for-resources-report-says


“Electrification emerges as COP31 priority…

“The Turkish and Australian COP31 host governments and the International Renewable Energy Agency have called for a stronger global push to run vehicles, industry and buildings on electricity rather than fossil fuels, ahead of this year’s COP31 climate talks.”

https://www.climatechangenews.com/2026/05/20/electrification-emerges-as-turkish-cop31-priority/


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19th May 2026 Today’s Round-Up of Climate 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.


“Redistributing Life: How Climate Change Is Redrawing the Map of Species Migration…

“As the climate shifts, animals face a crisis of spatial survival: the landscapes they once called home are becoming unrecognizable or unreachable. Species’ ranges are already shifting towards the poles, but also to higher altitudes and cooler latitudes to track more favorable life conditions.”

https://earth.org/redistributing-life-how-climate-change-is-redrawing-the-map-of-species-migration/


“HISTORIC HEAT WAVE IN RUSSIA:

“An exceptional heat wave kicks off today and will persist the whole week. Today Temperatures up to 34C [93.2F] at 50 latitude and 32C at 60 latitude and will get much hotter next days.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2056420541901238494


“How climate change is affecting water demand in Scotland.

“The volume of water drawn from Scotland’s rivers and lochs by the agricultural sector surged by more than 500% during periods of water scarcity in recent years, new research has found.”

https://phys.org/news/2026-05-climate-affecting-demand-scotland.html


“High levels of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ found off coast of southern England.

“Scientists have found high levels of toxic Pfas, or “forever chemicals”, in soil, water and throughout the marine food chain in the UK’s Solent strait, including at protected environmental sites, according to a new study.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/19/toxic-pfa-forever-chemicals-channel-southern-england-solent


“Infectious diseases such as hantavirus and Ebola becoming more frequent and damaging, say experts…

“The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) said in a report published on Monday that “as infectious disease outbreaks become more frequent they are also becoming more damaging”, warning that pandemic risk is outpacing investments in preparedness and “the world is not yet meaningfully safer”.”

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/may/18/infectious-diseases-hantavirus-ebola-more-frequent-damaging-pandemic-outbreak


“Hantavirus in Africa: why climate change, rats and weak surveillance are worrying scientists…

“In Africa, scientists have discovered several hantaviruses, including Sangassou virus in Guinea in small mammal species, such as rodents. More recently, hantaviruses were found in shrews and bats too – not just in rats and mice as previously thought.”

https://theconversation.com/hantavirus-in-africa-why-climate-change-rats-and-weak-surveillance-are-worrying-scientists-282628


“South African floods devastate fruit crops across Cape regions.

“South African minister of agriculture John Steenhuisen and the premier of the Western Cape Alan Winde are today (18 May) conducting an overview of the Cape regions by helicopter. Sources said, however, that will be a long time before the real effect of the storm and flood damage is quantified.”

https://www.fruitnet.com/eurofruit/south-african-floods-devastate-fruit-crops-across-cape-regions/271529.article


“BRUTAL HEAT IN …THE MIDDLE EAST. 49 DEGREES [120F].

“This insane historic heat wave which has broken hundreds of records for weeks all over Africa is moving East. Incredible heat – 48.6C Jeddah and 48.4 Makkah SAUDI ARABIA; 47.0C Luxor EGYPT.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2056448725883527495


“Saudi Arabia braces for extreme heat and dusty winds during Hajj…

“Ghulam said the centre had completed operational preparations for the Hajj season, deploying weather radars, satellite systems, fixed and mobile monitoring stations and artificial intelligence technologies to support authorities serving pilgrims and improve weather forecasting accuracy.”

https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-braces-for-extreme-heat-and-dusty-winds-during-hajj-1.500545267


“Heavy sandstorm hits Iraq as hospitals battle respiratory issues.

“A powerful dust storm has swept across Iraq, including Najaf and Baghdad, sending people to hospital with breathing difficulties.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/5/18/heavy-sandstorm-hits-iraq-as-hospitals-battle-respiratory-issues


“Oil Slick Reaches a Pristine Persian Gulf Island in Iran.

“The tiny, uninhabited island of Shidvar is one of Iran’s most important protected nature reserves. It is home to large coral reefs and a breeding ground for more than 80,000 birds. The videos, verified by The New York Times, show large dark ribbons of oil snaking along the island’s pristine white sand beaches.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/world/europe/oil-slick-reaches-a-pristine-persian-gulf-island-in-iran.html


“Outstanding 42.0C [107.6F] yesterday at Serhetabat, in TURKMENISTAN at 630m asl.

“Arguably the hottest spring day ever recorded anywhere in Central Asia above 500m asl in the past 83 years. (42.3C in May 1944 at the same place still stands).” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2056377916758401356


“Kazakhstan’s mining dreams run up against water realities…

“Kazakhstan’s mining sector is booming just as the country’s water supply is coming under increasing stress from climate change, antiquated infrastructure and a growing population. Water supply will be vital to the sector’s long-term success, yet the issue is all too often overlooked.”

https://eurasianet.org/kazakhstans-mining-dreams-run-up-against-water-realities


“Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are negotiating summer water allocations as rising temperatures, agricultural demand and pressure on shared rivers intensify water security concerns across Central Asia.

“As summer approaches, Central Asia is once again confronting one of its most persistent challenges: water security.”

https://anewz.tv/region/central-asia/20182/central-asia-turns-to-water-diplomacy-as-pressures-grow/news


“Heatwaves no more are seasonal affairs [Pakistan].

“The extreme heat in Karachi in recent days, with temperatures soaring to 41°C, has reminded us that heatwaves are a major cause of many life-threatening perils, and climate change has been absolutely overwhelming in its impact.”

https://www.dawn.com/news/amp/2001456


“Are the Himalayan glaciers at a tipping point?

“…Across South Asia, melting ice is contributing to the formation of unstable glacial lakes and increasing the risks of floods, droughts and avalanches. The Himalayas are a vital source of water for millions of people, supporting agriculture, energy production and livelihoods from tourism.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct98pn


“Water scarcity triggers protest at Batamaloo [Kashmir].

“Srinagar, May 18: Scores of residents, mostly women, from Shigan Mohalla area of Batamaloo on Monday staged a protest against the months-long drinking water scarcity in the area.”

https://www.greaterkashmir.com/city/water-scarcity-triggers-protest-at-batamaloo-11849382


“INDIA RECORD HEAT.

“Another Record in India: Tonight the Minimum Temperature of 32.6C [90.9F] at Chittorgarh was the hottest night ever recorded in the city, matching that of 7 June 2011. More records are on the way.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2055957552026857650


“Cooler conditions have returned to Nepal and Myanmar after the record heat of April.

“Yamethin, Myanmar had a minimum of 19.0C [66.2F], the lowest ever in May. Kudos Moezala and Meteo60.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2055713267058721281


“Climate change drives ‘emptying’ of rural Bhutan.

“Homes are being abandoned as climate change accelerates migration out of rural Bhutan, new research shows… climate change is a “background stressor” that drives migration by making rural livelihoods increasingly precarious.”

https://news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-environment-science-and-economy/climate-change-drives-emptying-of-rural-bhutan/


“Emergency Crews Conduct Rescues as Record Rainfall Hammers China’s Hubei Province [360mm / 14.2 inches of rain falling in 12 hours]…

“The Hubei Fire and Rescue Mobile Brigade released this footage of emergency personnel moving residents through inundated streets during the extreme weather event.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/emergency-crews-conduct-rescues-record-001311325.html


“Shimen County in Changde, Hunan Province, was hit by an exceptionally heavy rainstorm on May 17-18.

“The AWS recorded 460mm [18.1 inches] of rainfall in 16 hours, causing river levels to surge by 12 meters, breaking historical records.” [Jim Yang]

https://x.com/yangyubin1998/status/2056350230413734098


“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN JAPAN >35C / 95F.

“Dozens of records smashed. Temperatures up to 35.3C at Hita and Tooyoka,34.4C at Tottori. 313 stations >30C! And MANY more coming next days. See list of records of spring highest temperatures in history by JMA. HISTORIC.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2056306931346608502


“South Korea is hot 36 [96.8F] degrees – the highest temperature in May.

“The Korean Meteorological Agency said the early heat was triggered by a high pressure system that made the sky bright and cloudless. High pressure systems are atmospheric conditions that usually make the weather sunny, hot, and clouds difficult to form.”

https://voi.id/en/news/575870


“SE ASIA RECORD HEAT.

“Terrible hot and humid conditions 24/7 worsens especially in VIETNAM and THAILAND with Minimums Temperatures >30C [86F] in some areas (the highest of 2026) and extreme humidity.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2055575013097377960


“Woman killed, dozens of teens rescued in flood chaos [Queensland]…

“The deadly crash came as severe storms hammered Queensland’s southeast from Bribie Island to Coolangatta, triggering flash flooding and soaking the Gold Coast with up to 160mm [6.3 inches] of rain.”

https://www.indailyqld.com.au/news/just-in/2026/05/19/drenching-continues-as-months-worth-of-rain-falls-in-one-day


“Australia’s farmers, hit by Iran war costs and dry weather, grow less wheat.

“Justin Everitt is planting 50% less wheat this year than he thought he would… He is one ‌of thousands of farmers across Australia deciding to plant less wheat and spread less fertiliser… Australia… may have as ‌much as 10 million tons less to ship in the upcoming season, an amount equivalent to 5% of annual global exports.”

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/australias-farmers-hit-by-iran-war-costs-dry-weather-grow-less-wheat-2026-05-18/


“The ‘doomsday’ glacier’s giant ice shelf is about to break away.

“The floating ice shelf of world’s widest glacier – Thwaites glacier in Antarctica – is detaching… “Its final demise could happen suddenly, and to avoid being caught on the hop, we have already prepared an ‘obituary’ press release,” says Rob Larter at the British Antarctic Survey.”

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2526826-the-doomsday-glaciers-giant-ice-shelf-is-about-to-break-away/


“Organized crime adds to environmental destruction in the Amazon, report finds…

“Latin America has the highest homicide rate in the world, and the number of deaths across the Amazon is even higher, according to the report. Globally, two-thirds of environmental defenders killed are Indigenous, Afro-descendant and small-scale farmers.”

https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/organized-crime-adds-to-environmental-destruction-in-the-amazon-report-finds/


“Latin America Faces ‘Hydrological Whiplash’ as Climate Risks Mount…

“The report described “hydrological whiplash” as a key challenge broadly across the 33-country region, spanning Puerto Rico to Patagonia and home to 660 million people. Droughts lengthen and downpours are rare but so intense that they cause massive floods and trigger landslides without refilling reservoirs or replenishing depleted soils.”

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18052026/latin-america-global-warming-climate-risks/


“High risk yet home to thousands: the makeshift towns at the mercy of landslides and floods in Peru…

“Throughout Latin America, one in five people live in unplanned settlements, built haphazardly and often in high-risk zones for flooding, landslides or drought. These are inherently more vulnerable to natural disasters brought on by the climate crisis.”

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/may/18/high-risk-settlements-landslides-floods-peru-andes-ayacucho-urban-planning


“UNBELIEVABLE, HONDURAS RECORD HEAT AGAIN.

“42.6C Choluteca ALL TIME RECORD… MINIMUM 29.7C [85.5F] at Choluteca Today. HOTTEST MAY NIGHT EVER RECORDED IN HONDURAS… Hundreds of records all over Central America for months: COSTA RICA with relentless Minimums up to 29C and tropical nights >1000m asl.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2056116930323399164


“Caribbean coral reefs began crumbling decades sooner than expected after heatwave and disease…

“The newly published study, explained by two of the authors for The Conversation, found that these warmer waters, combined with the deadly stony coral tissue loss disease, pushed most monitored reefs in the region past a critical tipping point that many experts believed was at least a decade away.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/caribbean-coral-reefs-began-crumbling-192000103.html


“Sargassum begins to affect the south coast of Grand Cayman.

“A recent influx of sargassum seaweed along parts of Grand Cayman’s southern coastline is being linked to a wider regional bloom that scientists say is spreading across the Caribbean at near record levels.”

https://www.caymancompass.com/2026/05/18/sargassum-begins-to-affect-the-south-coast-of-the-grand-cayman/


“Trump officials plan to repeal limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water…

“The Trump administration’s plan comes just two years after the US Environmental Protection Agency set legally enforceable drinking water limits for six of the most dangerous Pfas compounds that have been studied.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/18/trump-administration-epa-pfas-water


“High humidity and record heat will make it feel like July in the East.

“Around 110 million people — including many easterners — can expect high temperatures in the 90s and increasingly muggy conditions through Wednesday, making it feel more like July than May.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026/05/18/high-humidity-record-heat-will-make-it-feel-like-july-east/


“When “extreme” becomes the new normal: How flood and drought cycles are changing the Potomac River region…

“The new normal of “predictably unpredictable” summer weather is more than just an inconvenience for your weekend plans. As extreme conditions become more frequent, it’s harder for Potomac River communities to recover—especially while contending with compounding crises like those we’ve already faced this year.”

https://potomac.org/blog/2026/5/19-extreme-new-normal-drought-flood


“Minnesota deploys national guard to help fight wildfires in northern region.

“Governor Tim Walz authorized the deployment by issuing an executive order that declared a peacetime emergency. “Unpredictable and fast-moving wildfires are putting Minnesota communities at risk,” Walz said in a statement.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/17/minnesota-national-guard-wildfires


“Water users around the west seek billions in federal drought help as Colorado River forecast worsens.

“Dozens of communities and environmental groups in the Colorado River Basin are asking Congress for $2 billion to endure what they’re calling “one of the most challenging hydrologic years in more than a century of recordkeeping.””

https://www.aspenpublicradio.org/2026-05-18/water-users-around-the-west-seek-billions-in-federal-drought-help-as-colorado-river-forecast-worsens


“Thousands ordered to evacuate as Southern California wildfire threatens homes…

“The statement from Newsom’s office said California on Monday secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that will be used to ensure a robust firefighting response to the Sandy Fire.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/wildfires/southern-california-wildfire-evacuations-simi-valley-rcna345788


“Slowing Atlantic circulation may intensify atmospheric rivers.

“The contrast surprised the researchers. Atmospheric river frequency increases across the mid-latitudes when the AMOC slows. The strongest signal appeared along the west coast of North America, particularly in California.“

https://www.earth.com/news/slowing-atlantic-circulation-may-intensify-atmospheric-rivers/


“Marine heatwave could combine with El Niño in Alaska this summer.

“Marine heatwaves can wreak all sorts of havoc in Alaska: last year, a marine heatwave in the North Pacific ocean fueled Typhoon Halong, which devastated Alaskan communities. This summer there could be an extra hiccup: a strong El Niño event…”

https://www.kmxt.org/news/2026-05-18/marine-heatwave-could-combine-with-el-nino-event-this-summer


“Here is a graph of the daily temperature anomalies above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial baseline over the last 20 years using Copernicus data. As you can clearly see, the trendline shows the planet passing 1.5°C within a year.

“Get on the boat, people!” [Prof Eliot Jacobson]

https://x.com/EliotJacobson/status/2055640952342241602


“We probably shouldn’t assume billions of tons of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) to happen in the decades ahead, which is what the new low emissions scenarios do, in order to “keep global warming below 2°C.”

“Find the current level of CDR in this figure…” [Leon Simons]

https://x.com/LeonSimons8/status/2056417739707687184


“Seasonal patterns that farmers trusted for generations have suddenly turned unpredictable…

“Climate change has disrupted steady seasonal patterns that generations of farmers have relied upon. They have scrambled to adapt by adopting new irrigation techniques, changing crops, or adjusting the timing of planting. Still, losses are mounting.”

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/05/seasonal-patterns-that-farmers-trusted-for-generations-have-suddenly-turned-unpredictable/


“Global wheat and fertiliser concerns keep grain markets volatile.

“A lack of rain is affecting wheat crops across Europe and parts of the US Midwest Plains where some damage to the US wheat may be too bad to produce a meaningful yield… Australia is projecting a 19% reduction in their 2026-27 harvest…”

https://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/news/26098999.global-wheat-fertiliser-concerns-keep-grain-markets-volatile/


“How nuclear war would impact the global food system. And how to prepare for it…

“The disruption to the food system in a nuclear war scenario would happen through direct destruction, a colder climate, and cascading disruptions of the food trade system… simulations predict a food production decline of up to 90 percent…”

https://thebulletin.org/2026/05/how-nuclear-war-would-impact-the-global-food-system-and-how-to-prepare-for-it/


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.

16th May 2026 Today’s Round-Up of Climate 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


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

14th May 2026 Today’s Round-Up of Climate 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.


“Climate Change Is Creating a New Kind of Weather Disaster…

“The findings, published today in Nature, show that the frequency of compound events—such as concurrent hot-wet and drought-heat extremes—is linked to cumulative CO2 emissions. Alarmingly, the researchers predict that the frequency of rarer and more severe compound events will escalate rapidly…

“In addition to setting more aggressive emissions reduction targets, Zhang and his colleagues urge policymakers to rethink their risk management plans, as current strategies may not be sufficient to protect people and infrastructure from the rising threat of compound extremes.”

https://gizmodo.com/climate-change-is-making-extreme-weather-events-team-up-2000757706


“Within two weeks the peak of the “Super-duper El Niño” NOAA mean peak forecast has increased by almost 0.5°

“And more and more model runs are off the chart of the 4°C y-axis! Who in the world is (getting) ready for this?”

[Leon Simons]

https://x.com/LeonSimons8/status/2054124091179696546


“For the first time, in all this time, we have reached the Niño threshold, according to the Relative Oceanic Niño Index (RONI) index.

“If this holds steady or increases, we will have officially entered Niño territory.”

[Capitan Clima]

https://x.com/Climawcosta/status/2054234356936274201


“Super El Niño could reshape catastrophe risk pricing, insurers warn…

“Insurers are increasingly responding by reassessing catastrophe models and incorporating longer-term climate trends into underwriting assumptions. This reflects growing recognition that historical baselines may no longer fully capture the frequency or severity of extreme weather events.”

https://www.itij.com/latest/news/super-el-nino-could-reshape-catastrophe-risk-pricing-insurers-warn


“April data for “Total Column Precipitable Water” just came in, and once again a new record was set for the 36-month running average over the Northern Hemisphere, Mid-Latitudes, where over 50% of all humans live.

“Can you spot the trend?”

[Prof Elliot Jacobson]

https://x.com/EliotJacobson/status/2054294641592418634


“The Arctic is getting wetter during the month of May across many regions of the Arctic Ocean.

“The largest trends are closer to areas of greater sea-ice loss toward the Atlantic Ocean.”

[Zack Labe]

https://bsky.app/profile/zacklabe.com/post/3mlrhchsxy22e


“Surfers to launch nationwide protests over failing water system [UK].

“Thousands of surfers across the UK are set to stage a nationwide protest on Saturday against the deteriorating state of the country’s water sector. Led by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), the “paddle out” demonstrations at over 50 locations will target the private ownership model, which campaigners blame for widespread industry failures.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/surfers-against-sewage-protests-uk-b2976242.html


“Why does Guernsey dump raw sewage into the sea?

“…Prof Bing Guo, of the University of Surrey, warned that sewage being discharged so close to the shore could have an adverse impact on swimmers and make people sick. One swimmer told the BBC he unknowingly went through the sewage…”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0p19v0ge8o


“After winter storms, fires now threaten Portugal’s forests…

“A team of forest firefighters, civil protection officers and military personnel are out clearing trunks littering forest tracks that provide vital access routes to tackle blazers. “This area is a real powder keg,” said Paulo Vicente, mayor of Marinha Grande…”

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260513-after-winter-storms-fires-now-threaten-portugal-s-forests


“Greece’s Water Crisis Is Becoming an Economic Crisis.

“Greece faces an uncomfortable contradiction: it’s economic engine depends heavily on sectors that cannot function without reliable water and runs hardest during the hottest and driest months of the year.”

https://www.tovima.com/opinions/greeces-water-crisis-is-becoming-an-economic-crisis/amp/


“12 hospitalized after torrential rains trigger severe floods in northern Turkiye….

“The heavy rainfall late on Tuesday caused rivers in the Havza district of Samsun province to overflow, sending waters rushing down streets, carrying vehicles and debris. Anadolu said the basement and ground floors of several properties were submerged.”

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2643411/amp


“AFRICA HISTORIC HEAT. The worst ever in history of Sahel:

“Weeks with 46/48C and Nights >35C [95F]. Today crazy MINIMUM of 36.0C Nioro du Sahel, MALI HOTTEST NIGHT EVER. Yesterday 47.0C Aioun Al Atrouss MAURITANIA all time high tied. On the weekend world history will be rewritten anew.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054271633653690425


“Millions of farmers in Africa’s Great Lakes region face rising temperatures. Study predicts how crop disease and pests could spread…

“Losses to disease and pests are often higher in low-input agricultural systems, where there is limited access to agricultural infrastructure and inputs like fertiliser and pesticides, as is common in sub-Saharan Africa.”

https://theconversation.com/millions-of-farmers-in-africas-great-lakes-region-face-rising-temperatures-study-predicts-how-crop-disease-and-pests-could-spread-279912


“The most insane event in Southern Hemisphere history goes on – 38C again in MOZAMBIQUE with record broken again at Caia

“35C again in SOUTH AFRICA with Record warm nights like the Min 18.5C at Addo… Minimum 27.5C [81.5F] Europa Island, FRENCH SOUTHERN TERRITORIES Hottest May night in history (pulverized).” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054243002252403078


“Drones now key to fighting malaria as the climate crisis fuels ‘catastrophic’ rise in cases.

“On an oppressively hot day in Tanzania’s largest city, Dar es Salaam, Leka Tingitana, the director of aerial research company Tanzania Flying Labs, walks out to the middle of a university cricket field and launches a drone into the bright blue sky.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/malaria-climate-crisis-africa-floods-tanzania-b2972378.html


“Somalia is in a deadly drought again. Most humanitarian aid isn’t there this time.

“Most of Abdi Ahmed Farah’s hundreds of goats have died. It has not rained steadily in this part of Somalia for three years, something the 70-year-old never thought possible. He is in debt from buying water.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/somalia-people-mogadishu-united-states-puntland-b2976285.html


“Ancient Euphrates River Is Disappearing And People Are Linking It To The Bible.

“The declining water levels of the Euphrates River have sparked environmental concerns and renewed debate over biblical prophecy, although experts continue to blame climate change and water mismanagement for the crisis.”

https://www.ndtv.com/feature/ancient-euphrates-river-is-disappearing-and-people-are-linking-it-to-the-bible-11481636


“Extraordinary heat persists in WEST AND SOUTH ASIA.

“IRAN is living its most extreme period in history (also meteorologically). Weeks with Minimums >30C in the SW and Maxes 45/47C every day. Never happened anything like this in May.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054157448038998134


“Modeling and in situ observations show that the 2025 ice losses are unprecedented in Central Asia.

“2% of total ice volume has gone in a single year! This may become the new normal in the future!” [Melaine Le Roy]

https://x.com/subfossilguy/status/2054576829629936048


“Jammu & Kashmir faces looming water crisis amid prolonged rainfall deficit.

“Declining water levels are also beginning to affect rivers and streams across the region, posing a serious challenge for hydroelectric power generation. Authorities fear that reduced river discharge could significantly impact electricity production during the peak summer season.”

https://www.wionews.com/india-news/j-k-faces-looming-water-crisis-amid-prolonged-rainfall-deficit-1778659934706


“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN INDIA.

“Insane heat wave in India and Pakistan with records smashed in pieces every single day. 48.3C [118.9F] at Barmer… 47C again with 34C at night in Rajashtan… 46.5C at Ratlam ALL TIME RECORD.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054503675330961656


“No trees, no fans: surviving extreme heat in India’s salt pans…

“Up to 50,000 workers in Gujarat spend eight months in the remote salt pans without electricity or healthcare, relying on a tanker to deliver drinking and washing water every 25 days. They use shaded rest breaks, cloth-cooled water bottles and staggered hours to survive.”

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/2026/05/13/climate-change/extreme-heat-india-salt-pans/


“Torrential rains kill 90 in India’s Uttar Pradesh…

“Most fatalities were caused by lightning strikes, falling trees, and collapsing walls amid extreme weather. According to Indian media reports, intense storms accompanied by heavy rainfall and hail caused chaos across multiple districts of Uttar Pradesh.”

https://www.samaa.tv/2087350637-torrential-rains-kill-90-in-india-s-uttar-pradesh


“The heatwave continues to affect northern China today, with 10 stations broken or tied their May hottest records, and 8 stations broken their mid-May records.

“Zhuolu reached 39C [102.2F]. The record-breaking heatwave is expected to continue tomorrow!” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/yangyubin1998/status/2054558382464598519


“Rainstorms, severe weather forecast across southern China…

“Starting Friday, a new round of widespread precipitation will sweep across central and eastern China. Regions including parts of southwestern China are expected to see heavy to torrential rain, with some areas experiencing extreme rainfall accompanied by strong winds.”

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202605/14/WS6a055edca310d6866eb489b4.html


“HISTORIC HEAT IN THE PHILIPPINES.

“Harshest heat wave ever recorded. 9 days >39C [102.2F] at Tuguegarao with record hot nights. Historic Minimum 27.5C. HOTTEST NIGHT IN HISTORY (data since late 1800s). Thousands of records have been smashed all over Philippines for over 1100 consecutive days.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054152299589582981


“Historic heat continues in MALAYSIA.

“Crazy Minimum 28.3 Kudat. Minimums constantly >29C in VIETNAM in the Spratly Islands. The Min. 28.5 at Manokwari is also the May Second Hottest night in all INDONESIA history.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054156021673665006


“Living by sun and sea: Indonesia’s salt farmers battle climate, costs…

“Declining yields are testing the resilience of local farmers, whose livelihood depends on the fickle cooperation of weather and tide. “Last year’s harvest was not that big,” said Ipin, 38, a farmer in Rawaurip village. “It was the wet dry season — rain when we needed sun.””

https://english.news.cn/20260513/b2669bac0be94949baad620524458929/c.html


“In Northern AUSTRALIA it’s also a 24/7 sauna despite being 3 weeks from winter.

“Tonight the Minimum of 26.4C [79.5F] at Point Fawcett was the highest ever recorded in May. Hundreds of records have fallen this month allover Australia and the rest of Oceania.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054575662480920807


“Scientists discover the Southern Ocean is “sweating” more as climate change intensifies.

“A remote island between Australia and Antarctica is showing signs of a dramatic climate transformation. Scientists found storms over Macquarie Island now unleash much heavier rainfall than they did decades ago, soaking ecosystems and altering fragile vegetation.”

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260512202337.htm


“China and Norway push to increase krill harvests around Antarctica.

“Meanwhile, several NGOs have recently stepped up their campaigns against krill fishing, arguing that the krill fleet competes for food with Antarctic wildlife species already struggling with climate change and reduced food availability such as emperor penguins and Antarctic fur seals that have both recently been declared endangered.”

https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/china-and-norway-push-to-increase-krill-harvests-around-antarctica/


“Rio Grande do Sul’s farmers battle ever more extreme weather [Brazil]..

“Over the past few years, the state’s agricultural sector has been hard hit by climate change, from droughts to extreme flooding, which have caused enormous economic damage. That blow has, in turn, added to the amount of bad debts in the industry.”

https://www.ft.com/content/1b55747c-33c6-4e43-8e24-4ca294237353?syn-25a6b1a6=1


“Terrible heat wave in COLOMBIA with widespread Minimums 25/28C and Maxes 35/39C at low elevations.

“Several departments are with record heat levels like the town of Monteria which has recorded its May hottest nights 3 times already with a record highest Minimum of 27.2C [81F].” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054706548807434628


“Guanacaste Forest Fires Break Costa Rica’s 2024 Record.

“Guanacaste is facing one of the most severe forest fire seasons Costa Rica has ever recorded, with the province alone now reporting more fires in 2026 than the entire country registered during 2024, the previous record year for this type of emergency.”

https://ticotimes.net/2026/05/13/guanacaste-forest-fires-break-costa-ricas-2024-record


“National May record in HONDURAS again!

Choluteca ,the “oven” of Central America and one of the world’s hottest places, rose to 42.2C [108F], re-breaking The “Catracho” national record of May highest Temperature that it had just broke few days ago. Record heat will go on for weeks.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054355823116070969


“Hundreds of records smashed all over Mexico in nearly every State. Mind blowing 45.0C [113F] in The Morelos State at >1000m asl. A world record heat for May for that elevation.

“Salina Cruz broke both its Highest Max 41.3C and Highest Min 29.5C.”

[Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054097423912316969


“Heavy Rain Triggers Flooding and Travel Disruption Across Mexico City.

“Heavy rain flooded roads across southern Mexico City on Monday night, May 11, as authorities deployed emergency crews to assist stranded motorists. According to El Universal, torrential rainfall swept across several parts of the capital, trapping vehicles and submerging major roads.”

https://www.news.com.au/national/heavy-rain-triggers-flooding-and-travel-disruption-across-mexico-city/video/58393918fe5eb2c0d08f7dd86b808b3


“Something startling is happening in the Gulf of Mexico.

“n 2012, the temperature of the Gulf of Mexico began rising along a shocking upward trajectory… The trend has continued into the 2020s, with sea surface temperatures hitting record highs in both 2024 and 2025. The shift has huge implications for the hurricanes that form in the Gulf…”

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/05/something-startling-is-happening-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/


“Corpus Christi, Texas moves toward mandatory 25% cut in water use if emergency is declared.

“Corpus Christi residents and businesses — including one of the nation’s largest petrochemical corridors — may be required to cut water use by 25% during a water emergency that city leaders expect to hit by September unless a devastating drought eases.”

https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/12/texas-corpus-christi-water-emergency-restrictions-vote/


“Arizona, Nevada and California would still have to take massive cuts in their Colorado River water supplies under a new, preliminary plan devised by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Arizona water officials said Wednesday.

“Reclamation would require the three Lower Basin states to give up a total of up to 3 million acre-feet annually…”

https://tucson.com/news/local/environment/article_0c1d13a0-c909-4d34-ad1b-4f766b605983.html


“Lake Powell, the 2nd-largest reservoir in the US, is over 80 feet lower than it was 8 years ago and 170 feet lower than the last time it was nearly full in 1999.

“Spring snowmelt inflows are projected at just 13% of normal, the lowest on record. The lake could fall to 3,490 feet as soon as August, roughly 30 feet below the previous all-time low.” [Colin McCarthy]

https://x.com/US_Stormwatch/status/2054264876391133300


“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT WAVE – 116F/46.7C Death Valley. Never been so hot so early…

“And there is no end in sight in any foreseeable future.”

[Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054479141102072040


“BOISE — A whopping three heat-related records were broken Tuesday thanks to a hot air mass that made its way into the Treasure Valley…

“Tuesday’s high also marked the earliest the region has ever seen a temperature at or above 96 degrees, Jackson Macfarlane, meteorologist at the NWS Boise, told the Idaho Press.”

https://www.idahopress.com/news/boise-record-heat/article_efd0b71d-2b2e-442d-80a5-cea728f10cd9.amp.html


“USDA Projects Smallest US Wheat Harvest Since 1972 Due to Plains Drought.

“U.S. farmers this year will harvest their smallest wheat crop since 1972, as a severe drought in the U.S. Plains has curbed production of hard red winter wheat, the largest variety grown in the U.S., the Department of Agriculture said on Tuesday.”

https://www.agweb.com/news/usda-projects-smallest-us-wheat-harvest-1972-due-plains-drought


“Birds dying along California beaches as marine heat wave intensifies.

“Seabirds are washing ashore along Southern California beaches, weak, emaciated, and in some cases dead, as warmer waters push fish farther offshore and out of reach. Wildlife rescue centers and officials say they are seeing more birds arrive underweight and exhausted.”

https://eu.desertsun.com/story/weather/2026/05/13/california-marine-heat-wave-birds/90062208007/


“Some seas may soon be trapped in near-permanent heatwaves, scientists warn.

“A new study of 19 enclosed seas found that resets after heatwaves may stop happening. Some are on track to spend more than 330 days a year locked in heatwave conditions. Not a temporary extreme. A new permanent state.”

https://www.earth.com/news/some-seas-may-soon-be-trapped-in-near-permanent-heatwaves-scientists-warn/


“‘Insect apocalypse’ is already fueling malnutrition in some regions, first-of-its-kind study reveals.

“Insects are disappearing, and they are leaving global food security gaps in their wake. Over the past three decades, bugs have been declining at an alarming rate across the globe — up to 1% per year, by some estimates. The drop has been so intense that some scientists have dubbed it an “insect apocalypse.””

https://www.livescience.com/animals/insects/insect-apocalypse-is-already-fueling-malnutrition-in-some-regions-first-of-its-kind-study-reveals


“The global sand crisis: it’s being used up faster than it can be replaced.

“…a new UN report warns that sand is being extracted faster than it can be replenished, and that this is threatening livelihoods, ecosystems and the very structure of the natural world.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/12/global-sand-crisis-land-reclamation-extraction


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12th May 2026 Today’s Round-Up of Climate 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.


“Global fire outbreaks hit record high as ‘unprecedented’ heat extremes loom, scientists say.

“Climate change has driven record-breaking outbreaks of fire in Africa, Asia and elsewhere this year, with conditions expected to get worse as the northern hemisphere’s summer approaches and El Nino weather patterns kick in, scientists warned on Tuesday.”

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/global-fire-outbreaks-hit-record-high-unprecedented-heat-extremes-loom-2026-05-12/


“For global ocean temperatures only, NOAANCEI reports that April 2026 was the 2nd-warmest April on record, behind only 2024. Ocean temps checked in at 0.95°C above the 20th-century average, or about 1.13°C above the mean of 1880–1920.

“The wild part is that this is happening at the very beginning of what looks like a very robust El Niño event. The oceans are already screaming. El Niño may just turn up the volume.” [The Global Warmer]

https://x.com/TheGlobalWarmer/status/2053869539775885465


“New May spark plumes show El Niño rapidly intensifying, with 8 of 10 models pointing to a super event and four projecting the strongest on record.

“Across all 693 ensemble members, the mean reaches +2.8˚C, consistent with the strongest El Niño on record.” [Ben Noll]

https://x.com/BenNollWeather/status/2053479899227423176


“Wildfires are climbing Europe’s mountains as heat dries forests.

“Fires are climbing the slopes at roughly 236 feet per decade, finding fuel in stands that almost never burned before. After 2015, the number of fires and the elevations they reached both jumped – the upper edge of the burn zone entering territory long written off as safe.”

https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-are-climbing-europes-mountains-as-heat-dries-forests/


“‘I couldn’t breathe’: the sinister spread of France’s killer seaweed…

“…when Ulva armoricana, a type of seaweed, blooms, banks of green mass form on the beaches, releasing hydrogen sulphide, a foul-smelling, potentially harmful gas. In recent years, red and yellow warning signs have appeared on stretches of the coastline.”

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/may/12/i-couldnt-breathe-the-sinister-spread-of-frances-killer-seaweed


“Spain’s southern beaches prepare to receive 56,500 tonnes of invasive brown algae.

“Coastal authorities in southern Spain are preparing for continued large-scale arrivals of invasive Japanese brown algae (Rugulopteryx okamurae) along the Andalucía coastline in 2026. Aggregated regional reporting indicates that around 40 municipalities may be affected…”

https://euroweeklynews.com/2026/05/11/spains-southern-beaches-prepare-to-receive-56500-tonnes-of-invasive-brown-algae/


“Greece: Athens faces dramatic water shortage.

“Athen’s reservoirs have run dry. The government aims to redirect mountain rivers to provide relief. But the residents of these mountain regions are anything but pleased.”

https://www.dw.com/en/greece-athens-faces-dramatic-water-shortage/video-77004831


“Morocco enters fire season with blazes hitting drought strained oasis areas.

“Two fires that tore through palm groves in Morocco’s southeast this week destroyed hundreds of trees and marked an early test for the country’s annual wildfire season, as drought, abandoned farmland and dry vegetation leave oasis regions increasingly exposed to fast moving blazes.”

https://en.hespress.com/137648-morocco-enters-fire-season-with-blazes-hitting-drought-strained-oasis-areas.html


“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT WAVE – weeks with deadly heat and thousands of records in every single African country.

“There has never been anything like this: Today 47C [116.6F] in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Chad, Mauritania, Chad and Sudan. May Record again at Ouahigouya with 44.9C.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2053909126556635446


“How Nigerians are coping with heat waves amid crippling power outages.

“Nigerians are currently facing severe heat stress. The extreme heat has caused widespread distress, with many social media users reporting that it is affecting their health and reducing their productivity.”

https://globalvoices.org/2026/05/11/how-nigerians-are-coping-with-heat-waves-amid-crippling-power-outages/


“Angola: Flood Survivors Living in Precarious Conditions…

“Official figures indicate that heavy rainfall and the collapse of the Cavaco River dike on April 12, 2026, triggered devastating floods in Angola’s western Benguela province, killing at least 19 people, leaving 31 missing, and affecting more than 8,000 families.”

https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/05/11/angola-flood-survivors-living-in-precarious-conditions


“Western Cape storms leave five dead, thousands affected.

“Five people have been confirmed dead in Cape Town overnight as severe weather continues to batter the province. According to Western Cape Disaster Management head Colin Deiner, most of the fatalities were caused by people attempting to cross rivers and by falling trees.”

https://www.enca.com/news-top-stories-videos-weather/western-cape-storms-leave-five-dead-thousands-affected


“EXTRAORDINARY 38C AGAIN IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.

“We are witnessing something beyond any imagination with thousands of records brutalized every single day for months. Today records trashed in MOZAMBIQUE: 37.0 [98.6f] Chitima, 36.5 Caia, 34.5 Inhambane. It will get worse and worse …and worse.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2053922495841923569


“WORLD CLIMATIC HISTORY REWRITTEN – crazy MINIMUM Temperature of 38.5C [101.3F] at Khasab Port, OMAN.

“It didn’t just smash its monthly record, but it’s the hottest night ever recorded in the world this time of the year. Records in Middle East have been thousands these weeks, every single day. [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2053056773469196429


“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN CENTRAL ASIA:

“42C [107.6F] in Turkmenistan,37 in Kazakhstan at 46N lat!, 35 Kyrgyzstan; MINIMUMS up to 27C; Next days 45C in CHINA!”

[Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2053074789321814472


“Climate change and water shortage threaten Tajikistan’s agriculture, says Tajik PM.

“In a statement delivered at the opening of the FAO regional conference in Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s Prime Minister Qohir Rasoulzoda noted on May 11 that the country’s economy and agriculture are growing, but climate change, water scarcity, and ecosystem degradation pose new threats to the region.”

https://asiaplus.news/en/2026/05/12/climate-chnage-and-water-shortage-threaten-tajikistans-agriculture-says-tajik-pm/


“Iran says 35 million people face water shortages.

“About 35 million people in Iran are facing water shortages, the country’s water industry spokesman said on Monday, warning that conservation remained necessary despite improved dam reserves. Issa Bozorgzadeh said rainfall remained below normal in 11 provinces…”

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202605111643


“Floods in Seven Provinces Leave 9 Dead and 11 Injured [Afghanistan].

“The Taliban’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has announced that nine people have been killed and 11 others injured as a result of heavy rainfall, floods, storms, and lightning over the past 48 hours.”

https://8am.media/eng/floods-in-seven-provinces-leave-9-dead-and-11-injured/


“Hotter and Hotter in INDIA:

“47.3C [117.1F] at Barmer today, new world highest temperature for this month so far. Brutally hot nights as well with Minimums 32/34C in Rajastan hottest spots.”

[Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2053815115795820686


“‘Not normal’: On one April day, all of the planet’s top 50 hottest cities were in a single country.

“On one day in late April, something very unusual happened. Every single one of the planet’s top 50 hottest cities was in just one country: India. This is according to data compiled by AQI, the air quality monitoring platform. There is “no modern precedent,” AQI said…”

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/11/climate/50-hottest-cities-aqi-india-heatwave


“Brutal heat continues in Northern China with >41C [105.8F] again and the heat spreading East.

“HISTORIC INCREDIBLE 36.7C Ekhiingol 1000m asl MONGOLIA. And tomorrow it can approach 40C smashing every record. Absolutely remarkable.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2053879027954245797


“Severe hailstorms hit multiple areas of Shandong, turning some streets into “frozen rivers”.

“On the afternoon of May 11, many parts of Shandong were hit by hail, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusts of wind at level 8 to 9. Crops in some areas were damaged and the windows of vehicles parked outside were damaged.”

https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/5/12/n14762416.htm


“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN SE ASIA. Absolute insanity going on with records smashed in every single country for months.

“PHILIPPINES is living a hell – Mins>29C [84.2F], Maxes >39C for days. Min 28.5 San Jose May record.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2053130043744796771


“Australia Rainfall Deficiencies Deepen Across Eastern States.

“Four months of compounding rainfall deficits have left large parts of eastern Australia with record-low soil moisture, declining water storages, and agricultural drought conditions that intensified through April rather than easing with the autumn season.”

https://www.environmentenergyleader.com/stories/australia-rainfall-deficiencies-deepen-across-eastern-states,125711


“Northern Marianas end school year early due to devastation caused by Super Typhoon Sinlaku.

“The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Public School System has decided to end the 2025-2026 school year early instead of reopening campuses due to the devastation caused by Category 5 Super Typhoon Sinlaku.”

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/pacific/594960/northern-marianas-end-school-year-early-due-to-devastation-caused-by-super-typhoon-sinlaku


“Storm, displacement and hidden wartime explosives deepen emergency in Solomon Islands.

“More than 150,000 people have been affected by Tropical Cyclone Maila, the latest storm in the Pacific area, which continues to drive what the UN relief coordination office OCHA has described as “significant humanitarian needs” across the Solomon Islands.”

https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/05/1167485


“Record heat never ends in Oceania.

“Today historic 35.6C [96.1F] Chuuk MICRONESIA. HOTTEST DAY IN HISTORY tied… Exceptional late autumn warmth also in NEW ZEALAND with widespread Minimums >15C (including in areas of the South Island) the past days. With Minimums up to 19.8C (Raoul Island).”

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2053443314641232366


“Last month observed record high temperatures averaged over the Southern Hemisphere.

“Note also the long-term warming trend in this visualization, as displayed by the color shading from blue (older years) to red (recent years).” [Zack Labe]

https://bsky.app/profile/zacklabe.com/post/3mlivxi3h6c2j


“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN BRAZIL.

“Hundreds of records have being smashed all over South America from Colombia to Uruguay. Insane summer Minimums continue in Brazil with records all over the country including Sao Paulo AP with a min 22.7C [72.9F! Min. 26.5 Sao Joao, 24.9 Aquidauana etc.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2053147264353288594


“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN ECUADOR.

“Records smashed all over the country for months. 34.8C [94.6F] Santa Rosa: May record pulverized after breaking those of all months of the year. Absolute insanity. Records are falling in EVERY single country from USA to Chile (still summer with up to 35C).” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2054093609956258162


“Extreme heat is suspected to have played a role in the deaths of six people from Mexico and Honduras whose bodies were discovered inside a train car in Laredo.

“A 29-year-old woman from Mexico and a 24-year-old man from Honduras were among the six deceased individuals found inside a shipping container at Union Pacific Railyard…”

https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/11/texas-laredo-railroad-car-six-dead-heat-suspected/


“INSANE 60HRS WITHOUT DROPPING BELOW 84F [28.9C] – Key West FL recorded two MINIMUMS of 84F in a row, (Highest Minimums ever recorded in spring) and next night can be the third.

“WORLD RECORDS for MAY again in Mexico: 113F/45C at nearly 4000 feet asl in Morelos States. RECORD HOTTEST NIGHTS: 26.9 Manzanillo, 20.4 Morelia, 20.0 Aguascalientes.” [Extreme Temps]

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2053968674919162007


“Drone footage shows massive smoke plumes rising over Florida as wildfire rages.

“Fire crews in southern Florida are battling a growing wildfire in the Everglades. The blaze has grown to over 8 square miles. That’s the size of more than 4,000 football fields. It remains just 30% contained.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/drone-footage-shows-massive-smoke-plumes-rising-over-florida-as-wildfire-rages/vi-AA22Yw4n


“Disease, Climate And Storms Are Destroying Florida Oranges.

“Florida’s famous oranges are vanishing, and they may never come back. Find out how climate change, a rampant disease and growing real estate development are killing orchards off.”

https://weather.com/news/climate/video/florida-oranges-are-disappearing


“‘No good news’: Colorado River forecast gets historically bad.

“A federal hydrologist appeared to be momentarily at a loss for words Thursday as he described how dire the latest forecast has gotten for how much water will flow through the Colorado River Basin this summer. “Really no good news this winter,” Cody Moser with the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center said before taking a long pause on a webinar.”

https://www.aspenpublicradio.org/environment/2026-05-11/no-good-news-colorado-river-forecast-gets-historically-bad


“The Worst Spring Drought on Record Is Putting U.S. Crops at Risk.

“The drought has sparked alarm among farmers and environmentalists across the country, who warn that food supplies may be impacted and wildfires may blight areas where they are not usually seen. The dry conditions are concentrated in the southeast…”

https://time.com/article/2026/05/10/drought-US-farmers-crops-climate-change/


“Where summer-like, record-breaking heat will hit the U.S. this week…

“Record heat is expected to sizzle across 22 states this week — with the most intense conditions expected across the Intermountain West, Plains and South. Temperatures are forecast to top 90 degrees for around 50 million people and 100 degrees for 11 million more.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026/05/11/record-heat-western-drought-forecast-maps/


“Wild Blueberry Farms Across Maine Suffer as Climate Change Upends Growing Seasons.

“Like lobster rolls, wild blueberries are iconic in Maine. But heat and drought have set the plants back to a point where many small farmers are struggling against reduced yields and increased costs for mulch and irrigation.”

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/11052026/maine-wild-blueberry-farms-climate-change/


“Snowmelt and heavy rains spur record rise on lakes Michigan and Huron in April.

“Water levels on lakes Michigan and Huron had their largest surge for the month of April since record-keeping began in 1918, the quick rise driven by snowmelt and heavy rains. Water levels soared by a record 13.4 inches on the lakes last month…”

https://www.wpr.org/news/snowmelt-heavy-rains-record-rise-lakes-michigan-and-huron


“Canada could be next as America’s explosive tornado season shifts in an alarming way.

“On the heels of a tornado warning issued in parts of Ontario, meteorologists are taking a closer look at the famous “Tornado Alley.” The 2026 tornado season is already highly active in the United States, but according to a report by MétéoMédia, several of the most violent storms are striking far from their usual path.”

https://www.timeout.com/montreal/news/canada-could-be-next-as-americas-explosive-tornado-season-shifts-in-an-alarming-way-051126


“Oil majors return to Alaska as state becomes ‘world’s hottest play’…

“ExxonMobil, Shell and Repsol are among producers that bid a record $163mn in March to secure leases in the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska, an under-explored area estimated by the US Geological Survey to hold 8.8mn barrels of recoverable oil.”

https://www.ft.com/content/269cf8eb-d303-4656-b1a1-fc276db55a3f


“Record high ocean temperatures continued across the North Pacific in April 2026 relative to the entire rest of the historical record for the month.

“This graph shows the average for a band across the midlatitudes for every March from 1854-2026 using NOAA ERSSTv5 data.” [Zack Labe]

https://bsky.app/profile/zacklabe.com/post/3mlgglwdtws2k


“Gray whale death adds to ‘alarmingly high’ strandings in 2026.

“Eighteen gray whales have washed ashore dead on Washington state beaches so far this year, an “alarmingly high” number of strandings according to the Cascadia Research Collective. The latest dead gray whale recently washed ashore in the Surfside neighborhood of Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula…”

https://eu.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2026/05/11/gray-whale-death-adds-to-alarmingly-high-number-of-2026-strandings/90032674007/


“Some Climate Shocks Can Increase the Likelihood of War.

“New research reinforces scientific evidence that climate extremes can raise the risk of armed conflict, especially when drought conditions pass critical thresholds in vulnerable regions, including parts of Africa and Southeast Asia.”

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/11052026/climate-change-role-in-war/


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