Climate & Environment
Climate and the environment — the warming planet and the response to it. We track extreme weather and the science behind it, the politics of emissions and energy, and the fight to protect ecosystems, from international climate summits to the communities on the front line.
Latest in Climate & Environment
83 stories
Europe heatwave live: UK issues rare red temperature warnings; French PM to hold crisis meeting after heat deaths
Temperatures could hit 38-40C in parts of England and Wales, smashing June record set in 1976; red alerts in France after 19 heat deathsTwo children f…
Extreme heat: is the UK becoming a 40C country? – podcast
Met Office forecasters have issued a rare red weather warning for England, with temperatures potentially reaching 40C (104F) in some places. Europe is…
A fire in LA has been burning for days. What’s taking so long to put it out?
While warehouse fires are often extinguished in a day, the Boyle Heights blaze is on its sixth day. Here’s what to knowLos Angeles firefighters are on…
Rail passengers to be told to only travel if essential in heatwave
Network Rail expected impose speed restrictions, with people told to check if train services are runningRail passengers will be told to only attempt t…
8 things to know about the gut microbiome and keeping yours healthy
Wellness influencers often talk about fixing a broken gut microbiome. And marketers sell tests and supplements to fix your gut health. Here's what wha…
Ebola cases surpass 1,000 in DR Congo amid violence and displacement
Overcrowded camps in DR Congo face heightened risks, with displacement adding layers of complexity to the Ebola crisis.…
Lottery players urged to check tickets with £12 million prize still unclaimed
A Lotto Jackpot ticket worth £12m bought in Rhondda Cynon Taf has yet to be claimed.…
How Canada’s Muslims face ‘perfect storm’ amid rising xenophobia
As anti-immigrant rhetoric intensifies in Canada, community advocates say Muslim communities face heightened risks.…
Weather tracker: Extreme heat in Europe as typhoon strengthens off Philippines
Eastern Europe to see temperatures above early July average into next weekThe extreme heat experienced across central and western Europe, including th…
Utah wildfire forces evacuation of small town as extreme heat roasts US west
Town of Eureka evacuated due to risk from Iron fire as officials forecast more hot weather in week aheadExtreme heat and dry, windy conditions are fue…
Three men dead after west London building fire
Blaze broke out in single-storey pavilion in New Zealand Way in White City on Saturday eveningThree people have died after a fire at a building in Lon…
From coal to cabernet: the wine seller using a flooded mine to cut heating bills
Lanchester Wines in north-east England uses heat from a disused coalmine to maintain wine temperatures and with 23,000 flooded mines in the UK, there’…
‘A kind of massive rave’: Paris braces for 2m revellers as Fête de las Musique returns amid heatwave warnings
Officials expand safety measures as French capital prepares for huge annual street celebrationParis is preparing for a street party of unprecedented s…
Push for electrification finally takes centre stage in pre-Cop31 climate talks
Apart from effort to electrify, there were geopolitical tensions around climate science and the 1.5C goalElectrifying the world – with electric vehicl…
Weather tracker: Severe thunderstorms sweep Europe and east Asia
Strong winds and heavy rain batter Slovenia, while France experiences atypical heatwave in its north and westSevere thunderstorms swept across the Bal…
‘I’m 90 for goodness sake’: rainforest activist to pedal 104 miles down Thames
Veteran campaigner Robin Hanbury-Tenison is raising money for a research station near his home in CornwallPedalling on water for more than a hundred m…
Tropical Storm Arthur downgraded from cyclone as it makes landfall in Texas
Several inches of rain expected in south-eastern US as forecasters expect storm to cause life-threatening floodingTropical Storm Arthur was downgraded…
Shelter-in-place ordered in LA as blaze engulfs roof of 500,000 sq-ft warehouse
Clouds of dark smoke and ammonia rose from cold storage and freezing facility in Boyle Heights near downtownThe solar panel-covered roof of a 500,000 …
Solstice-aligned 5,000-year-old monument ‘once in a lifetime find’, say archaeologists
Wessex Archaeology suspect they have uncovered a prototype for world-famous Stonehenge site in WiltshireA 5,000-year-old monument that was aligned wit…
Atlantic hurricane season opens with Tropical Storm Arthur inundating Gulf coast
The southern US is seeing intense rain that is expected to cause dangerous flash floodingSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe first tr…
Rising temperatures may increase flood risk through river ‘whiplash’, study finds
Sudden shifts from wet to dry weather, or vice versa, may foil typical drought- and flood-prevention measuresRising temperatures may trigger a dangero…
Half of world’s children exposed to at least three climate hazards, Unicef says
Almost every child, including those from high-income countries, is now exposed to at least one hazardHalf of the world’s children are exposed to at le…
King tides along California coast prompt advisories following two deaths
A five-year-old girl was swept away and a woman was pulled into the water, prompting authorities to urge precautionMassive waves, coastal flooding and…
International African American Museum in South Carolina to furlough all its staff
Decision comes as the museum in Charleston says it faces a ‘shift in the political and funding environment’ The International African American Museum …
Weather tracker: Saharan heat to send temperatures soaring across Europe
Heatwave conditions build over much of continent, while mild start to winter continues in parts of AustraliaHot weather is expected across Europe this…
Deadly Philippines earthquake found to have raised seabed by up to 2 metres
‘Coastal uplift’ exposes coral and kills marine life, as residents say shorelines extended by up to 200 metresA powerful earthquake that killed at lea…
Trees may store less planet-heating carbon than hoped, study suggests
Photosynthesis does not always result in wood growth, a key factor in carbon dioxide sequestrationTrees may not be able to store as much planet-heatin…
Antarctica’s west coast missing an area of sea ice the size of France as temperatures peak 20C above average
Exclusive A vast area of the Bellingshausen Sea should be covered by sea ice by now, with one expert calling the loss of ice ‘depressing’Antarctica’s …
Tornadoes rip through central US while extreme heat and humidity creep into the north-east
One man died in Iowa after a tree fell on him as nearly 700 severe weather events were recorded over three daysSign up for the Breaking News US newsle…
Emergency hospital admissions fell after introduction of London’s T-charge and Ulez, study suggests
Imperial College scientists analysed health records before and after introduction of air pollution reduction zonesLow emission and clean air zones att…