climate risk

Top climate scientists have set out five steps the world should take to prepare for a possible super El Niño event. The recommendations come as the climate pattern trends highly across Europe, including Italy, the Netherlands and France. El Niño, the periodic warming of Pacific Ocean waters, can drive extreme weather worldwide, so experts are urging governments to plan ahead for droughts, floods and heatwaves.

A strong ocean phenomenon known as a Kelvin wave is affecting the US West Coast, pushing warmer water and temporarily higher sea levels toward California. Scientific American describes it as a potent warning about sea-level rise, and the topic is drawing wide attention as coastal communities assess flooding risks and what the event signals for future climate impacts.

The US Army Corps of Engineers has published a national-scale fluvial flood exposure dataset covering the conterminous United States, Alaska, and Hawaiʻi, made openly available via DOI. The dataset is aimed at helping researchers and planners assess which populations and assets lie in areas at risk of river flooding across the entire country.

Forecasters warn London faces a higher chance of severe winter conditions as a powerful 'Godzilla' El Niño event develops, with meteorologists describing climate stress not seen in years. The pattern could disrupt the polar vortex, raising the likelihood of cold snaps and extreme weather across the UK this winter.

A new El Nino alert reports the Pacific Ocean has warmed by around 3 degrees Celsius, raising concerns about what this could mean for India's monsoon, agriculture and weather patterns. The warning ties the ocean warming to broader climate change risks, with observers asking whether India faces a significant threat from the developing El Nino conditions.

New figures circulating among climate observers put the Greenland Ice Sheet at 20% of a major assessment dataset, with abrupt permafrost thaw in boreal forests just below the Arctic at 0.7% and the North Atlantic subpolar gyre at 3.1%. Commenters note that potentially consequential climate risks tied to these systems remain hard to assess because relatively little scientific research covers them.

Firstpost's Planet Pulse examines why major cities including Bangkok, New York and Delhi are increasingly at risk of flooding and rising seas. The report looks at the mix of climate change, land subsidence and rapid urbanisation pushing coastal and delta megacities toward crisis, prompting debate about how such cities can adapt or be saved.

The United Nations has issued an alert warning that El Niño will bring above-average temperatures across much of the globe, with the phenomenon expected to peak in December. The UN study cautions that several regions face a heightened risk of drought and flooding as the climate pattern intensifies in the coming months.

A storm with tropical characteristics has formed over Catalonia, drawing the attention of Spanish meteorologists. Experts warn that the phenomenon, described as a Mediterranean tropical cyclone, could signal a growing risk of similar cyclones in the Mediterranean in the future. The unusual nature of a tropical-like storm in the region has prompted discussion about changing climate patterns and preparedness for extreme weather events in Spain.

The United Nations says there is a near-100% chance the current El Nino conditions will continue through February 2027, an unusually long outlook for the climate pattern. A prolonged event would raise risks of droughts, floods and heat extremes across many regions, keeping food security and weather disruption high on the global agenda.

A record dengue outbreak in Florida is drawing renewed attention to warnings made a quarter century ago in the first US National Climate Assessment, which projected that warming temperatures would expand mosquito habitat and raise dengue risk in the United States. Climate scientist Peter Gleick and others are pointing out that coverage of the outbreak omits any mention of climate change, calling out a gap between the evidence and the public narrative.

The United Nations is calling for accelerated climate action ahead of the COP31 summit, warning that overshooting agreed warming limits is 'not a reason to surrender'. UN officials stress that every fraction of a degree avoided still matters, urging governments to strengthen emissions cuts and adaptation efforts rather than giving up on climate goals.

A British business figure is urging critics to 'stop throwing shade' on the UK as she works to stop companies relocating abroad, according to BBC News reporting in its business and economy coverage. The appeal comes amid ongoing debate over UK competitiveness and the risk of businesses and listings moving to markets like the United States.

New measurements show that the impact of the surrounding environment on buildings can be quantified, allowing researchers to connect a building's vulnerability to that of nearby open public spaces. The finding suggests that structures with abundant green areas and shade around them may fare better, even when the buildings themselves are considered highly vulnerable.

The home insurance industry is struggling to cope with losses driven by climate change, with disasters such as wildfires, floods and hurricanes making some properties too risky to cover at any price. Insurers are raising premiums, withdrawing from high-risk regions or exiting markets entirely, leaving homeowners exposed and policymakers searching for ways to stabilise the market before more households lose coverage.

The In My Mind Conference is examining how climate change disproportionately affects LGBTQ people of color, looking at the intersection of environmental harm, race, and sexuality. The gathering brings together advocates and researchers to discuss why marginalized communities often face greater risks during climate disasters, including displacement, health impacts, and unequal access to resources and recovery support.

The Massachusetts attorney general's office has filed previously undisclosed documents in its consumer protection lawsuit against ExxonMobil, shedding new light on internal deliberations at the oil giant. The filings add to evidence that the company knew about climate risks from its products while publicly downplaying them. The case is being watched closely as one of the most significant legal challenges to fossil fuel companies over climate deception.

A global treaty has taken a step toward establishing a precautionary regime governing marine geoengineering, the set of proposed techniques to deliberately alter ocean systems to address climate change. The Center for International Environmental Law highlighted the development, framing it as progress toward international oversight of technologies that could carry significant ecological risks. Details of which techniques will be covered and how enforcement will work remain limited.

Timor-Leste is being highlighted for efforts to strengthen climate change indicators and data literacy. The initiative, promoted through the United Nations economic commission for Asia and the Pacific, focuses on helping the small island nation use reliable statistics to track climate impacts and inform policy. Small island states face severe climate risks, and building national capacity to collect and interpret data is seen as key to planning adaptation and accessing climate finance.

Climate scientist Paul Beckwith has released a video lecture and literature review examining a new paper on threats to global food supply. The analysis focuses on how extreme weather and climate breakdown could disrupt crops, agriculture, and food security, framing the findings as a risk assessment. It is being shared among climate-focused audiences.

A question circulating among journalists and climate commentators asks whether mainstream media might argue during the current electoral cycle that high gasoline prices could be beneficial, since they push consumers away from fossil fuels. The prompt, tagged with climate and environment topics, is drawing small engagement and debate about whether such a message is politically viable.

New Australian research published in Nature finds that British colonisation left the Australian landscape more prone to burning, amplifying the influence of climate change and contributing to the country's bushfire crisis. The study reconstructed the past 1000 years of landscape change, and scientists are discussing how colonial land management reshaped fire regimes.

Miguel Reale Júnior, one of the authors of Brazil's assault law used in the January 8 case, warned of the risk of a coup and declared his support for President Lula. The statement, reported by Diário do Centro do Mundo, is notable because Reale Júnior comes from a conservative legal background, making his endorsement of Lula and his coup warning a striking intervention in Brazil's tense political climate.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Nepal remain at risk from floods linked to climate change, according to reporting carried by NBC News. The warning highlights ongoing vulnerability in flood-prone areas of the country, where changing rainfall patterns and glacial melt continue to threaten communities. Little additional detail beyond the risk assessment is available in the reporting so far.

The University of Hawaiʻi has introduced a new framework to guide the relocation of endangered species in Hawaiʻi. The guidance is aimed at helping conservation managers decide when and how to move threatened plants and animals to safer habitats, such as higher elevations, as climate change and habitat loss pressure native species. It gives researchers and state agencies a structured approach to protect Hawaiʻi's uniquely vulnerable endemic wildlife.

Tidal flooding from the ocean has affected the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, California, sending water onto streets in the low-lying coastal neighborhood. King tides and elevated sea levels routinely cause such flooding in the area, and local news coverage is drawing attention to the impact on residents and the broader risks coastal communities face from rising seas.

Ocean alkalinity enhancement, a proposed carbon removal method that involves adding alkaline substances to seawater to boost the ocean's uptake of carbon dioxide, is being reconsidered. A commentary in Nature argues the approach needs fresh scientific and governance scrutiny before large-scale deployment. The debate touches on its potential to slow climate change against unresolved questions about environmental side effects and regulation.

The World Meteorological Organization reports that sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific reflect a strengthening El Niño, the periodic warming of ocean waters that can disrupt weather patterns worldwide. Typically the event brings droughts, floods and heat extremes to different regions, and forecasters watch ocean temperature anomalies closely to anticipate impacts on agriculture, fisheries and extreme weather risk in the months ahead.

A newly developed index projects that climate change will alter the risk of liver fluke, a parasitic disease affecting livestock and people, unevenly across Africa and Europe. The findings suggest some regions will face growing exposure while others see risk decline, with implications for farming, food safety and veterinary planning as temperatures and rainfall patterns shift on both continents.