“The 3-year running average for the global surface temperature anomaly is now 1.52°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial baseline. This is likely the hottest 3-year running mean in over 120,000 years.”
“Regional temperature records broken across the world in 2025.
“Central Asia, the Sahel region and northern Europe experienced their hottest year on record in 2025, according to AFP analysis based on data from the European Copernicus program.”
“Non tropical places with never-ending tropical nights – the two usual suspects did it again: Qaboos Port OMAN and Minamitorishima JAPAN ended the year without a single min <20C [68F] so far this season (since last spring).
“Until few years ago, something like this would have though to be impossible.” [Extreme Temps]
“EXCEPTIONAL MILDNESS IN GREENLAND – January warmest night in history for some stations, with Minimums above freezing; even above +5C / 41F ! (nearly SUMMER TEMPS).
“MINS >0C today: Paamiut, Maniitsoq, Nuuk, Angisooq, Nunarssuit, Sioralik, IKermit, Frederikshaab, Sisimiut. It will get even warmer next days.”
“Glaciers are melting. It may reawaken the world’s most dangerous volcanoes.
“A powerful swarm of earthquakes in January suggested one of Iceland’s giant “ice volcanoes” may be awakening after a decade of slumber. In the months that followed, more earthquakes have rocked the ground.”
“Global warming and human waste continue to threaten the Baltic Sea…
“One of the biggest problems confronting the Baltic Sea ecosystem is eutrophication. Eutrophication is the excessive enrichment of water with nutrients — particularly nitrogen and phosphorus — from land-based sources such as agriculture, sewage, and industrial discharges. This leads to massive growth of algae, especially phytoplankton.”
“England’s fire services battled almost 27,000 grassland, woodland and crop fires during the UK’s warmest spring and summer on record in 2025…
“The unprecedented conditions, including the warmest spring and summer on record and the driest spring in over 100 years, were cited as the cause for the surge in incidents.”
“EU legislation intended to fight deforestation has been effectively ‘dismantled’.
“…when a bullet-ridden version of the EU’s deforestation regulation, once supposed to be the crown of the Green Deal, finally limped across the legislative line this month, not even its architect was smiling, and one politician said it had been pretty much “dismantled”.”
“Flooding, wind damage, and river overflows are the most frequent events. The NGO warns of a worrying increase in cases linked to record temperatures (+94.1%), landslides caused by heavy rainfall (+42.4%), and wind damage (+28.3%).”
“Alarm grows over water shortages as dam inflows remain critically low.
“Inflow into Cyprus’s dams since October has reached just 1.7 million cubic metres, highlighting the severity of the island’s worsening water crisis. The figures were made public on Tuesday by the water development department (WDD), with senior technical engineer Marios Hadjicostis describing the level as “tragic” and effectively insignificant for replenishing reserves.”
“Invasive lionfish threaten Mediterranean biodiversity. Could eating them be a solution?
“Climate change and the opening of Suez Canal have in recent years opened the floodgates to invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, where they threaten biodiversity. Lionfish, with their red and orange stripes and antennae-like barbs, threaten to decimate indigenous fish stocks…”
“CAMEROON has smashed every record non-stop all month from 1st to 31st:
“31st: again 40.4C [104.7F] in Garoua; also December hottest night: min 26.6 Douala. All months in the past 3 years Cameroon has broken and rebroken every record. BURKINA FASO also smashed Dec records – 39.2C at Po.”
“INSANE HEAT WAVE IN SOUTH AFRICA – absolutely freakish hot night on the highlands with Minimums >25C [77F].
“Records of highest minimums were brutalized with extreme margins in a large area. Particularly crazy the min 24.2C at Ixopo, nearly 4C above the previous record.”
“An estimated 123,551 people, 16 schools, and 20 health facilities are exposed to potential flood impacts across the Buzi, Punguè and Licungo basins, according to INGD… According to media reports 16 people were killed in Sofala province, due to weather conditions.”
“Floods Hit 13 Districts; Roads Authority Deploys Contractors for Repairs [Malawi]…
“More than 7,000 households have been affected as of Monday in Nkhotakota District, which currently has three camps for displaced residents… The downpour has cut connectivity between Nkhotakota Boma and Dwangwa, Salima, Kasungu and Ntchisi districts.”
“‘Shivering from cold and fear’: Winter rains flood Gaza camps…
“Winter rain lashed the Gaza Strip over the weekend, flooding camps with ankle-deep puddles as Palestinians displaced by two years of war attempted to stay dry in tents frayed by months of use. The foreign ministers of 10 nations on Tuesday expressed “serious concerns” about a “renewed deterioration of the humanitarian situation” in Gaza…”
“Kurdistan faces record rainfall amid rising flood risks…
“Weather observer Ali Al-Jaber Al-Ziyadi warned on Saturday of a “historic” wave of heavy rainfall set to affect Iraq, particularly in the northern regions, cautioning that the downpours could trigger flash floods in vulnerable areas…”
“Pollution levels in Iraq’s rivers exceed safe limits by 80%…
“According to a statement, data indicate that more than 60% of river pollutants originate from industrial and health-related activities lacking effective treatment systems. Baghdad, Basra, Dhi Qar, and Babil are among the most affected provinces…”
“…rainfall in 19 provinces had been less than the long-term average. Precipitation in Tehran, Alborz, and Qazvin provinces has dropped by 81.7, 74.9, and 73.9 percent, respectively… Iran is facing an unprecedented water crisis that threatens not only its agricultural sector but also regional stability and global food markets.”
“Kyrgyzstan’s grain harvest down 30-40% due to water scarcity.
“Kyrgyzstan’s grain harvest experienced a significant drop, with estimates around 30-40% less than expected due to severe water scarcity and drought conditions impacting crop yields. Rustam Junushov, President of the Millers Association, highlighted this, while the Ministry of Agriculture noted a substantial decrease in wheat and other staple crop harvests.”
“Pakistan will remember 2025 for a couple of reasons. One, and most pivotal of them, is water, and not because of a single catastrophic event, but because multiple hydrological, political, and climatic crises converged simultaneously, dismantling the long-held assumption that water management is merely a technical or seasonal concern.”
“Nepal to scrap Everest waste deposit scheme after years of mounting rubbish.
“Nepal was set to scrap a long-running waste deposit scheme on Mount Everest after concluding it had failed to reduce the accumulation of rubbish on the world’s highest mountain, officials said… Officials said the policy had not delivered meaningful results…”
“Madhya Pradesh [N central India] witnessed unprecedented cold conditions during November and December this year, with several long-standing temperature records being broken.
“November recorded the coldest temperatures in 84 years, while December shattered a 25-year-old record.”
“Why there’s no escape from Delhi’s biggest killer [pollution].
“It’s killed more people in India than terror attacks, riots, epidemics and natural disasters combined. But there’s no escaping the air itself – and demands for more stringent intervention from the government are falling on deaf ears.”
“Cyclone-ravaged Sri Lanka set to apply for ‘loss and damage’ funding…
“Ditwah, a tropical cyclone that caused direct damage estimated at $4.1 billion, equivalent to about 4% of Sri Lanka’s GDP, hit infrastructure and livelihoods, while intangible losses such as impacts on social systems and ecosystem services remain harder to quantify.”
“Indonesia closes 2025 with rising disasters and stalled environmental reform.
“Deadly floods and landslides in Sumatra in late 2025 underscored how deforestation, weak spatial planning and extractive development have increased Indonesia’s vulnerability to extreme weather — problems scientists and activists say the government has largely failed to confront.”
“Flash Floods in Rejang Lebong, Bengkulu: 81,000 Residents Affected [Sumatra].
“Head of the Rejang Lebong Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), M Budianto, said that the heavy rain that occurred from Tuesday afternoon to last night had caused flooding, inundating dozens of residents’ houses and community rice fields.”
“Man dies as record rainfall triggers flash flooding across Queensland…
“The premier said while the weather system is starting to break up, some isolated pockets have received rainfall totals greater than the massive 2019 floods that devastated the region.”
“Fire continues out of control in commune of Chile’s capital…
“The director of the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service, Alicia Cebrián, indicated that with the resources deployed, which include helicopters and tanker planes, they hope to extinguish it during the day or, at least, bring it under control.”
“Exceptional heat in CHILE – temperatures reached records for December in some central areas with up to 40.6C [105.1F] at Coltauco, Bernardo O Higgings Province.
“Next 2 days historic heat in Uruguay and some parts of Argentina including Buenos Aires.”
“Extreme heat in Buenos Aires: temperatures to hit 38°C on New Year’s Eve.
“Buenos Aires’s New Year’s Eve celebrations will take place in top temperatures, the Argentine weather service has warned. Since Monday, Buenos Aires City has been under an orange alert for extreme heat, the second highest alert possible.”
“Emergency due to floods in Corrientes: over 400 evacuated after record rainfall [Argentina].
“The floods in Corrientes reached critical levels after recording 495.4 millimeters [19.5 inches] of rain in just one week… Other localities also reported alarming figures: El Sombrero accumulated 327 millimeters, Mercedes exceeded 214, Santo Tomé reached 152, and Bella Vista recorded 118 millimeters.”
“Heavy rains cause flooding, power outages, and traffic chaos in Santa Catarina [Brazil]…
“According to meteorologist Piter Scheuer’s forecast, precipitation maps indicate high accumulations until Thursday (1st) , with a risk of microbursts and flash floods. In addition, the rains in Santa Catarina may be accompanied by hail and gales.”
“Satellite data show forest loss persists in Brazilian Amazon’s most deforested reserve.
“Brazil’s Triunfo do Xingu Environmental Protection Area was established to protect a swath of the Amazon Rainforest from the cattle industry. However, satellite data show the reserve has lost around 50% of its primary forest cover since it was created in 2006.”
“Scorching hot day AND night yesterday in the Guanacaste Province (Northeast): 35.4C Liberia AP tied its December record. while places like Santa Cruz and Palo Verde had minimums >25C [77F], a record hot night for December.”
“Hottest December in Phoenix? Valley is set to shatter record…
“With only one day left until the ball drops, Phoenix’s average daily temperature for the month is around nine degrees higher than its average, setting up this December to be the hottest in the city’s history.”
“How the climate crisis showed up in Americans’ lives this year: ‘The shift has been swift and stark’.
“Campfires that once defined summer trips were never lit due to wildfire risks. There were no bites where fish were once abundant, forests turned to meadows after a big burn and childhood memories of winter wonderlands turned to slush.”
“As of December 21, official data shows that Lake Mead was just 33 percent full… “Currently, the water-in-storage situation for the Colorado River system is not good,” Sharon Megdal, director of the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center, told Newsweek.”
“Rare ‘seiche’ wave drains Lake Erie during fierce winter storm.
“Extreme winds caused a seiche on Lake Erie, leading to significant flooding in Buffalo, New York, and a dramatic drop in water levels at the other end of the lake… On Monday, Lake Erie’s water level rose by over six feet in Buffalo, while simultaneously dropping by approximately 13 feet in Toledo, Ohio, resulting in an almost eight-foot difference across the lake.”
“Washington State is on track to have its warmest December ever recorded, even warmer than 2023’s record-breaking month…
“This unusually warm month comes as a surprise because forecasters had predicted a cold and wet La Niña winter for the Pacific Northwest. While the cold part hasn’t fully shown up, the wet conditions definitely have.”
“Forcing lifestyle changes could weaken support for climate action, study finds…
“Climate policies that push people to change how they live, such as eating less meat, banning cars from city centres or cutting air travel, may weaken public support for climate action, according to a new study.”
I rely on donations and tips from my readers to 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.
Huge thanks to this month’s donor, who wishes to remain anonymous but has asked me to post alink to this poem by their friend, Arthur L Wood. I’m no great shakes when it comes to literary criticism but I was moved by its tenderness and honesty, and heartily recommend giving it a listen.
“2025 was one of the Three Hottest Years on Record, Scientists Say… despite the presence of a La Nina…
“It was also the first time that the three-year temperature average broke through the threshold set in the 2015 Paris Agreement of limiting warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) since preindustrial times.”
“Dramatic photos show impact of storms, drought and landslides on famous North Wales railway.
“Heritage railways in North Wales are facing mounting impacts from climate change. This year the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways (F&WHR) celebrated its 70th anniversary with a succession of weather-related challenges.”
“Extreme weather events are ‘new normal’ for UK wildlife.
“With 2025 on track to be the warmest year on record, the charity said the country’s landscapes and wildlife had been strained… “The compound impact is year after year of these extreme weather events is just exacerbating the pressures and stresses on the natural world,” said Ben McCarthy, the trust’s head of nature conservation.”
“Roads turn into rivers on the Costa del Sol: Flood-hit Spain issues rare ‘red weather alert’ warning…
“Vehicles can be seen bobbing through the murky waters as the strong currents swirl around them, leaving tourists and locals trapped in their buildings. Authorities said floodwaters at some places were ‘several meters in height’.”
“Three waterspouts caused extensive destruction in the port of Mazarron on Sunday, December 28, as storms hit Spain’s eastern coast.
“The triple waterspout can be seen in this video recorded by Iban Moreno. “It’s hailing, and there are tornadoes on the coast,” Moreno is heard saying.”
“Great white sharks face extinction in Mediterranean, say researchers…
“This is according to research by US scientists, working in partnership with UK charity Blue Marine Foundation, external. They say some of the most threatened species – including great white sharks – are being sold in North African fish markets.”
“Sunflower oil pollution could persist at the bottom of the Black Sea for more than 6 years…
“Following Russian attacks on December 20th on sunflower oil storage facilities at the port of Pivdenny near Odesa, tanks were damaged, triggering significant and potentially damaging marine pollution. Witnesses reported that the vegetable oil quickly covered neighboring areas, and soon reached the Adzhalik estuary.”
“EXTRAORDINARY, HISTORIC – records pulverized all over Africa:
“40.6 [105.1F] Garoua – CAMEROON HOTTEST DECEMBER DAY IN HISTORY; 40C in Ghana, Chad, Niger, Nigeria… KENYA has also broken records everywhere this month: coast, plains and highlands. Today 38.1C Garissa.”
“Why Nigeria needs a national heat management plan.
“During the 2025 Ramadan fasting period, schools were shut in some states across northern Nigeria. The decision sparked public outrage, with many Nigerians questioning it. The unanimous reason given by authorities was that the heat had become unbearable…”
“Cape Town is currently experiencing an intense heatwave, with temperatures soaring across the city as residents and tourists cope with the scorching sun…
“The unusual spike in temperatures comes amid a broader pattern of extreme weather across South Africa, highlighting the growing impact of climate change on local weather patterns.”
“Over 150 homes destroyed as disaster teams respond to South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal floods.
“Disaster management teams have been deployed across several parts of KwaZulu-Natal following severe flooding that has left widespread destruction in both inland and coastal areas, the provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) has confirmed.”
“Historic dry rainy season triggers alarm for deepening food insecurity in the Horn of Africa.
“The unfolding drought is severely undermining local agricultural productivity, less than three years after the historic drought that struck the region from late 2020 to early 2023. FEWS NET estimates 20-25 million people across Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya are in need of humanitarian food assistance, with drought the main driver for 50-55 percent of those in need.”
“Egypt says will respond to any harm from Nile dam in Ethiopia.
“His remarks come while Egypt has been objecting to Ethiopia’s unilateral measures on its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam… Egypt, which relies on the Nile for 98% of its renewable water resources, has warned that it will not accept any infringement on, or relinquishment of, a single drop of its Nile water share.”
“A Palestinian woman in Gaza has died as a winter storm threatens the lives of nearly 900,000 Palestinians living in tents across the devastated coastal enclave.
“The 30-year-old, identified as Alaa Marwan Juha, died on Sunday when a wall collapsed onto her tent in the Remal neighbourhood to the west of Gaza City, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.”
“Jordan: Ministry warns of ‘imminent’ overflow at Wadi Shueib Dam…
“In a statement, the authority urged residents, farmers, and communities living downstream of the dam to take necessary precautions and follow the instructions of relevant authorities… He also warned of the risk of flash floods in valleys and low-lying areas…”
“Iraq battles blowing sand as ‘300 dust days’ loom by 2050.
“Deep in Iraq’s southern desert, bulldozers and earthmovers spread layers of moist clay over sand dunes as part of a broader effort to fight increasingly frequent sandstorms. Iraq has long suffered from sand and dust storms, but in recent years they have become more frequent and intense…”
“Restoring Iran’s Zagros soils needs half of annual oil income, official warns.
“Iran is losing soil faster than any other country, and restoring fertility in its vast Zagros mountain range would require diverting roughly half of annual oil revenues each year, a senior forestry expert said.”
“The water scarcity crisis in Iran has developed into a security threat that threatens to disrupt environmental stability, economic productivity, social unity and political stability. The fast depletion of water sources has forced numerous rural communities to leave their homes, while major urban areas face recurring water service interruptions.”
“India’s Chenab dam plan riles eco-activists, Pakistan alike.
“Indian govt forging ahead with several hydro projects in Indus basin after unilaterally suspending treaty. Water weaponisation in climate change-prone region ‘neither sane nor acceptable’, warns Sherry Rehman.”
“India’s domination of global rice trade stokes looming water crisis…
“Interviews with growers, government officials and farm scientists, as well as a review of groundwater data, reveal widespread concern that thirsty rice crops are unsustainably draining India’s already-low aquifers, forcing farmers to borrow heavily to drill ever-deeper borewells.”
“Will India’s wheat imports lead to global food crisis?
“…The unseasonal heavy rains and hailstorm of March and April this year, which left millions of farmers in north India in distress, may impact international wheat prices… imports may push up the international wheat price as happened in 2010.”
“A childhood carried in water pitchers: Climate change and lost girlhoods in coastal Bangladesh…
“In coastal Bangladesh, saline intrusion is more than an environmental problem — it has become a daily threat to health. Children, especially girls, often walk long distances to fetch drinking water, leaving little time for school or play.”
“Repeated raising of dam’s water level despite rising frequency of landslides led to the Hongqi Bridge collapse in Tibet…
“…within approximately seven months, the water level rose by more than 160 meters. This rate and magnitude of rising water set a world record. Just one month after Phase II began, the Hongqi Bridge, located in the heart of the reservoir area, collapsed.”
“Bach Ma National Park in Vietnam Closes to Tourists Following Historic Floods and Landslides.
“Bach Ma National Park, known to be one of the most popular natural landmarks in Vietnam, is left with no other option but to suspend tourism activities indefinitely due to the series of devastating landslides caused by the record-breaking flood that happened at the end of October 2025.”
“South Korea’s Heatwave Days Have Doubled Over the Past 113 Years.
“Compared to about 100 years ago, the number of heatwave days in South Korea has increased 2.2-fold. The number of tropical night days has also increased 4.2-fold. While the number of precipitation days has decreased, rainfall intensity has increased, leading to more frequent heavy downpours.”
“RECORD HEAT IN INDONESIA: exceptional 37.7C [99.9F] Today at Kaimana, West Papua hottest day in history.
“Kaimana has been with record heat for over 6 years. Since mid 2019 not a single month has been cooler than average and it breaks and rebreaks records continuously.”
“No New Year fireworks in Indonesia as nation mourns Sumatra flood victims…
“Several governments and police forces, including those in the capital Jakarta and on the popular tourist island of Bali, have said they will not allow firework displays out of respect for the victims on Sumatra, where floods and landslides have killed over 1,100 people, with around 400,000 still displaced.”
“Floods hit nearly 11,000 people in S Kalimantan’s Balangan District.
“Flooding has affected nearly 11,000 people and submerged more than 3,500 homes across Indonesia’s Balangan district in South Kalimantan, local disaster officials said, prompting authorities to declare a flood emergency as heavy rains continue to batter the region.”
“Tropical Cyclone Hayley bears down on Derby in WA as north Queensland communities face floods.
“…as severe Tropical Cyclone Hayley – now a category-three system – approaches on Tuesday , bringing destructive winds, heavy rain and the potential for flash flooding, the risks are fresh in everyone’s minds. It was only three years ago that rain dumped by ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie led to catastrophic floods…”
“Bushfire near Rockingham closes Mandurah train line, Warnbro station in Perth’s south.
“Warnbro station and a large part of the Mandurah train line have been closed as unexploded ordnance hampers efforts to contain a bushfire burning in Perth’s south. There is a possible threat to lives and homes from the out-of-control blaze…”
“Chilean capital on alert as fires spread through nearby hills.
“Forest fires put Santiago on alert on Monday when flames blazed through hills in the Las Condes area, after burning at least 470 hectares (1161.4 acres), according to Chile’s National Forestry Corporation (CONAF).”
“Floods in Corrientes: serious social situation and lack of provincial infrastructure [Argentina]…
“Officers from the National Gendarmerie and the Argentine Naval Prefecture had to intervene for the evacuation tasks after the Uruguay and Paraná rivers rose. The officers took the evacuated residents to municipal gyms and schools, amid critical circumstances.”
“4 records in 4 days in Sao Paulo Brazil – 37.2C In the Observatory Mirante de Santana (together with Santiago Quinta Normal the oldest in South America) pulverized its December record again.
“YEAR END EXTREME HEAT ALERT – 40C [104F] in Uruguay and parts of NE Argentina and SE Brazil.”
“The metropolitan region of Sao Paulo, the most populated urban area in Brazil, is facing an emergency in its drinking water supply, authorities said Monday.
“According to authorities, the current water crisis is the result of an intense heat wave, a sharp rise in consumption, and a persistent drought that has left reservoirs at critically low levels in the South American area with around 20 million inhabitants.”
“‘When you plant something, it dies’: Brazil’s first arid zone is a stark warning for the whole country.
“The Caatinga in the north-east has been transformed by the heating climate in just a generation and could become the country’s first desert… earning a living from goat rearing is becoming more difficult as the dry season extends and the native vegetation withers…”
“Soy trading firms to abandon Amazon protection pact in Brazil.
“Some of the world’s largest soybean traders are preparing to break their agreement to curb deforestation of the Amazon rainforest to preserve tax benefits in Brazil’s top farm state, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.”
“First cool spell in The CARIBBEAN after 3 years of record heat.
“Most affected were the bigger islands like Hispaniola. Some remarkable Minimums in Dominican Republic, close to records: 12.5 [54.5F] La Romana and 15.2 Punta Cana.”
“Near-Record Cold Nights Recorded Across Antigua and Barbuda.
“Antigua and Barbuda experienced another unusually cold night, with minimum temperatures ranging from 14°C to 23°C (57°F to 73°F) across the country, according to the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services.”
“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN MEXICO – 40C [104F] recorded in multiple places this week nearly every day even in Northern States like Sonora, Sinaloa, Durango and Chihuhua: never seen before.
“EVERY SINGLE DAY of December Mexico has recorded at least 38C/100F.”
“The December US heatwave is ending. It was absurd. Last 7 days: 4700 heat records broken (mins & maxs) vs only 55 cold records. 7 day anomalies as much as +25° F. Dozens of monthly records smashed.
“The heat dome was forced by a very blocky global pattern, but the intensity is virtually impossible intensity without climate change.” [Jeff Berardelli]
“Heavy rains likely triggered gas line rupture that shut down 5 Freeway for hours, expert says.
“As Southern California Gas Co. crews investigate a major pipeline rupture that triggered a shutdown of the 5 Freeway in Castaic this weekend, at least one expert said that heavy rains were likely to blame for causing massive land movement in the area.”
“‘The poor are in a very bad state’: Climate change accelerates California’s cost-of-living crisis…
“Among those affected by rising temperatures is Amanda Nevarez, who was left homeless by the Eaton Fire, one of two wildfires in Los Angeles County that together destroyed more than 16,000 homes and buildings and killed 31 people last January.”
“Mapped: 16 times extreme weather drove higher food prices since 2022.
“UK potatoes, South Korean cabbage and west African cocoa are just some of the foods that became markedly more expensive after extreme weather events in recent years, according to new research.”
“I have a new estimate: Earth’s albedo (reflectivity) has declined about 0.55% since 2000 (CERES data), the so-called “great darkening.”
“Just to restore the albedo lost since 2000 would require a band of mirrors (92% efficient) circling the earth at the equator about 90km wide.” [Prof Eliot Jacobson]
I rely on donations and tips from my readers to to keep the site running. Every little bit helps. Can you chip in even a dollar? Buy me a coffeeor become a Patreon supporter. A huge thank you to those who do subscribe or donate.
You can read the previous “Climate” threadhere. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
Huge thanks to this month’s donor, who wishes to remain anonymous but has asked me to post a link to this poem by their friend, Arthur L Wood. I’m no great shakes when it comes to literary criticism but I was moved by its tenderness and honesty, and heartily recommend giving it a listen.
““With CO2 emissions still increasing, keeping global warming below 1.5°C [2.7°F] is no longer plausible,” Pierre Friedlingstein, a climate scientist at the University of Exeter’s Global Systems Institute who led the study, said in a statement.”
“Friday ice update – Arctic sea ice extent is currently the *lowest* on record (JAXA data).
• about 500,000 km² below the 2010s mean • about 1,110,000 km² below the 2000s mean • about 1,670,000 km² below the 1990s mean • about 2,000,000 km² below the 1980s mean” [Zack Labe]
“Anomalous Christmas in Iceland: a temperature record of +19.8°C [67.6F] recorded.
“In Iceland, the highest temperature ever recorded in December was registered on Christmas Eve. At 11:00 AM in the town of Seyðisfjörður, thermometers rose to +19.8°C, an unprecedented figure for the Arctic region at this time of year.”
“Record heat in 2025 will be nothing special in years to come [UK]…
“The five warmest years in the UK have all happened in the past 25 years. And there is every indication that temperatures will carry on rising… And if there was any doubt about Britain’s changing climate it is revealing that the five coldest years all happened long ago, in 1892, 1888, 1885, 1963 and 1919 respectively.”
“‘Ghost resorts’: as hundreds of ski slopes lie abandoned, will nature reclaim the Alps?
“…The Céüze resort in the southern French Alps had been open for 85 years and was one of the oldest in the country. Today, it is one of scores of ski resorts abandoned across France – part of a new landscape of “ghost stations”. More than 186 have been permanently closed already…”
“Climate change shrinks Austrian Alps glaciers, threatening tourism and wildlife…
“The region, a cornerstone of Europe’s winter tourism, is also seeing altered seasons, diminishing snow at lower altitudes, and water shortages affecting ski operations and mountain huts.”
“The Eurasian lynx population in the Slovenian Alps, which serves as a refuge for species adapted to high mountain ecosystems and forms an ecological corridor in Europe, faces a serious risk of decline… Slovenia, which encompasses part of the Alps, hosts glacial valleys and high-altitude forests that are home to rare or endangered plant and animal communities.”
“From deadly heatwaves to flash floods: How Europe’s extreme weather events defined 2025…
“In Europe, flash floods, deadly heatwaves, droughts and record-breaking wildfires became the defining feature of 2025 – a legacy it is still scrambling to recover from. But experts warn these events will likely become the “new normal” unless drastic action is taken…”
“Weather: Flooded Streets in Alimos – Collapse of a Building’s Wall [Greece]…
“In the Alimos area, specifically on Lysikratous Street, the rushing waters turned the road into a river in just a few minutes, causing a concrete retaining wall of an apartment building to collapse.”
“Record rainfall in Moroccan city of Salé leaves residential buildings inundated…
“Changing weather patterns and infrastructure issues have seen floods in a several cities in recent years. Heavy rainfall earlier this month killed 37 people in the coastal area of Safi.”
“Climate change threatens ‘women’s gold’ shea butter in West Africa…
“Climate change is endangering shea butter production across West Africa’s Sahel region, jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions of women. Erratic weather and deforestation are reducing yields, creating shortages for a global market that highly values this natural product.”
“December records today: 38.8 [101.8F] Magaria and Goure in NIGER… Abnormally hot nights continue relentless with Mins >27C in Ivory Coast, Benin, Ghana and Togo; New December record of Highest Minimum at Dapaong, TOGO: min 26.5C.”
“A 38°C [100.4F] Christmas in Bauchi: Is Nigeria prepared for climate change?
“Perhaps it happened years before I was born. However, I have never witnessed December 25 with a temperature of above 30°C in the evening, not even close to that. This year, I happened to be in Bauchi, my home state, during the time. It was quite surprising how confused people were about the weather.”
“Hailstorm causes extensive damage in Kwakwatsi [South Africa]…
“The hailstorm affected Ward 16 and Ward 17 in Kwakwatsi in the early hours of today at approximately 03:45 in the morning and caused damage to the area, including roofs being blown off, and some houses and windows being broken. This has also caused serious damage to electricity infrastructure.”
“Recent floods kill over 750,000 fish in Erbil’s Taq Taq [Kurdistan].
“Recent flash floods have devastated fish farms in the southeastern town of Taq Taq in Erbil province, killing more than 750,000 fish and dealing a heavy blow to local livelihoods. Khalil Salim, a fish farm owner, said the floods have completely destroyed his business…”
“Iraq plans 50 new dams to boost water reserves, funding pending: Official…
“Iraq’s water crisis has been exacerbated by five consecutive years of drought, rising temperatures, and upstream dam construction in Turkey and Iran, which has significantly reduced water inflows.”
“Reservoir supplying Iran capital largely empty despite rain.
“The reservoir of the Amir Kabir dam, one of the largest supplying Iran’s capital, is still largely empty despite sporadic winter rainfall following the worst drought in decades, local media reported Wednesday.”
“In India’s desert state, global drinks giants grapple with water scarcity and local anger.
“In the northwestern state of Rajasthan, some of the world’s biggest beverage firms face the additional challenge of securing and managing dwindling water supplies while navigating strict government rules and grievances of some local people who only get the resource piped-in once a week.”
“India’s AI data centers feared to worsen host community water stress…
“Many of India’s nearly 250 data centers are in areas already classified as ‘severely water-scarce’ by a non-profit think tank Planet Tracker, where groundwater levels have been declining for years. State governments such as Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, however, continue to pitch themselves aggressively as AI investment destinations even as they issue drought warnings…”
“Sri Lanka cyclone: More than a million still need aid weeks after Ditwah floods.
“Nearly a month after Cyclone Ditwah tore across Sri Lanka, more than a million people – including over half a million children – remain in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, as floods, landslides and renewed rainfall continue to compound one of the country’s worst disasters in decades.”
“China launches satellite to aid in early extreme weather detection.
“China launched a new geostationary meteorological satellite on Saturday, aiming to boost the country’s ability to monitor extreme weather events and high-impact climate systems with greater precision, according to China Meteorological Administration.”
“A year under water: Record floods sweep Vietnam from megacities to tourist hubs in 2025.
“Vietnam endured a year of unprecedented meteorological crises in 2025, as record-breaking rainfall and historic tides triggered disasters that overwhelmed infrastructure across the nation.”
“In Agam Regency, West Sumatra (Sumbar), flash floods again struck Tanjung Raya District. The disaster was caused by the overflowing Batang River. As of yesterday, the impacts of the flooding were still being felt.”
“Indonesians raise white flags as anger grows over slow flood aid.
“For weeks now, angry and distressed residents in Indonesia’s westernmost province have been raising white flags over the state’s slow response to a series of deadly floods… In a sign of just how frustrating managing the crisis has become, the governor of North Aceh broke down publicly earlier this month.”
“BREAKING NEWS! Floods Hit South Kalimantan, Flash Floods in Balangan, One Dead in Tala.
“Flooding has hit several areas in several regencies in South Kalimantan, including Banjar, Tanahlaut, Balangan, Hulu Sungai Selatan, Hulu Sungai Tengah, and others. One example is the water level in the Amandit River in Loksado District…”
“Homes threatened as bushfire rages south-east of Perth and storms hit Queensland and Northern Territory…
“Australians on both sides of the country have been warned to remain vigilant as floods and fires threatened their homes on Boxing Day. A bushfire continued to rage about 200km south-east of Perth on Friday morning, although nearby residents were no longer being urged to leave their homes.”
“WA Weather: 120 year weather record smashed as WA crowned hottest place on Earth this Christmas.
“Western Australia was officially the hottest place on Earth on Christmas Day, with one corner of the State breaking a 120 year record… “Cape Leeuwin reached a high of 39.6C on Christmas Day — breaking a 120 year record for the highest maximum temperature in December,” meteorologist Sarah Scully told PerthNow.”
“Hailstorm in summer: Severe thunderstorm warnings hit South Island [NZ]…
“It looked like snow in December. But MetService says the whiteout affecting parts of the South Island was caused by severe hail from summer thunderstorms.”
“Climate shift warning: São Paulo’s 35.9°C on December 25th breaks 64-year heat record, signaling intensifying trends [record then broken again the next day with 36.2C / 97.2F].
“São Paulo experienced an unprecedented heat event this past December, recording a scorching 35.9 degrees Celsius on the 25th. This temperature mark established a new historical high for the month, surpassing a long-standing record that had remained unchallenged for 64 years.”
“‘Cocaine, gold and meat’: how Colombia’s Amazon became big business for crime networks…
“The report states: “It is a problem of macro-criminality that connects armed groups, gangs and cartels with political intermediaries and business conglomerates that, in addition to taking over natural resources and destroying ecosystems, seek to exercise territorial and population control over the region.””
“Pablo Escobar’s Chital Deer: The New Biological Crisis Threatening Colombia’s Magdalena Medio.
“The exponential increase of Asian deer, illegally introduced four decades ago, jeopardizes the balance of local ecosystems, causing a new biological crisis and challenging environmental authorities in Colombia.”
“California Sea Otters Face New Threats As An Ecosystem Shifts…
“Sea otters once flourished along the entire Pacific coast. When European hunters arrived in the 17thcentury, they found abundant populations — between 150,000 and 300,000 — from Oregon to Baja California.”
“Southern California recorded its wettest Christmas Eve-Christmas Day ever, with Santa Barbara Airport getting 5.91 inches. More than 17 inches fell in one area of the Ventura County mountains.
“The rainfall marks a dramatic reversal from last year’s record drought that preceded the devastating Altadena and Pacific Palisades wildfires.”
“Mudslides buried cars and homes up to their windows in a California mountain town as a powerful storm system brought the wettest Christmas in decades to the southern part of the state.
“As much as 12in of rain fell across the area on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, triggering flooding and washing out roads.”
“A powerful widespread zone of fierce winds that whipped through the northern Rocky Mountain states and the Northern Plains the week of Dec. 14-19, is being classified as a record-strong wind event.
“The massive wind scale delivered new record-strong wind gusts throughout the Intermountain West, from Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Idaho, Washington state, central California and central New Mexico, also in the Dakotas in mid-December.”
“The Christmas Present That Arrived Early And Just Won’t Leave: A Continued US Heat Wave…
“Multiple cities reached the milestone of warmest Christmas on record across the U.S., including Oklahoma City; Albuquerque, NM; Tulsa, OK; Salt Lake City, UT; Bozeman, MT and El Paso, TX. The record-breaking heat is concentrating over the Central and Southern Plains and the Southeast for the weekend…” [Graphic Jeff Berardelli X]
“Night Minimums up to 64F in Illinois. NIGHT TEMPERATURES TYPICAL OF JULY. Hundreds of records pulverized all over Central Stateswith up to 8F margins. 85F in Arkansas etc.”
“Inside the multi-million dollar race to dim the sun and stop climate change…
“A secretive team of scientists is working on an unprecedented plan to fill the atmosphere with tiny particles that imitate a volcanic eruption and block out the sun. It might save humanity, or it could spiral out of control.“
“Declared extinct in 2025: A look back at some of the species we lost…
“Three Australian species of bandicoots — the marl (Perameles myosuros), southeastern striped bandicoot (Perameles notina) and Nullarbor barred bandicoot (Perameles papillon) — were also declared extinct on the IUCN Red List this year… All three now-extinct species were likely wiped out by the loss of habitat and the spread of feral cats…”
I rely on donations and tips from my readers to to keep the site running. Every little bit helps. Can you chip in even a dollar?Buy me a coffee or become a Patreon supporter. A huge thank you to those who do subscribe or donate.
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back on Monday with an “Economic” thread.
I’ll be taking a short break for Christmas but will be back for Saturday’s climate thread. Happy Holidays to all in the meantime, and thank you so much to the subscribers and donors who make this site possible. 🎄
Huge thanks to this month’s donor, who wishes to remain anonymous but has asked me to post a link to this poem by their friend, Arthur L Wood. I’m no great shakes when it comes to literary criticism but I was moved by its tenderness and honesty, and heartily recommend giving it a listen.
“‘Borrowed time’: crop pests and food losses supercharged by climate crisis…
“Researchers said the world was lucky to have so far avoided a major shock and was living on borrowed time, with action needed to diversify crops and boost natural predators of pests… Global heating is helping insects such as aphids, planthoppers, stem borers, caterpillars and locusts thrive.”
“Based on the 11-year running mean (and on Earth’s Energy Imbalance), the near-term rate of warming could turn out much higher than the linear 2010-2025 extrapolation.
“The next El Niño peak will be very informative… Based on [Jim Hansen’s latest] extrapolation we are now at +1.5°C and the world will reach +2.0°C of global warming around 2035. [Leon Simons]
“Monday ice update – Arctic sea ice extent is currently the *lowest* on record (JAXA data):
• about 640,000 km² below the 2010s mean • about 1,220,000 km² below the 2000s mean • about 1,780,000 km² below the 1990s mean • about 2,140,000 km² below the 1980s mean” [Zack Labe]
“The Arctic Is Chemically Transforming, and It’s Speeding Up Climate Change.
“…the researchers identified three major findings. They determined that gaps in sea ice, known as leads, play a major role in shaping atmospheric chemistry and cloud development. They also found that emissions from oil extraction significantly change the chemical makeup of the surrounding air. Together, these influences create feedback processes…”
“This year is on course to be the UK’s hottest since records began, according to the Met Office, as climate change continues to drive temperatures to new heights.
“With just over a week still to go, the average UK air temperature across 2025 is on track to end up at about 10.05C.”
“‘Year of octopus’ declared after warmer seas lead to record UK numbers…
“Warmer winters, which are linked to climate change, are thought to be responsible for the population spike, which is known as a “bloom”. The charity’s findings are backed up by official figures which show that more than 1,200 tonnes of octopus was caught by fishermen in UK waters in the summer of 2025.”
“Spanish villagers devastated by forest fire win €468m in lottery prizes.
“When the village of La Bañeza in Castilla y León was engulfed in one of the worst forest fires in Spanish history, the rain came too late to save it. But now the Christmas lottery has showered its 10,000 inhabitants with hundreds of millions of euros.”
“Paphos [Cyprus] buried in hail as storms trigger Fire Service recall.
“Torrential rain and vicious hailstorms battered Paphos on Sunday afternoon, transforming coastal landscapes into white winter scenes. The deluge forced the Paphos Fire Station to recall off-duty personnel and establish emergency flood units to handle a surge in distress calls.”
“Land, Climate, and Conflict: Unravelling the Nexus in Sudan, Syria, and Morocco.
“Droughts compounding with poor governance frameworks fuelled underlying ethnic grievances and horizontal inequalities to spark violence… climate change indirectly concocted a mindset of nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
“Western Cape firefighting resources under strain as wildfire season costs surpass R2.4m [South Africa].
“Firefighters resources across the Western Cape are under severe pressure as the province battles an unusually active wildfire season, with aerial firefighting deployments already exceeding R2.4 million this season.”
“Flash floods wreak havoc on KZN South Coast, disaster teams deployed.
“The intense rainfall, which began at around 16:30 pm on Sunday, December 21, 2025, caused widespread damage to roads, commercial properties, and shopping centres, including the Shelly Centre… However, significant damage has been recorded to both public and private infrastructure…”
“Over 100 families displaced as devastating hailstorm wreaks havoc in uMshwathi.
“A powerful hailstorm struck the uMshwathi Local Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands on Sunday, leaving a trail of damage and displacing more than 100 people. The storm affected large parts of the municipality…”
“Warming may make tropical cyclone ‘seeds’ riskier for Africa.
“An existing body of research indicates that climate change is making tropical cyclones wetter and more powerful. Now, a new study is indicating the same thing may be happening to the precursors of these storms: the wet weather systems that sometimes give rise to destructive hurricanes and often cause hazardous rain and flooding.”
“Scorching hot night on the coast with Minimums up to 27.2C [81F] at Malindi (well known tourist resort town): hottest December night in history. Every single tropical country has been breaking hot nights records.”
“Drought threatens Babylon’s fig trees: A tree for people, bees, and bulbul songbirds.
“The fig harvest season usually begins in mid-June and runs through the end of October. This year, however, production has fallen dramatically compared to previous seasons. Many orchards have dried out entirely, and surface irrigation has largely disappeared, leaving farmers dependent on groundwater alone.”
“Urmia: From a Permanent Lake to a Seasonal Basin [Iran]…
“…field surveys indicate that Lake Urmia has lost its status as a permanent lake. It has effectively become a seasonal water body, appearing during limited rainy months and returning to near-complete dryness by summer.”
“Himachal records driest December ever, zero rainfall raises concern for crops and tourism.
“The extended dry weather, coupled with a rise in minimum temperatures, has begun to affect agricultural activity. Sowing of Rabi crops such as wheat, barley, mustard, peas and gram has been delayed. Observers also point out that warmer nights could reduce the chilling hours required for a healthy apple crop.”
“China has started construction of what will become the world’s largest hydropower dam in Tibetan territory… The Motuo Hydropower Station is located in The Himalayan plateau – often described as the world’s “third pole”. It stores immense quantities of ice and snow that feed hundreds of rivers downstream in countries like India and Pakistan.”
“Water crisis threatens food security in Barind region [Bangladesh].
“Food security is under threat in the Barind region as water scarcity continues to worsen in Rajshahi, Naogaon, and Chapainawabganj, turning vast areas increasingly arid. Declining rainfall, rising temperatures, and a sharp fall in groundwater levels have created a critical situation…”
“HISTORIC HEAT WAVE IN EAST ASIA – never happened anything like this, this time of the year:
“31C [87.8F] in CHINA; 22.5C Seogwipo SOUTH KOREA – record December heat; minimums up to 18C in Korean Peninsula; In NORTH KOREA Records December warmest night pulverized everywhere… Oma JAPAN tied its high max. December record in the middle on the night and on the 21st: crazy.”
“Winter could disappear, heat waves may triple if we don’t mend our ways, Korea’s climate agency data suggests.
“…winter’s duration is expected to shrink from 107 days to just 40 days by the late 21st century — less than half of its current length nationwide. In Seoul alone, the number of winter days is forecast to contract even more sharply, from 102 days to only 12.”
“Flash floods cause widespread damage in Indonesia’s Guci hot spring tourist area…
“The flash flood had damaged several supporting infrastructures in the tourist area, said Abdul Muhari, the Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, in a statement on Monday, December 22.”
“Southeast Asian floods set to threaten more wildlife due to climate change.
“As climate change fuels more frequent floods and storms across Southeast Asia, forests and wildlife are being pushed to their breaking point, with conservationists and scientists warning of a worsening impact on ecosystems due to a lack of oversight and countermeasures.”
“Flash flooding fears as severe storms hammer Queensland.
“Severe thunderstorms, flash flooding and heatwave conditions are bearing down on parts of southern Queensland today, while a monsoon trough threatens to unleash a deluge in the state’s north.”
“Australia Poised for Desalination Boom as Water Shortages Loom…
“The world’s driest inhabited continent is projected to build or expand 11 desalination plants worth more than A$23 billion ($15 billion) over the next 10 years, according to a research report by Dominic McNally at Oxford Economics.”
“While December started with record heat and up to 34C, cold has returned in NEW ZEALAND in the past few days.
“In the South Island temperatures dropped close to freezing at low elevations: 0.6C [33.1F] Lauder; 1.2C Tara Hills; 2.3C Timaru etc. Just a couple of degrees from cold records.”
“West Antarctica’s history of rapid melting foretells sudden shifts in continent’s ‘catastrophic’ geology….
“The biggest changes happened along the coast. The model simulations show a rapid increase in iceberg production and a dramatic retreat of the edge of the ice sheet toward the Ellsworth Mountains. The Amundsen Sea became choked with icebergs produced from all directions.”
“Activists hold up a banner that reads in Spanish, “Without glaciers, there’s no water” during a protest against a bill proposed by President Javier Milei to reform the country’s glacier protection law and ease restrictions on resource exploitation in front of Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025.”
“Rainfall of up to 100mm [4 inches] in less than 30 minutes floods city in Rio Grande do Sul [Brazil].
“On the afternoon of this Monday (22), several points in the municipality of Frederico Westphalen, in Rio Grande do Sul, were flooded after intense rain occurred in the region. The precipitation started at 4 pm and accumulated up to 100 millimeters in just 30 minutes in some places.”
“The Amazon enters 2026 carrying the bitter taste of compromise.
“…in 2025, the true battle for the rainforest was fought far from the Blue Zone. In the quiet shadows, powerful political forces moved to roll back environmental protections in Brazil (which holds 64% of the rainforest), successfully passing the anti-conservation bills and green-lighting critical infrastructure projects.”
“It’s hard to conceive a more extreme North America than this: abnormal warmth in most of USA/Mexico and Greenland and persistent harsh cold in most of Canada squeezed in between.
“20 stations above freezing in GREENLAND; Mexico >97F/36C in the North, South, East and West.” [Extreme Temps]
“To help illustrate the insane gradient in North America Monday I added a couple of numbers:
“76 in Denver wasn’t even the national high. That was 90 in Hidalgo TX. Braeburn was indeed the NA low. (These are actual temps, not feels like). The -68F in Braeburn was Canada’s coldest temp since 1999.” [Jeff Berardelli]
“Dozens of December records pulverized in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas etc. Some examples: TX: 85 Lubbock, 83 Amarillo, CO: 83 Springfield, 79 Wray, 79 Yuma… In Colorado records were broken locally by 4/5F… Historic heat also in NEBRASKA; Dozens of records for December including 80F Thedford.”
“Salt Lake City is on pace for its warmest December since at least the late 1800s, when tracking began, said Monica Traphagan, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Salt Lake City office.
““We’re on track to shatter the record,” Traphagan said, adding that average temperatures this December are about 2 degrees higher than the previous record, set in 1917 at an average of about 42 degrees.”
“Evacuation orders issued in Colorado due to wildfire.
“Boulder County Sheriff’s Office posted an alert on their Facebook telling all residents that live near Four Mile Canyon to evacuate the area as soon as possible. First responders responded to the 700 block of Wild Turkey Lane.”
“The Colorado River is on the verge of crisis. No one has a solution…
“If the states fail to reach an agreement, the dispute could devolve into lawsuits that many consider a dire scenario, leaving farmers and cities with little certainty about how much water they may receive year to year.”
“Massive rainfall totals are really starting to pile up in Northern California, with up to 21 inches falling in the Northern Sierra Nevada over the past 72 hours.
“Lake Oroville has risen nearly 20 feet since the rain began just a few days ago.” [Colin McCarthy].”
“One dead in California floods as state braces for brutal week of Christmas storms…
““[The] city of Redding is very concerned about rain Tuesday to Friday having bigger impacts [than] what we experienced last night … Today is a good day to prepare, as we know more rain is coming,” Littau wrote on Facebook.”
“Washington officials issue frightening alert about toilet rats after historic floods…
“Seattle and King County public health officials… suggest if a homeowner does have a run-in with a rat, to stay calm, shut the toilet and try to flush the rodent. If that does not work, squirt dish soap into the toilet. The soap will help slide the rat down the septic system when flushed. It may take a few times before the creature is gone.”
“An ecosystem never forgets: Extreme heat and drought responses linked to hydrological memory…
“Southwestern China’s highlands system offered scientists a chance to study the ways a sensitive ecosystem reacted to both a once-in-a-century drought and an exceptional heat wave… They discovered a distinct “personality switch” in the way the ecosystem responded to the second event versus the first.”
I rely on donations and tips from my readers to to keep the site running. Every little bit helps. Can you chip in even a dollar? Buy me a coffeeor become a Patreon supporter. A huge thank you to those who do subscribe or donate.
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back on 27th December with another “Climate” thread.
Huge thanks to this month’s donor, who wishes to remain anonymous but has asked me to post a link to this poem by their friend, Arthur L Wood. I’m no great shakes when it comes to literary criticism but I was moved by its tenderness and honesty, and heartily recommend giving it a listen.
“Assumption of at least a moderate El Nino beginning in 2026 leads us to project a global temperature record of +1.7°C in 2027, which will provide further confirmation of the recent global warming acceleration.
“This new record will occur only four years after the 2023 El Nino, so additional, underlying, global warming at the accelerated rate of 0.31°C per decade is only about 0.1°C.” [Jim Hansen]
“The 30-year non-linear extrapolation now shows +3°C in 2049!
“I consider this unlikely but not impossible (considering Earth’s Energy Imbalance has more than doubled). From a precautionary principle perspective we should plan accordingly.”
“Another remarkable spike in temperature is ongoing across the northernmost portions of the Arctic, with a poleward surge of heat and moisture from the Atlantic.
“Also note the clear warm Arctic, cold continent temperature anomaly pattern.” [Zack Labe] More graphics at:
“Scientists have detected a potentially deadly whale virus in the Arctic for the first time, using drones to collect breath samples from live whales…
“A potentially deadly virus linked to mass die-offs of whales and dolphins worldwide has been detected in Arctic waters for the first time, raising new concerns about disease risks in a region undergoing rapid environmental change.”
“This assessment comes from BirdLife International, which reports that the Snowy Owl has now been declared Regionally Extinct in Sweden. The decision follows ten consecutive years without any confirmed breeding and marks the first time in two decades that Sweden has officially lost a bird species.”
“‘Massive disruption’: UK’s worst-case climate crisis scenarios revealed by scientists.
“The worst-case impacts of the climate crisis for the UK have been laid bare by scientists, ranging from a scorching 4C rise in temperatures to a 2-metre rise in sea level. Another scenario sees a plunge of 6C in temperature after the collapse of key Atlantic Ocean currents, massively disrupting farming and energy needs.”
“As storms surge & the sea rises, Belgium builds dunes for protection.
“In late October, Storm Benjamin blew across Belgium and other parts of Western Europe, bringing strong winds and rain that knocked down trees and damaged homes. Powerful waves pummeled Belgium’s shoreline, eroding some parts. Jagged, cliff-like formations appeared on certain beaches.”
“Schools told to keep children indoors and flights cancelled as air pollution peaks in Sarajevo…
“Experts have warned that exposure to PM2.5 – fine inhalable particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or smaller – has led to a rise in respiratory infections as well as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and premature deaths in Sarajevo…”
“The EU Deforestation Regulation weakened, and delayed once again…
“Beyond the delay, the agreement also reduces key safeguards. Downstream operators and traders – who place relevant products on the market (or export them) and make relevant products available on the market – now face reduced obligations, despite their significant influence over supply chains.”
“They survived wildfires. But something else is killing Greece’s iconic fir forests.
“… fires are not the only thing killing trees, and the forces shaping wildfire aftermath have shifted dramatically in the past five years. What Avtzis saw was the result of multiple pressures stacking on top of one another, each amplified by the climate crisis.”
“Heavy rain on Elba, causing landslides and flooding: roads closed, water entering homes and shops.
“Yet another flood hits Portoferraio, the fourth in a year. It occurred on Friday, December 19th. The hardest-hit areas are still the same as the previous three floods: the barriers in the Carburo area, which was once again under water and mud, were of little use.”
“40°C [104F] indoors: South African homes might not be equipped for climate change, say researchers.
“Many South African homes – especially in hot, rural provinces like Limpopo – can reach indoor temperatures of up to 40°C. Informal settlements and low-income households are most vulnerable, with recent research showing indoor temperatures almost match the heat outside.”
“Rock-bottom dam levels make Cape farmers fear the return of drought.
“In the Calitzdorp district, stonefruit orchards and grape vineyards are receiving their final irrigation portion from the Gamkaspoort and the Calitzdorp dams. Last year this time, these dams were both 89% full; their levels currently measure 9.9% and 35.8%.”
“Drought pushes Kadıköy Dam in NW Türkiye to dead storage.
“The dam, with a total storage capacity of 56 million cubic meters (14.8 billion gallons), has been severely affected by prolonged drought conditions. Extreme summer temperatures, increased evaporation and ongoing water scarcity have reduced the reservoir’s occupancy rate to below 1%.”
“Exceptional warm nights continue in Middle East and North Africa:
“Three consecutive tropical nights at in Guezzam, ALGERIA. Yesterday Min 24.5C [76.1F] Jas, IRAN. Warmest winter night in history; tomorrow last warm night in OMAN, than on the weekend Omanites can turn their AC off after 10 months.”
“Iran flood death toll rises to seven as Red Crescent aids 23,000.
“Across the Persian Gulf, several cities and countries have been affected be extreme rain and snow, unusual for this time of year. In the UAE’s Dubai, vehicles were seen driving through the Al Barsha district in more than a foot a water.”
“Rainfall creates crimson spectacle at beach on Iran’s Hormuz Island.
“Hormuz Island lies in the strait of Hormuz, where the Persian Gulf meets the Gulf of Oman, about 670 miles (1,080km) south of Iran’s capital, Tehran. Rainfall is relatively rare on the island, and happens mainly during the winter and early spring.”
“Fire partially destroys forest in Karak [Pakistan].
“A Rescue 1122 official said on Friday that the fire suddenly broke out in the mountainous range in Lakkanra area in the evening and spread within no time. “A team of firefighters along with fire trucks was immediately dispatched to the area to extinguish the blaze,” the official said.”
“How Afghanistan’s Kunar River Project Could Deepen Pakistan’s Water Crisis.
“The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan is advancing plans to divert water from the Kunar River towards Nangarhar, a move that could significantly cut downstream flows into Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and heighten regional tensions.”
“Himalayas warming 50 percent faster than global average: Study.
“”Mountains share many characteristics with Arctic regions and are experiencing similarly rapid changes,” lead researcher Nick Pepin from the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of the Earth and Environment said.”
“India’s groundwater crisis: Which states are heading towards ‘Day Zero’ first?
“Just because some cities suffered floods doesn’t mean you have water. For a country that supports nearly 17% of the world’s population with just 4% of its freshwater resources, water scarcity has become a daily reality, and not just a distant threat.”
“Sri Lanka tea workers struggle in poverty. Flooding cost many their lives…
“Among the hardest hit were the hilly regions in the island’s center and the tea plantation workers who live there. Many occupied primitive, 150-year-old structures that were swept away in landslides and flooding.”
“HISTORIC HEAT WAVE IN EAST ASIA – 30.0C / 86F in CHINA and 21C in South Korea.
“December records: Zhuzhou 25°C, Xiangtan 24.9°C, Shaoshan 24.5°C, Changsha 24.2°C. Plus 85 mid-December records and in the weekend there will be many more in China, Koreas,Taiwan, Japan and SE Asia!”
“Vietnam’s capital residents struggle as severe air pollution persists.
“A thick blanket of smog has settled over Vietnam’s capital Hanoi in recent days, blurring high-rise buildings and casting a gray haze across streets as fine particulate matter continues to rise to unhealthy level”
“Santas in Japan hand out Christmas gifts to people affected by massive wildfire in Iwate Prefecture earlier this year…
““Because prices have been high, I’m thankful for the rice and other gifts,” said Yoji Hashimoto, 66, whose house burned down in the wildfire. “I felt energized.” Yokota said: “I want to help them with their daily lives. I would like to visit again.” – The Yomiuri Shimbun.”
“A flood of logs post-Cyclone Senyar leaves Padang fishers out of work…
“In late November, flash floods from Cyclone Senyar swept through parts of Sumatra, killing residents and damaging roads and homes. Days later, their aftermath surfaced offshore. Logs carried from upstream forests poured out of river mouths and spread along the coast…”
“Pulp giant RGE admits possible deforestation breach in Bornean wildlife habitat.
“A new report links forestry giant Royal Golden Eagle’s pulp supply chain to the clearance of 5,565 hectares (13,751 acres) of natural forest in Indonesian Borneo between 2020 and 2024, despite the company’s no-deforestation pledge. RGE says the clearing was likely non-compliant.”
“The pistachio boom in Argentina clashes with the water crisis.
“This north-western region of Argentina has been experiencing more than a decade of severe hydrological drought, exacerbated by climate change and inefficient resource management. Water supply depends mainly on winter snowmelt, the source of which has been threatened.”
“New tree species was hiding in plain sight for over 40 years, and now it’s almost extinct.
“In a protected corner of the Peruvian Amazon, scientists have finally named a giant tree that hid in plain sight for 40 years. The species, now called Drypetes oliveri, towers to about 115 feet and may exist only in a handful of giant individuals.”
“Florida’s top firefighter says it’s the ‘driest winter’ he can remember.
“Rick Dolan, the Director of the Florida Forest Service, said firefighters typically put out about 2,000 fires a year in the state. This year so far, it’s been more than 3,100… January is projected to be just as dry.”
“Fire crews respond to multiple wildfires across Oklahoma amid dry and windy conditions.
“Fire officials across the state responded to multiple wildfires on Friday. Oklahoma saw an increase in fire danger due to dry, windy conditions, and above-average temperatures.”
“Forecasters issue rare weather warning as strong gusts [113mph at Boulder] fuel wildfire threats in Colorado.
“The National Weather Service on Friday issued a rare warning for part of the Colorado Front Range as hurricane-force winds and tinder dry conditions boosted the threat of wildfire across several counties, while flood warnings were issued in Oregon as rivers there swelled from heavy rain.”
“The fight over the Colorado River has become a political nightmare.
“A seven-state brawl centered on one of the country’s most competitive swing states is poised to trigger a water supply crisis for 40 million people across the West — and put the Trump administration in an impossible political position.”
“It could be the warmest Christmas on record for parts of 18 states.
“Temperatures are forecast to reach the 60s, 70s and/or 80s across the Southwest, Rockies, Plains, Midwest and South. Shorts weather for Santa!” [Ben Noll]
“A new Wisconsin record has been set for precipitation within a 24-hour period following the devastating flash flooding that happened in August.
“According to the National Weather Service, the record was confirmed recently, with officials saying 14.55 inches of rain were observed at James Madison High School in northwest Milwaukee.”
“Maine’s Once Abundant Kelp Forests Face an Array of Growing Threats.
“While the marine heatwaves killing the kelp ecosystem were alarming on their own, the researchers have discovered a new threat—the rise in red turf algae, a filamentous invasive species—that is taking over the place of the kelp that has collapsed from the heat.”
“Marine heat waves and raw sewage combine to put human health at risk.
“Experts are especially concerned that marine heat waves, when combined with an influx of pollution in coastal areas — especially untreated sewage and synthetic agricultural fertilizers — could be fueling the growth of harmful pathogens, including V. vulnificus.”
“Global review warns of hidden health and ecological risks from widely used strobilurin fungicides.
“Strobilurin farm fungicides are showing up from wheat fields to pregnant womens urine, and a new scientific review warns that these “modern” crop protectants may carry hidden risks for ecosystems and human health.”
“The AI boom has caused as much carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere in 2025 as emitted by the whole of New York City, it has been claimed.
“The global environmental impact of the rapidly spreading technology has been estimated in research published on Wednesday, which also found that AI-related water use now exceeds the entirety of global bottled-water demand.”
I rely on donations and tips from my readers to to keep the site running. Every little bit helps. Can you chip in even a dollar? Buy me a coffeeor become a Patreon supporter. A huge thank you to those who do subscribe or donate.
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back on Monday with an “Economic” thread.
Huge thanks to this month’s donor, who wishes to remain anonymous but has asked me to post a link to this poem by their friend, Arthur L Wood. I’m no great shakes when it comes to literary criticism but I was moved by its tenderness and honesty, and heartily recommend giving it a listen.
“Arctic endured year of record heat as climate scientists warn of ‘winter being redefined.
“The Arctic endured a year of record heat and shrunken sea ice as the world’s northern latitudes continue a rapid shift to becoming rainier and less ice-bound due to the climate crisis, scientists have reported.”
“Not only was yesterday’s Arctic sea-ice extent a record low for the day, yesterday’s extent beat every year prior to 2024 by over half a million square kilometers.”
“The Arctic currently has a streak of 21 straight days of record low sea-ice extent.” [Prof Eliot Jacobson].
“Warmer ocean currents significantly destabilize ice sheets, driving their retreat…
“The research, published in Nature Communications, found that when an ice stream’s grounding line (where ice lifts off from its bed and begins to float), is exposed to warm ocean water, the ice stream and its ice shelves become much more vulnerable to retreat and collapse.”
“Among the places with highest positive temperature anomalies this month we have GREENLAND:
“For example, so far this month the average temperature at Narsarsuaq has been +2.9C which is a whopping +8.4C above the 1991/2020 norm and it’s even 1C warmer than its OCTOBER average: crazy.”
“The Met Office has announced that 2025 has been the sunniest year in the UK since records began in 1910…
“The record-breaking sunny year was bolstered by an exceptional spring, which was not only the sunniest and warmest on record, but also the driest in more than 50 years.”
“Is chorus of winter birdsong a herald of spring – or warning of climate crisis? [UK]
“December is not noted for birdsong in the UK, as most species are more concerned with finding food during the short hours of daylight than preparing for the breeding season to come. Yet during spells of unseasonably mild winter weather some will practice their sweet refrains.”
“The Catalan government sends an ES-Alert message to telephones in Montsià (Tarragona) due to heavy rains…
“It …urges residents to move to upper floors if water enters buildings and to call 112 in case of emergency. Additionally, the pre-alert phase of the Inuncat emergency plan has been activated after the Meteorological Service of Catalonia issued a warning for rainfall…”
“Mijas tornado leaves at least half a million euros of damage in its wake [Spain].
“The storm Emilia weather phenomenon early on Tuesday morning uprooted trees, caused the collapse of the Christmas lighting installed on the La Cala boulevard and also damaged the resort’s beaches.”
“Spain is to set up a national network of climate shelters in public buildings to offer people refuge from intense heat before next summer, its prime minister has announced.
“The move was announced as Pedro Sanchez laid out a plan to address the impact of climate change during a conference in Madrid on Wednesday.”
“Angry skiers stranded after freak heat melts snow in the Dolomites…
“Temperatures hovering just above freezing, combined with weeks of dry weather, have severely limited snow cover across the Dolomites, located in northeastern Italy. Artificial snowmaking offered little relief, as conditions were too warm for machines to operate effectively.”
“Drought and torrential rains are the biggest climate threat to birds in the Mediterranean.
“…. for the first time, that drought and torrential rains are the climatic variables that cause the greatest decline in the population of birds in the Mediterranean basin. In addition, they have also found that the negative impact of heavy rains is not limited to this territory, but causes a decline in birds throughout Europe.”
“€10.2 million paid to drought-hit farmers in Cyprus…
“Officials said the drought’s impact went beyond crops, reducing water reserves in reservoirs and placing additional pressure on irrigation systems, directly affecting farmers’ income. The ministry stressed that timely and targeted state intervention was essential to maintain productive activity and support the agricultural sector.”
“Morocco launches nationwide emergency relief after floods kill dozens.
“Morocco has launched a nationwide emergency relief operation to support families affected by severe winter weather as communities across the country grapple with deadly floods and plunging temperatures.”
“Refugee firefighters in Mauritania battle bushfires to give back to the community that took them in.
“In this region of West Africa, bushfires are deadly. They can break out in the blink of an eye and last for days. The impoverished, vast territory is shared by Mauritanians and more than 250,000 refugees from neighboring Mali, who rely on the scarce vegetation to feed their livestock.”
“In Senegal, climate change is adding to historic tension between farmers and herders…
“Declining rainfall and rising temperatures have dried up pasture land at the same time agricultural use has expanded. And that’s meant more frequent conflict as nomadic herders, and their cattle, sheep and goats, range through the region searching for grazing.”
“These elephants will not survive another deadly drought.
“Botswana has been hit by its worst drought in decades. Last year, the rains came late, and when they finally arrived, there wasn’t enough. With temperatures soaring above 99°F (37°C), animals began collapsing and dying from the heat.”
“How Dar es Salaam’s poor are bearing the brunt of a water crisis…
“In recent weeks, the city’s main water source — the Ruvu river — has fallen to its lowest ebb as rainfall patterns grow increasingly erratic, a stark symptom of climate change tightening its grip across East Africa.”
“Eastern Horn of Africa faces severe food security risks after record-low rainfall.
“The Eastern Horn of Africa is in a severe, multi-year food security crisis due to consecutive failed rainy seasons (2021-2023, and again in 2024-2025), leading to widespread crop failure, massive livestock loss, and acute hunger for millions…”
“EXTRAORDINARY WARM NIGHTS IN MIDDLE EAST – absolutely insane warm nights, never seen this late, with MINIMUM temperatures >25C [77F] in IRAN, EMIRATES and OMAN.
“Monthly records are being shattered again in places like Jask, IRAN with at least 2 more abnormally hot nights on the way.”
“‘Most of the forest is gray’: drought devastates forests in southern Israel.
“Sharp declines in rainfall and prolonged droughts have dried out about half of the conifer trees in southern Israel’s forests, prompting warnings of unprecedented die-off as officials search for solutions.”
“‘No water, no life’: Iraq’s Tigris River in danger of disappearing…
““All the life of Iraqis depends on the water. All the civilisation and all the stories that you hear, it depends on those two rivers. It’s more than water to drink or to irrigate or to use or to wash … It’s more even than spirituality,” says Salman Khairalla…”
“Bandar Abbas was flooded! [southern Iran; Teheran is north]
“Following the intensification of the activity of the precipitation system in the south and east of the country, the heights of the Bandar Abbas-Kerman axis are witnessing heavy and torrential rainfall.”
“‘Magical’ galaxy frogs disappear after reports of photographers destroying their habitats [India].
“Researcher in Kerala rainforest sounds alarm after being told frogs had died after being handled by humans… A group of endangered “galaxy frogs” are missing, presumed dead, after trespassing photographers reportedly destroyed their microhabitats for photos.”
“China and Mongolia are battling to control massive dust storms.
“Mongolia’s environment has come to be seen as China’s problem. Chinese netizens have blamed Mongolia’s herders and miners for the exploitation of natural resources and environmental destruction. In pointing the finger at Mongolians, they ignore the role that Chinese demand for Mongolian resources plays in Mongolia’s environmental problems.”
“This morning, Beijicun -41.9C(AWS -44.5C), setting new lows for this winter in China. However, other parts of China are experiencing unusually warmer: Liangdang 17C, broke Dec record, 80+ stations broke mid-December warmest records.
“Korea’s weather agency to add ‘severe’ heat wave warning, tropical night advisory next year…
“To ensure disaster response resources are concentrated where needed, the KMA plans to subdivide special weather advisory zones in some cities and counties — including the Seoul metropolitan area and Sejong — starting in June.”
“Why the weirdest sea level changes on Earth are happening off the coast of Japan…
“The Kuroshio, or “Black Current,” is one of the largest streams of water anywhere in the world, and its recent movement has triggered record-warm ocean temperatures and upended fisheries, an indelible staple of Japanese culture.”
“Cuyo PHILIPPINES is setting an incredible world record – the whole of 2025 without ever dropping below 24.8C [76.6F], 0.6C above the previous world record.
“This month is being insane:15 Minimums out of 17 >27C. More Than a century ago it even dropped below 20C, now it struggles to get below 25C.”
“Farmer helping battle WA bushfire dies after tree falls on car, amid heatwave warnings in multiple states [Australia]…
“Firefighters in southern parts of the state have battled multiple emergency-level blazes this week sparked by dry lightning, amid hot, dry and windy conditions. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe heatwave warnings for several areas…”
“Forest Fire Reinforcement Brigades fight fire in San Pedro de Melipilla [Chile].
“According to the latest reports, the fire has consumed more than 1,667 hectares of vegetation and remains active, prompting the declaration of a Red Alert and the activation of the Emergency Alert System (SAE) to preemptively evacuate nearby areas.”
“Brazil megacity Sao Paulo struck by fresh water crisis…
“Sao Paulo has experienced three consecutive years of below average rainfall, according to INMET, Brazil’s meteorological agency. The nation’s water and sanitation agency, ANA, reports that Sao Paulo’s main reservoir, which supplies nine million people, is operating at less than 18 percent of its capacity.”
“Petrópolis experiences cars swept away by floodwaters, suspends classes and public transportation [Brazil].
“Petrópolis , in the mountainous region of Rio, entered extreme alert this Wednesday morning (17) due to rains that caused flooding, suspended school classes and public transport in the city. The flash flood swept away cars, but there is still no information about victims.”
“The trauma after the storm: Hurricane Melissa leaves trail of emotional devastation across Jamaica.
“When Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on 28 October with 185mph winds, destroying homes, hospitals and infrastructure, killing 32 people and affecting 1.5 million, Toni-Jan Ifill immediately realised it would leave many with long-term traumatic memories.”
“Mexicali Farmers Threaten to Use Their Colorado River Water, Putting Tijuana’s Supply in Jeopardy.
“If Mexicali farmers can’t cut a deal with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration, the city of Tijuana’s at risk of losing its water supply from the Colorado River… Tijuana’s population, development and water demand is exploding. The city doesn’t always have enough water to supply its population.”
“Heart attacks increased after Los Angeles wildfires, study finds.
“In the first 90 days after the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires that destroyed entire Los Angeles neighborhoods, there was a 46% increase in ER visits for heart attack symptoms at LA’s Cedars-Sinai hospital, according to a newly released study.”
“Utah on track for lowest snowpack on record, but a glimmer of hope remains for this week,
“It’s been a rough start to the 2025-26 winter season here in Utah, with statewide snowpack numbers now approaching the lowest on record… Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort are operating with the bare minimum amount of terrain open…”
“Washington state flooding damage profound but unclear, governor warns.
“It won’t be until after waters recede and landslide risk subsides that crews will be able to fully assess the damage, he said. The state and some counties are making several million dollars available to help people pay for hotels, groceries and other necessities…”
“Northwest just finished warmest fall on record, scientists report.
“The region is experiencing unusually warm and dry conditions, scientists find, and snowpack is at record lows for this time of year… Despite record rain in western Washington recently, and earlier this year in central and southern Oregon, the showers are filling up already overdrawn reservoirs in many areas, scientists said.”
“HISTORIC WARMTH IN BRITISH COLUMBIA & WASHINGTON:
“Yesterday December records were pulverized with insane margins, including Vancouver and Victoria – nearly a WORLD RECORD anomaly, the margin at Pemberton: 7.1C/13F above the monthly record! Records in WASHINGTON: 72 Richland, 70 Sunnyside.”
“Canada’s North is warming from the ground up, and our infrastructure isn’t ready…
“Permafrost does not fail suddenly. Instead, it responds slowly and cumulatively, storing the heat of warm summers year after year. Over time, that heat resurfaces in visible ways: tilted buildings, cracked foundations, slumping roads and buckling runways.”
“Hydrogen emissions are ‘supercharging’ the warming impact of methane…
“Hydrogen “indirectly” heats the atmosphere through its interactions with other gases. This warming is mainly due to interplay between hydrogen and methane – a potent greenhouse gas that is the second biggest contributor to human-caused global warming after CO2.”
“New data raises questions about how much the Earth has warmed…
“…the very early rise in carbon dioxide levels [pre-1850] would have had a significant effect. “We think you get between an extra .1 and .2 degrees if you try and look at the total effect of human activity going back a bit further,” Forster said.”
“How climate breakdown is putting the world’s food in peril – in maps and charts…
“Experts have warned that the world’s ability to feed itself is under threat from the “chaos” of extreme weather caused by climate change… early warning signs have arrived as crop yield rates flatline, prompting warnings of efficiency hitting its limits and the impacts of climate change taking effect.”
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You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
“As far as I know, your work is unique in pulling together stories from all over the world. Very sobering but a better and more complete view. Terrific and necessary work. Thank you!” – Simon
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Weekday updates on both climate change and the global economy. Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.
“Clusterf&%k alert!
“Regional temperature records broken across the world in 2025.
“Non tropical places with never-ending tropical nights – the two usual suspects did it again: Qaboos Port OMAN and Minamitorishima JAPAN ended the year without a single min <20C [68F] so far this season (since last spring).
“HISTORIC WARMTH IN ARCTIC CANADA:
“EXCEPTIONAL MILDNESS IN GREENLAND – January warmest night in history for some stations, with Minimums above freezing; even above +5C / 41F ! (nearly SUMMER TEMPS).
“Glaciers are melting. It may reawaken the world’s most dangerous volcanoes.
“Global warming and human waste continue to threaten the Baltic Sea…
“England’s fire services battled almost 27,000 grassland, woodland and crop fires during the UK’s warmest spring and summer on record in 2025…
“EU legislation intended to fight deforestation has been effectively ‘dismantled’.
“Italy saw more extreme weather events in 2025…
“Alarm grows over water shortages as dam inflows remain critically low.
“Invasive lionfish threaten Mediterranean biodiversity. Could eating them be a solution?
“CAMEROON has smashed every record non-stop all month from 1st to 31st:
“INSANE HEAT WAVE IN SOUTH AFRICA – absolutely freakish hot night on the highlands with Minimums >25C [77F].
“Mozambique: Flash Floods Update…
“Floods Hit 13 Districts; Roads Authority Deploys Contractors for Repairs [Malawi]…
“‘Shivering from cold and fear’: Winter rains flood Gaza camps…
“Kurdistan faces record rainfall amid rising flood risks…
“Pollution levels in Iraq’s rivers exceed safe limits by 80%…
“Drought persists despite intensified precipitation [Iran].
“Kyrgyzstan’s grain harvest down 30-40% due to water scarcity.
“2025 — Pakistan’s year of water wars.
“Nepal to scrap Everest waste deposit scheme after years of mounting rubbish.
“Madhya Pradesh [N central India] witnessed unprecedented cold conditions during November and December this year, with several long-standing temperature records being broken. 
“Why there’s no escape from Delhi’s biggest killer [pollution].
“Cyclone-ravaged Sri Lanka set to apply for ‘loss and damage’ funding…
“Indonesia closes 2025 with rising disasters and stalled environmental reform.
“Flash Floods in Rejang Lebong, Bengkulu: 81,000 Residents Affected [Sumatra].
“Man dies as record rainfall triggers flash flooding across Queensland…
“Fire continues out of control in commune of Chile’s capital…
“Exceptional heat in CHILE – temperatures reached records for December in some central areas with up to 40.6C [105.1F] at Coltauco, Bernardo O Higgings Province.
“Extreme heat in Buenos Aires: temperatures to hit 38°C on New Year’s Eve.
“Emergency due to floods in Corrientes: over 400 evacuated after record rainfall [Argentina].
“Heavy rains cause flooding, power outages, and traffic chaos in Santa Catarina [Brazil]…
“Satellite data show forest loss persists in Brazilian Amazon’s most deforested reserve.
“RECORD HEAT IN COSTA RICA:
“Hottest December in Phoenix? Valley is set to shatter record…
“How the climate crisis showed up in Americans’ lives this year: ‘The shift has been swift and stark’.
“How Lake Mead Water Levels Changed in 2025…
“Rare ‘seiche’ wave drains Lake Erie during fierce winter storm.
“Washington State is on track to have its warmest December ever recorded, even warmer than 2023’s record-breaking month…
“Check out this year’s extreme sea surface temperatures and recent warming across the North Pacific.
“Forcing lifestyle changes could weaken support for climate action, study finds…
“2025 was one of the Three Hottest Years on Record, Scientists Say… despite the presence of a La Nina…
“The thickness of Arctic sea ice dropped to a new all-time record low this year around the North Pole (data from PIOMAS). 
“Iceland’s glaciers play an important role in regulating freshwater resources in Europe.
“Dramatic photos show impact of storms, drought and landslides on famous North Wales railway.
“Extreme weather events are ‘new normal’ for UK wildlife.
“Roads turn into rivers on the Costa del Sol: Flood-hit Spain issues rare ‘red weather alert’ warning…
“Three waterspouts caused extensive destruction in the port of Mazarron on Sunday, December 28, as storms hit Spain’s eastern coast.
“Great white sharks face extinction in Mediterranean, say researchers…
“Sunflower oil pollution could persist at the bottom of the Black Sea for more than 6 years…
“EXTRAORDINARY, HISTORIC – records pulverized all over Africa:
“Why Nigeria needs a national heat management plan.
“Cape Town is currently experiencing an intense heatwave, with temperatures soaring across the city as residents and tourists cope with the scorching sun…
“Historic dry rainy season triggers alarm for deepening food insecurity in the Horn of Africa.
“Egypt says will respond to any harm from Nile dam in Ethiopia.
“A Palestinian woman in Gaza has died as a winter storm threatens the lives of nearly 900,000 Palestinians living in tents across the devastated coastal enclave.
“Jordan: Ministry warns of ‘imminent’ overflow at Wadi Shueib Dam…
“Iraq battles blowing sand as ‘300 dust days’ loom by 2050.
“Restoring Iran’s Zagros soils needs half of annual oil income, official warns.
“Tehran at risk: The looming water catastrophe…
“India’s Chenab dam plan riles eco-activists, Pakistan alike.
“India’s domination of global rice trade stokes looming water crisis…
“Will India’s wheat imports lead to global food crisis?
“A childhood carried in water pitchers: Climate change and lost girlhoods in coastal Bangladesh…
“Repeated raising of dam’s water level despite rising frequency of landslides led to the Hongqi Bridge collapse in Tibet…
“Bach Ma National Park in Vietnam Closes to Tourists Following Historic Floods and Landslides.
“South Korea’s Heatwave Days Have Doubled Over the Past 113 Years.
“RECORD HEAT IN INDONESIA: exceptional 37.7C [99.9F] Today at Kaimana, West Papua 
“No New Year fireworks in Indonesia as nation mourns Sumatra flood victims…
“Floods hit nearly 11,000 people in S Kalimantan’s Balangan District.
“Tropical Cyclone Hayley bears down on Derby in WA as north Queensland communities face floods.
“Bushfire near Rockingham closes Mandurah train line, Warnbro station in Perth’s south.
“Chilean capital on alert as fires spread through nearby hills.
“Floods in Corrientes: serious social situation and lack of provincial infrastructure [Argentina]…
“4 records in 4 days in Sao Paulo Brazil – 37.2C In the Observatory Mirante de Santana (together with Santiago Quinta Normal the oldest in South America) pulverized its December record again.
“The metropolitan region of Sao Paulo, the most populated urban area in Brazil, is facing an emergency in its drinking water supply, authorities said Monday.
“‘When you plant something, it dies’: Brazil’s first arid zone is a stark warning for the whole country.
“Soy trading firms to abandon Amazon protection pact in Brazil.
“First cool spell in The CARIBBEAN after 3 years of record heat.
“Near-Record Cold Nights Recorded Across Antigua and Barbuda.
“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN MEXICO – 40C [104F] recorded in multiple places this week nearly every day even in Northern States like Sonora, Sinaloa, Durango and Chihuhua: never seen before.
“The December US heatwave is ending. It was absurd. Last 7 days: 4700 heat records broken (mins & maxs) vs only 55 cold records. 7 day anomalies as much as +25° F. Dozens of monthly records smashed. 
“Heavy rains likely triggered gas line rupture that shut down 5 Freeway for hours, expert says.
“‘The poor are in a very bad state’: Climate change accelerates California’s cost-of-living crisis…
“Mapped: 16 times extreme weather drove higher food prices since 2022.
“I have a new estimate: Earth’s albedo (reflectivity) has declined about 0.55% since 2000 (CERES data), the so-called “great darkening.”
“Record fossil fuel emissions in 2025 despite renewables buildout, report says…
“Friday ice update – Arctic sea ice extent is currently the *lowest* on record (JAXA data).
“Anomalous Christmas in Iceland: a temperature record of +19.8°C [67.6F] recorded.
“Record heat in 2025 will be nothing special in years to come [UK]…
“‘Ghost resorts’: as hundreds of ski slopes lie abandoned, will nature reclaim the Alps?
“Climate change shrinks Austrian Alps glaciers, threatening tourism and wildlife…
“Slovenian Alps’ Eurasian lynx population faces serious decline risk amid conservation efforts…
“From deadly heatwaves to flash floods: How Europe’s extreme weather events defined 2025…
“Weather: Flooded Streets in Alimos – Collapse of a Building’s Wall [Greece]…
“Record rainfall in Moroccan city of Salé leaves residential buildings inundated…
“Climate change threatens ‘women’s gold’ shea butter in West Africa…
“Never ending record heat in Central Africa:
“A 38°C [100.4F] Christmas in Bauchi: Is Nigeria prepared for climate change?
“Hailstorm causes extensive damage in Kwakwatsi [South Africa]…
“Recent floods kill over 750,000 fish in Erbil’s Taq Taq [Kurdistan].
“Iraq plans 50 new dams to boost water reserves, funding pending: Official…
“Reservoir supplying Iran capital largely empty despite rain.
“In India’s desert state, global drinks giants grapple with water scarcity and local anger.
“India’s AI data centers feared to worsen host community water stress…
“Sri Lanka cyclone: More than a million still need aid weeks after Ditwah floods.
“China launches satellite to aid in early extreme weather detection.
“A year under water: Record floods sweep Vietnam from megacities to tourist hubs in 2025.
“Floods and Landslides Still Threaten Sumatra…
“Indonesians raise white flags as anger grows over slow flood aid.
“BREAKING NEWS! Floods Hit South Kalimantan, Flash Floods in Balangan, One Dead in Tala.
“Homes threatened as bushfire rages south-east of Perth and storms hit Queensland and Northern Territory…
“WA Weather: 120 year weather record smashed as WA crowned hottest place on Earth this Christmas.
“If many Americans feel a touch of summer in winter, some Australians are feeling a touch of winter in summer. Very cold conditions in the SE:
“Hailstorm in summer: Severe thunderstorm warnings hit South Island [NZ]…
“EXCEPTIONAL HEAT IN OCEANIA – Oceania is living its most extreme heat wave in history with records broken everywhere every day of the month.
“Climate shift warning: São Paulo’s 35.9°C on December 25th breaks 64-year heat record, signaling intensifying trends [record then broken again the next day with 36.2C / 97.2F].
“‘Cocaine, gold and meat’: how Colombia’s Amazon became big business for crime networks…
“Pablo Escobar’s Chital Deer: The New Biological Crisis Threatening Colombia’s Magdalena Medio.
“California Sea Otters Face New Threats As An Ecosystem Shifts…
“Southern California recorded its wettest Christmas Eve-Christmas Day ever, with Santa Barbara Airport getting 5.91 inches. More than 17 inches fell in one area of the Ventura County mountains.
“Mudslides buried cars and homes up to their windows in a California mountain town as a powerful storm system brought the wettest Christmas in decades to the southern part of the state.
“A powerful widespread zone of fierce winds that whipped through the northern Rocky Mountain states and the Northern Plains the week of Dec. 14-19, is being classified as a record-strong wind event. 
“The Christmas Present That Arrived Early And Just Won’t Leave: A Continued US Heat Wave…
“ABSOLUTE MADNESS:
“Inside the multi-million dollar race to dim the sun and stop climate change…
“Declared extinct in 2025: A look back at some of the species we lost…
“‘Borrowed time’: crop pests and food losses supercharged by climate crisis…
“Based on the 11-year running mean (and on Earth’s Energy Imbalance), the near-term rate of warming could turn out much higher than the linear 2010-2025 extrapolation.
“Monday ice update – Arctic sea ice extent is currently the *lowest* on record (JAXA data):
“The Arctic Is Chemically Transforming, and It’s Speeding Up Climate Change.
“This year is on course to be the UK’s hottest since records began, according to the Met Office, as climate change continues to drive temperatures to new heights.
“‘Year of octopus’ declared after warmer seas lead to record UK numbers…
“Snow at mid elevation will no longer be a thing of the 21st century! 
“Spanish villagers devastated by forest fire win €468m in lottery prizes.
“Paphos [Cyprus] buried in hail as storms trigger Fire Service recall.
“Land, Climate, and Conflict: Unravelling the Nexus in Sudan, Syria, and Morocco.
“Record heat in Africa – minimums >27C [80.6F] in Benin, Ghana and Ivory Coast. December record in Kumasi, Ghana with a Min 25.6C.
“Western Cape firefighting resources under strain as wildfire season costs surpass R2.4m [South Africa].
“Flash floods wreak havoc on KZN South Coast, disaster teams deployed.
“Over 100 families displaced as devastating hailstorm wreaks havoc in uMshwathi.
“Warming may make tropical cyclone ‘seeds’ riskier for Africa.
“Record heat in KENYA:
“Drought threatens Babylon’s fig trees: A tree for people, bees, and bulbul songbirds.
“Urmia: From a Permanent Lake to a Seasonal Basin [Iran]…
“Himachal records driest December ever, zero rainfall raises concern for crops and tourism.
“Who controls the Himalayas’ water?
“Water crisis threatens food security in Barind region [Bangladesh].
“HISTORIC HEAT WAVE IN EAST ASIA – never happened anything like this, this time of the year: 
“Winter could disappear, heat waves may triple if we don’t mend our ways, Korea’s climate agency data suggests.
“Flash floods cause widespread damage in Indonesia’s Guci hot spring tourist area…
“Southeast Asian floods set to threaten more wildlife due to climate change.
“Flash flooding fears as severe storms hammer Queensland.
“Exceptional warmth in AUSTRALIA; High Minimums records broken with up to 3C margin 
“Australia Poised for Desalination Boom as Water Shortages Loom…
“While December started with record heat and up to 34C, cold has returned in NEW ZEALAND in the past few days.
“West Antarctica’s history of rapid melting foretells sudden shifts in continent’s ‘catastrophic’ geology….
“Argentina Glaciers Protest.
“Rainfall of up to 100mm [4 inches] in less than 30 minutes floods city in Rio Grande do Sul [Brazil].
“The Amazon enters 2026 carrying the bitter taste of compromise.
“It’s hard to conceive a more extreme North America than this: abnormal warmth in most of USA/Mexico and Greenland and persistent harsh cold in most of Canada squeezed in between.
“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN THE US:
“Salt Lake City is on pace for its warmest December since at least the late 1800s, when tracking began, said Monica Traphagan, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Salt Lake City office.
“Evacuation orders issued in Colorado due to wildfire.
“The Colorado River is on the verge of crisis. No one has a solution…
“Massive rainfall totals are really starting to pile up in Northern California, with up to 21 inches falling in the Northern Sierra Nevada over the past 72 hours.
“One dead in California floods as state braces for brutal week of Christmas storms…
“Washington officials issue frightening alert about toilet rats after historic floods…
“An ecosystem never forgets: Extreme heat and drought responses linked to hydrological memory…
“Assumption of at least a moderate El Nino beginning in 2026 leads us to project a global temperature record of +1.7°C in 2027, which will provide further confirmation of the recent global warming acceleration.
“The 30-year non-linear extrapolation now shows +3°C in 2049!
“Temperatures over global land areas so far this year are still the 2nd warmest on record (after last year).
“Another remarkable spike in temperature is ongoing across the northernmost portions of the Arctic, with a poleward surge of heat and moisture from the Atlantic. 
“Scientists have detected a potentially deadly whale virus in the Arctic for the first time, using drones to collect breath samples from live whales…
“Snowy Owl declared regionally extinct in Sweden.
“‘Massive disruption’: UK’s worst-case climate crisis scenarios revealed by scientists.
“As storms surge & the sea rises, Belgium builds dunes for protection.
“Schools told to keep children indoors and flights cancelled as air pollution peaks in Sarajevo…
“The EU Deforestation Regulation weakened, and delayed once again…
“They survived wildfires. But something else is killing Greece’s iconic fir forests.
“Heavy rain on Elba, causing landslides and flooding: roads closed, water entering homes and shops.
“40°C [104F] indoors: South African homes might not be equipped for climate change, say researchers.
“Rock-bottom dam levels make Cape farmers fear the return of drought.
“Drought pushes Kadıköy Dam in NW Türkiye to dead storage.
“Exceptional warm nights continue in Middle East and North Africa:
“Iran flood death toll rises to seven as Red Crescent aids 23,000.
“Rainfall creates crimson spectacle at beach on Iran’s Hormuz Island.
“Ras Al Khaimah was lashed by more than a year of rain on Thursday and Friday as storms swept across the Emirates.
“Fire partially destroys forest in Karak [Pakistan].
“How Afghanistan’s Kunar River Project Could Deepen Pakistan’s Water Crisis.
“Himalayas warming 50 percent faster than global average: Study.
“India’s groundwater crisis: Which states are heading towards ‘Day Zero’ first?
“Sri Lanka tea workers struggle in poverty. Flooding cost many their lives…
“HISTORIC HEAT WAVE IN EAST ASIA – 30.0C / 86F in CHINA and 21C in South Korea.
“Vietnam’s capital residents struggle as severe air pollution persists.
“Santas in Japan hand out Christmas gifts to people affected by massive wildfire in Iwate Prefecture earlier this year…
“A flood of logs post-Cyclone Senyar leaves Padang fishers out of work…
“Pulp giant RGE admits possible deforestation breach in Bornean wildlife habitat.
“HISTORIC DAY in the city of Sydney AUSTRALIA – record hot December temperature in the Observatory.
“HISTORIC – insane Minimum Temperature of 28.5C [83.3F] at Chuuk is HOTTEST DECEMBER NIGHT EVER RECORDED IN MICRONESIA.
“The pistachio boom in Argentina clashes with the water crisis.
“New tree species was hiding in plain sight for over 40 years, and now it’s almost extinct.
“Unprecedented December hot nights in Central America:
“Florida’s top firefighter says it’s the ‘driest winter’ he can remember.
“Fire crews respond to multiple wildfires across Oklahoma amid dry and windy conditions.
“Forecasters issue rare weather warning as strong gusts [113mph at Boulder] fuel wildfire threats in Colorado.
“The fight over the Colorado River has become a political nightmare.
“It could be the warmest Christmas on record for parts of 18 states.
“A new Wisconsin record has been set for precipitation within a 24-hour period following the devastating flash flooding that happened in August.
“Maine’s Once Abundant Kelp Forests Face an Array of Growing Threats.
“Marine heat waves and raw sewage combine to put human health at risk.
“Global review warns of hidden health and ecological risks from widely used strobilurin fungicides.
“The AI boom has caused as much carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere in 2025 as emitted by the whole of New York City, it has been claimed.
“Arctic endured year of record heat as climate scientists warn of ‘winter being redefined.
“Breaking News! Code Yikes!
“Warmer ocean currents significantly destabilize ice sheets, driving their retreat…
“Among the places with highest positive temperature anomalies this month we have GREENLAND:
“The Met Office has announced that 2025 has been the sunniest year in the UK since records began in 1910…
“Is chorus of winter birdsong a herald of spring – or warning of climate crisis? [UK]
“The Catalan government sends an ES-Alert message to telephones in Montsià (Tarragona) due to heavy rains…
“Mijas tornado leaves at least half a million euros of damage in its wake [Spain].
“Spain is to set up a national network of climate shelters in public buildings to offer people refuge from intense heat before next summer, its prime minister has announced.
“Angry skiers stranded after freak heat melts snow in the Dolomites…
“Drought and torrential rains are the biggest climate threat to birds in the Mediterranean.
“€10.2 million paid to drought-hit farmers in Cyprus…
“Morocco launches nationwide emergency relief after floods kill dozens.
“Refugee firefighters in Mauritania battle bushfires to give back to the community that took them in.
“In Senegal, climate change is adding to historic tension between farmers and herders…
“Extraordinary hot night at Cotonou [Benin] with a MINIMUM temperature of 28.2C [82.8F], (the same recorded at Arriaga, Mexico 2 days ago).
“Record heat is all over the world including in Africa, where records have been falling from Algeria to South Africa.
“These elephants will not survive another deadly drought.
“How Dar es Salaam’s poor are bearing the brunt of a water crisis…
“Eastern Horn of Africa faces severe food security risks after record-low rainfall.
“‘Most of the forest is gray’: drought devastates forests in southern Israel.
“‘No water, no life’: Iraq’s Tigris River in danger of disappearing…
“Bandar Abbas was flooded! [southern Iran; Teheran is north]
“‘Magical’ galaxy frogs disappear after reports of photographers destroying their habitats [India].
“China and Mongolia are battling to control massive dust storms.
“This morning, Beijicun -41.9C(AWS -44.5C), setting new lows for this winter in China. However, other parts of China are experiencing unusually warmer: Liangdang 17C, broke Dec record, 80+ stations broke mid-December warmest records. 
“Korea’s weather agency to add ‘severe’ heat wave warning, tropical night advisory next year…
“Why the weirdest sea level changes on Earth are happening off the coast of Japan…
“Cuyo PHILIPPINES is setting an incredible world record – the whole of 2025 without ever dropping below 24.8C [76.6F], 0.6C above the previous world record.
“Farmer helping battle WA bushfire dies after tree falls on car, amid heatwave warnings in multiple states [Australia]…
“Forest Fire Reinforcement Brigades fight fire in San Pedro de Melipilla [Chile].
“Brazil megacity Sao Paulo struck by fresh water crisis…
“Petrópolis experiences cars swept away by floodwaters, suspends classes and public transportation [Brazil].
“The trauma after the storm: Hurricane Melissa leaves trail of emotional devastation across Jamaica.
“Mexicali Farmers Threaten to Use Their Colorado River Water, Putting Tijuana’s Supply in Jeopardy.
“Heart attacks increased after Los Angeles wildfires, study finds.
“Utah on track for lowest snowpack on record, but a glimmer of hope remains for this week,
“Washington state flooding damage profound but unclear, governor warns.
“Northwest just finished warmest fall on record, scientists report.
“HISTORIC WARMTH IN BRITISH COLUMBIA & WASHINGTON:
“Canada’s North is warming from the ground up, and our infrastructure isn’t ready…
“Hydrogen emissions are ‘supercharging’ the warming impact of methane…
“New data raises questions about how much the Earth has warmed…
“How climate breakdown is putting the world’s food in peril – in maps and charts…