LA’s wildfires fuelled by high winds and drought – in pictures
Los Angeles wildfires – in pictures
Drought
Cyclone Chido deaths rise in south-east Africa as Mayotte toll remains unclear
Powerful storm in drought-hit region confirmed to have killed 45 people in Mozambique and 13 in MalawiMayotte before and after: satellite images show damageThe death toll from Cyclone Chido has continued to rise, with authorities confirming that 45 peo…
โThe water warโ: how drought threatens survival of Sicilyโs towns
Amid Italian islandโs worst drought, towns such as Troina are fighting for survival as supplies run dry and tensions riseAn ancient Sicilian proverb goes like this: โWhen water to two fountains flows, one will stay dry โ thatโs how it goes.โ The reside…
2024 will be the hottest year on record, EU scientists say
In 2024 will be remembered with severe drought in Italy and South America, fatal floods in Nepal, Sudan and Europe, heatwaves in Mexico, Mali and Saudi Arabia that killed thousands, and disastrous cyclones in the US and the Philippines.
You butter stop lying: Czech politicians trade insults over price surge
High dairy prices have sparked a butter war on X in Czechia.
The Guardian view on climate-linked disasters: Spainโs tragedy will not be the last | Editorial
More than 200 deaths and widespread destruction in Valencia are the latest sign of danger in a warming worldThe death toll from floods in Spainโs Valencia region has topped 200. A huge clean-up is under way amid desperate conditions, with severe weathe…
โCloud-milkingโ: the zero-energy technique keeping young trees alive
The project that began in the Canary Islands mimics the way leaves capture water droplets from fog in order to produce waterThey call it cloud milking, a zero-energy technique to extract water from fog that is revolutionising the recovery of forests de…
Spainโs deadly floods and droughts are two faces of the climate crisis coin
Scientists say violent weather battering Mediterranean is a harbinger of what the rest of Europe can soon expectResidents of Chiva, a small town on the outskirts of Valencia, can expect a grim future of worsening drought as the planet heats up and the …
Europe not ready for increasing drought, flooding and forest fires, auditors warn
Europe not ready for increasing drought, flooding and forest fires, auditors warn
Rescue teams search for missing in Bosnia floods
The floods follow an unprecedented summer drought which caused many rivers and lakes to dry up, and affected agriculture and the supply of water to urban areas throughout the Balkans and much of Europe.
Romania’s agriculture sector devastated by drought, desertification
In Romania, extreme weather events are intensifying. While eastern parts of the country are slowly recovering from Storm Boris, the south is suffering from drought and desertification. Romania is one of the EU’s main exporters of cereals, but heatwave…
Southern Water considers shipping supplies from Norwegian fjords to UK
Contingency plan using sea tankers to deal with future shortages would be paid for from customersโ billsSouthern Water, one of Britainโs biggest water companies, is drawing up contingency plans to tanker water from Norway to deal with future supply sho…
Lowest water levels ever in Bosnia and Poland: record-breaking summer wreaks drought
Lakes and rivers across Europe are drying up as the hottest summer on record comes to an end. In Poland and Bosnia, this has caused critically low water levels.
Surge in ‘Turkey’s granary’ sinkholes imperils agriculture
Over 2,600 sinkholes in Turkey’s Konya Plain are threatening agriculture and residential areas, driven by drought and excessive water use.
Drought dries up lake to reveal sunken Greek village
It is only the second time the village’s ruins have been visible since it was abandoned decades ago.
Re-emergence of Greeceโs sunken village shows extent of rainfall crisis
Heatwaves and lack of rainfall have led to receding water levels in the Mornos reservoir, which submerged Kallio in the 1970sNo place is more indicative of plummeting rainfall levels in Greece than the Mornos reservoir. And no settlement is more indica…
Hereโs where Trump and Harris stand in the polls. Itโs even closer than it seems.
A race that Kamala Harris leads nationally is the equivalent of a knife fight in a phone booth, and itโs set to be decided in a smaller-than-usual number of states.
State of emergency in Greece as thousands of dead fish collect around Volos port
The freshwater fish filled both the bay and nearby rivers after they were displaced from their normal habitats by floodwater last year which was followed by months of severe drought.
Southern Europe is sick of tourists
Water scarcity, overcrowded streets and rising housing costs are infuriating locals.
Catalonia turns the page
Catalans themselves have now decided to end the nationalist/independence majority in their parliament โ and we intend to listen to them.
Farmers call for government action as severe drought in Serbia forces early harvests
Meanwhile, the Vojvodina regional government claimed it was preventing the area’s desertification by investing in the local hydrologic system.
โWe donโt want to sabotage herโ: Why green groups are going easy on Kamala Harris
Environmental groups that put Joe Bidenโs climate initiatives under a microscope arenโt giving the Democratic nomineeโs positions the same scrutiny.
Farmers in Romania forced to sell livestock as drought kills animal feed
Temperatures in Romania hit over 40C in August, with the country experiencing several heat waves this summer.
Romanian farmers worried for soil as drought devastates land
Romania has been gripped by a drought, leaving farmers concerned in both the short and long term as the quality of their soil diminishes, meaning they can’t plant crops in the new season.
โThe land is becoming desertโ: drought pushes Sicilyโs farming heritage to the brink
While tourists flock to the Italian island in greater numbers, a water crisis is intensifying for its rural populationFor the first time in four generations of his familyโs farming history, Vito Amantiaโs threshers have lain silent this year. The 650,0…
โThe place I love is in flamesโ: the people living and working in extreme heat
From a firefighter to a fruit farmer, from Greece to Thailand, the Guardian speaks to people in places hit hardest by the climate crisisExtreme heat records have been broken around the world this year, and scientists say 2024 is likely to be the hottes…
Europeโs southerners want Brussels to save them from climate change
Ursula von der Leyen faces pressure from the south over climate adaptation plans.
Drought devastates corn and sunflower fields in Romania
Still struggling after an intense heatwave, some farmers fear losses of up to 90% of all of their crops.
Swathes of Romania face drought leading to empty reservoirs and failing crops
Locals say some regions haven’t seen any rain for three months.
Sicilian farmers anxious about impact of record-high temperatures on agriculture
Sicilian farmers are urging the government to implement long-term solutions as extreme heat and a year-long drought raised concerns about the future of agriculture.
Five protesters and one police officer hurt in French reservoir demonstration
Violence erupts after about 4,000 gather in La Rochelle amid heightened tensions over water resourcesA police officer and five protesters were injured when violence erupted after about 4,000 people turned out for a demonstration in La Rochelle over the…
โWe canโt let the animals dieโ: drought leaves Sicilian farmers facing uncertain future
Rainfall is down 40% since 2003 and experts predict a third of Sicily will be desert by 2030Every morning, as soon as he wakes up, Luca Cammarata looks to the sky in the hope that some clouds on the horizon will bring a few drops of water. On his farm …
From Black Sea to US Midwest, extreme weather threatens crop output
Forecast dryness in the Black Sea region’s breadbasket is likely to stunt sunflower and corn yields, while heavy rain in the US after near-record temperatures threatens to take a toll on crops, squeezing world supplies and pushing prices higher.
Europe is running out of heroin. The alternatives are much worse
Nitazines from China are penetrating Europe, causing almost 100 deaths in Latvia and Estonia last year.
The end of the great northern forests? The tiny tree-killing beetle wreaking havoc on our ancient giants
Forests across Europe, the US and Canada have been hard hit by drought, fires and bark beetles. Now scientists fear the northern hemisphereโs greatest carbon sink is nearing a tipping pointThe giant sequoia is so enormous that it was once believed to b…
London stock market bucks IPO drought with fundraising rush
UK exchange the most active in Europe as investors offload stakes in secondary transactions
Catalan independence is, like, so 2017
5 takeaways from the surprise election results in Catalonia, where the separatist dream suffered a setback.
Rainfall allows Catalonia to ease water restrictions for first time since drought began
Reservoirs in Catalonia were at extremely low levels but have since risen, meaning the restrictions on water usage will be eased – for now.
Extra virgin olive oil prices tipped to top ยฃ16 a litre next month
Price rise for mass-market types expected as global production falls to lowest level in more than 10 yearsOlive oil prices are set to climb further this year โ heading to more than ยฃ16 a litre for a bottle of extra virgin โ amid a drop in global produc…
EU struggles to secure another New Zealand-style trade deal
The EU-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) officially entered into force on 1 May. The pact has put an end to a four-year trade drought, since Vietnam’s agreement in 2020, and the European Commission considers it a blueprint for future FTAs.
Cava firm Freixenet to furlough 80% of its workers in Catalonia due to drought
Spanish-German company announces lay offs as north-eastern Spain struggles with droughtThe Spanish-German cava giant Freixenet, known for its distinctive black glass bottles of sparkling wine, is to furlough 80% of its workers in Catalonia as the north…
EU experts increasingly worried about impact of extreme weather on food security
Experts identified extreme weather as a primary challenge to food supply in Europe in an assessment of EU food security released by the European Commission on 16 April.
The Guardian view on pilgrimage: a 21st-century spiritual exercise | Editorial
As a recent BBC series confirms, the idea of a spiritual journey has survived the decline of organised religionIn Geoffrey Chaucerโs England, the arrival of spring was taken by many as a cue to take to the road. As the prologue to The Canterbury T…
Droughts prove EUโs water resilience urgently needs holistic strategy [Advocacy Lab Content]
With several EU member states facing the impacts of drought conditions and the blocโs water ecosystems under pressure, experts have voiced the need for a โholistic approachโ to increase Europeโs water resilience.
A fairer future for farmers is a greener future for Europe
Addressing the inequities in our food system is essential to delivering justice for farmers and securing climate action.
Easter processions cancelled in southern Spain due to rainstorms
Spain is hit by strong winds and rain from Storm Nelson and four drown on storm-battered coastsEaster processions in southern Spain have been cancelled after heavy rain from Storm Nelson, as the country was hit by strong winds and four people drowned o…
Barcelona’s tourism industry going ‘unpunished’ amid drought, activists say
As the Spanish region of Catalonia battles its worst drought on record, activists are beginning to question Barcelona’s mass tourism model. Should Spain’s most visited city be allowed to welcome even more tourists this summer amid a state of emergency…
5 things we learned from the EUโs big (and first) climate risk report
Farming must change. Diets must evolve. Southern Europe is at risk. And disaster looms if EU leaders donโt act after Juneโs elections.
Brussels warns of danger of water conflicts in EU
A document obtained by POLITICO shows the European Union will urge capitals to accelerate their preparations for a warming world.
โIt makes me so sadโ: church reemerges from reservoir as Spain faces droughts
Increased evaporation, shorter rainy seasons and less mountain snow cover are set to worsen water crises in the western MediterraneanMagdalena Coromina tapped the hard ground with her walking stick and looked up at a church that was meant to be underwa…
Risotto crisis: the fight to save Italyโs beloved dish from extinction
After drought devastated prized arborio and carnaroli harvests in the Po valley, new rice varieties offer a glimmer of hope. But none are yet suitable for use in the traditional recipePhotographs by Marco Massa and Haakon SandFor most of winter and spr…
Catalonia’s farmers demand more help over drought
As Spain continues to be blighted by a lack of rain, farmers want more government assistance.
Catalonia’s farmers demand more help over drought
As Spain continues to be blighted by a lack of rain, farmers want more government assistance.
EU puts water resilience plan on hold as drought grips Spain, Italy
Green groups “appalled” at “irresponsible” postponement of initiative.
What will Spain look like when it runs out of water? Barcelona is giving us a glimpse | Marรญa Ramรญrez
Angry farmers, worried tourism workers and unprepared politicians โ Catalonia is on the frontline of a drought-stricken future Walking through Barcelona these days, you canโt miss the signs and billboards picturing a red plastic bucket and the message …
Patent war looms over Europeโs future supercrops
New rules on gene-edited seeds could pave way for half a dozen big suppliers to strengthen their market domination.
State of emergency in Catalonia over worst ever drought
Residents face a raft of restrictions on water use as the Spanish region faces its worst drought on record.
Catalonia declares drought emergency, extending water limits to Barcelona
Water reserves fall below 16% as regionโs president says it has not rained in some areas for three yearsAfter more than 1,000 days of drought, the Catalan government has formally announced a state of emergency, extending water restrictions to Barcelona…
Romanian farmers, truckers resume protests after government talks fail
Similar protests resume in Germany, with demonstrations also planned in Poland and Bulgaria.
Expensive fuel and million dollar missiles: Counting the cost of the Red Sea crisis
The standoff between Iran-backed Houthis and the West is taking a toll on the world economy.
Europeโs Silicon Valley? No thanks
The UK has grand plans for Cambridge. But the city has other ideas.
Low-speed zone: Europeโs super crops revolution hits bottleneck
Brusselsโ bid to fast-track looser rules for new genetically engineered plants is showing fractures, as more questions than answers arise.
Making water the engine for climate action
By 2030, global water demand will exceed availability by 40 percent.
Agrifood Brief: I miss the rains down in Aragon
In much of Aragon in the northeast of Spain, agriculture is kept alive by large-scale irrigation systems. What some see as the key to ensuring a viable future for the next generation in the region is at the heart of…
Olive oil price skyrockets as Spanish drought bites
Spain is the biggest olive oil producer. Two years of drought there are affecting prices worldwide.
Police in Spain and Italy seize 5,000 litres of adulterated olive oil in raids
International gang allegedly sought to pass off lower-quality oils as virgin and extra virginPolice in Spain and Italy have arrested 11 people and seized more than 5,000 litres of adulterated olive oil after breaking up an international gang that alleg…
Open secret at climate talks: The top temperature goal is mostly gone
Researchers injected a sobering finding into global climate negotiations Sunday by saying the world will likely fail its most important warming test.
How to watch the climate summit like an expert
Interested in the 200-nation effort to save the planet? Get used to squabbles about money and โphasing outโ versus โphasing downโ fossil fuels.
Whoโs who at COP28
Biden and Xi will probably skip it, but the summit will have Lula, the pope and King Charles. And yeah, Rishi Sunak.
Floods, droughts and panic attacks: Climate change is taking its toll on Europe’s farmers
Climate-driven drought and floods are hurting the livelihoods and mental health of European farmers.
This pond in Hawaii has mysteriously turned bubblegum pink. Is drought to blame?
The fairytale-like transformation of a pond at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge was first noticed in late October.
Storm Ciarรกn, drought and floods: Climate-related disasters could raise insurance prices in France
The different weather-related disasters France has seen this year paint a pessimistic landscape for insurance prices in 2024.
Erling Haaland: Man City striker rediscovers European scoring touch to terrify rivals
It is an anomaly of the most successful period in Manchester City’s European competition history that their main striker has had a goal drought during it.
Hydropower: The only sustainable European energy transition
There is an urgent need for flexible solutions to speed up the fight against climate change and shape a clean-energy future.
Seven progressive steps to a circular economy [Promoted content]
We could begin this opinion piece with a long explanation of the climate crisis. But you already know about it. You have read the warnings from climate bodies, and you have heard the speeches from world leaders. Sadly, you might even have witnessed the…
Spanish government blocks controversial irrigation law in drought-stricken Doรฑana
The Spanish government has succeeded in blocking a regional law that would legalise further irrigation around the already-water-scarce Doรฑana National Park, instead aiming to support sustainable practices financially.
Unpacking EU packaging regulationsย
The PPWR debate has evolved, but weโre still concerned about the mandating of reusable packaging over recyclable, fiber-based solutions, says cross-sector EU business alliance.
Water lorries and reused wastewater: How EU countries battle drought
Spain, Italy and France are being impacted by drought and are using various methods to alleviate water stress for residents and farmers.
Accessing drinking water โa battleโ in French overseas territory Mayotte
In response to the most severe drought Mayotte has experienced in decades, the French government and local authorities in the overseas territory are taking drastic measures to ensure inhabitants get basic access to water. The unprecedented shortage is…
UK homes: data shows supply squeeze will worsen
Englandโs planning drought for housing projects merely stores up problems
Smaller boats help Rhine shipowners overcome mounting problem of drought
Family businesses turn to nimbler vessels that can operate when water levels are low
Locals fear disaster as North Macedoniaโs Lake Prespa recedes
The lake of Prespa, two thirds of which belong to North Macedonia and the rest to Greece and Albania, has lost 7% of its surface area and half of its volume between 1984 and 2020, NASA has said.
French historic landmarks threatened by ravages of climate change
Located off the coast of the southern French city of Marseille, the Chรขteau d’If has withstood the wear and tear of time. But today, this landmark is facing the threat of climate change.ย In recent years, sea levels have risen by 15 centimetres, forcin…
Several dead as torrential rains sweep drought-hit Spain
At least three people died and another three were missing on Monday after heavy rains lashed drought-hit Spain, triggering flash floods that closed Madrid metro lines and high-speed rail links.
Birds โ and ornithologists โ flock to huge rubbish dump in Spain
Storks, black kites and vultures feed at Los Barrios before migrating to Africa โ but many now decide to stayA vast rubbish dump in southern Spain has become a magnet for ornithologists as thousands of storks, black kites and vultures make a stopover t…
Europeโs โtemplateโ for migration: Tunisian strongmanโs racist clampdown
The EU’s latest partner across the Mediterranean is carrying out a campaign of violence, mass expulsions and political repression.
How Europeโs water supplies turned to โgold dustโ
Drought, leaky pipes and poor policy among several factors contributing to continentโs scarcity problem
Fruit, vegetable sector plagued by extreme weather as EU takes action
With several regions struggling with the impact of heavy rainfalls and crops in many parts of Europe still affected by severe drought, Brussels is taking steps to soften the blow for the fruit, vegetable, and wine sector.
Alpine hikers warned of โฌ750 fine for excessive flower picking
French police stress rules on taking blooms of plants such as edelweiss as drought affects some areas of countryFrench police have warned Alpine hikers they will be fined hundreds of euros if they pick too many blooming plants on their summer walks.Off…
Fire in south of France rages though campsite and 500 hectares of land
Blaze in popular tourist area in the Pyrenees forced evacuation of 2,000 people before it was brought under controlA fire in the south of France burned through 500 hectares (1,240 acres) of land and destroyed a campsite, with 2,000 people evacuated bef…
Healthy diet in UK at risk from Mediterranean droughts, experts say
Fresh fruit and vegetables from Europe will be more expensive as drought and wildfires shrink suppliesA healthy diet in the UK will be put at risk by climate breakdown as European droughts shrink fresh fruit and vegetable supplies, experts have said.Fr…
Water wars: meet the guardians of one of Europeโs most vital wetlands
Doรฑana national park in Andalucรญa, Spain, is being threatened by drought, over-consumption and rightwing MPs. Seven people who work there describe the fragile ecosystem and what it means to themIn the heart of Spainโs Doรฑana national park, a battle is …
Rhine economy feels the pinch of melting glaciers in the Alps
Germanyโs Rhine region got a foretaste of things to come during the 2018 summer drought. And it doesnโt look good.
Panama Canal faces tough times as ship crossings dip
The Panama Canal authority says it expects revenue to drop by about โฌ182 million in the next fiscal year, a shipping crossings are impacted by the ongoing drought.
โThe extreme events scare me the mostโ: climatologist warns of Italyโs vulnerability to climate crisis
Luca Mercalli describes Italy as โone of the most fragile places in the worldโ after recent storms, wildfires and glacier collapseThe collapse of a glacier in the Dolomites and a landslide on the island of Ischia. Devastating floods, wildfires and reco…