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
498 stories
Barcelona registers highest temperature in 112 years as UK health service urges children and elderly to ‘take weather seriously’ – Europe live
Some stations in Spain recorded temperatures of up to 44C after western Europe experienced the warmest June on recordAn ambulance service in the south…
Western Europe records hottest-ever June as heatwaves intensify
Temperatures across ravaged region 3C above average as scientists warn of risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructureRecord wildfires in Europe sh…
UK waters hit with extreme heatwave as global sea temperatures reach record levels
Experts warn that some marine species are at risk of ‘mass mortality events’ in ever-warming oceansUK waters are being hit with an “extreme” marine he…
US Food and Drug Administration rejects petition to set Pfas limits in food
Environmental protection agency and independent studies have found food biggest source of chemical exposureThe US Food and Drug Administration has rej…
Unions in Europe press for new worker protections to counter heat stress
Climate crisis prompts calls for workplace temperature limits and rights to heat breaks and adjusted working hoursAs Europe’s sweltering summer contin…
Record wildfires in Europe show failure to adapt carries a mounting cost
Scientists call for better land management alongside reduction in greenhouse gases causing the crisisWhen storm after storm battered the Mediterranean…
Lake Powell, a vital reservoir, plunges toward unprecidented low levels as water crisis deepens in US west
Experts say the critical reservoir system is careening toward a breaking point as the US west’s climate warms and driesLake Powell, US’s second-larges…
June heatwave in UK led to ‘mass sleep deprivation’, poll suggests
Exclusive: Record temperatures fuelled by climate crisis left 86% of homes ‘too hot’ and many people feeling unwellWith parts of England once again in…
Typhoon Maysak kills two and forces thousands to evacuate in China
Tropical storm causes extreme flooding in south of the country with heavy rainfall expected in coming daysA tropical storm has killed two people, caus…
GB News co-owner ‘cashing in on climate chaos’ after leap in fossil fuel investments, critics say
Exclusive: Campaigners argue news channel’s attacks on climate action ‘work in financial interests’ of Sir Paul MarshallThe hedge fund run by the co-o…
Air pollution may cause childhood obesity by disrupting impulse control, study finds
Babies exposed to higher levels of neurotoxin more likely to have difficulty controlling impulses later, research showsExposure to common air pollutio…
Wildfires rage across southern Europe, forcing thousands to flee homes
Tour de France spectator ban as country along with Spain, Portugal and Greece faces ‘powder keg’ after heatwaveEurope live – latest updatesWildfires r…
Weather tracker: Europe braces for another heat surge as tropical nights return
Spain, Portugal, France and UK face spell of high temperatures, while Super Typhoon Bavi barrels through north-western PacificEurope live – latest upd…
UK's third heatwave of the year begins - but how will it be different?
As some parts of the UK start to experience their third heatwave of the year, Simon King explains how this one could be different from the last.…
At least 25 people die in US as record heatwave scorches swaths of country
More than 20 states reported temperatures above 100F as heat dome sits over eastern US during holiday weekendAt least about two dozen people have died…
Empty reservoirs, ladybirds and sunstroke: remembering the UK heatwave of 1976
As Britain reached its hottest June temperature on record, readers recall the summer when temperatures hit 36CThe recent heatwave in the UK broke the …
British swallowtail split from European cousins much earlier than thought, study finds
Finding that Norfolk butterfly has been distinct subspecies for 200,000 years could transform conservation approachThe endangered swallowtail butterfl…
Three children dead after boat capsizes during storm in Wisconsin
Officials rescued seven other people after a sudden storm led to a boat sinking on Geneva LakeThree children died after a boat capsized on Wisconsin’s…
‘My childhood stopped’: woman sues CPS after taking stepfather to abuse trial
Annie’s lawyers argue that prosecution was so badly executed it breached her human rightsAt her kitchen table, in a village in southern England, Annie…
Ronaldo sends message to Venezuelan earthquake survivor
Cristiano Ronaldo has sent a message to a young Venezuelan earthquake survivor, recovering in hospital.…
‘A nightmare’: Strugging with the aftermath of Venezuela’s earthquakes
Many survivors are sheltering in tents set up in public parks, after twin earthquakes destroyed rows of buildings.…
Thousands forced to evacuate in Colorado as wildfire spreads
The Aspen Acres Fire, one of about 40 wildfires burning across western US, has destroyed homes and forced evacuations.…
US Police staff spark altercation with Egyptian players posing with fans
US Police sparked a confrontation with Egypt's national team as they posed with fans at their hotel in Dallas.…
France records 2,025 excess deaths at peak of heatwave as Europe braces for more extreme weather
Forecasters are warning of further extreme temperatures on the continent in the next few days.…
Weather tracker: Heatwave breaks June temperature records across Europe
UK provisional high of 37.7C shatters previous record by huge margin, while Germany experiences all-time high of 41.7CLast week’s heatwave across west…
Spain and France face more heat after scorching June caused 2,000 deaths
Temperatures could reach 44C in south-east Spain as fights break out in Paris supermarkets over air-conditioning unitsSpain and France are bracing for…
Understanding Ebola’s wildlife origins is crucial to preventing next big outbreak
If we don’t know the source, not only do humans remain at risk but wildlife can suffer needlessly via retaliationWhile virologists and public health d…
‘Exploratory and curious animals’: mysterious rise in orca sightings off Northumberland coast
Reasons for increase not clear but experts say it could be welcome sign marine ecosystem is becoming healthierThe Farne Islands off the Northumberland…
How extreme heat is exposing extreme inequality
The climate crisis and worsening disparity could be responsible for more than 100,000 deaths a year in Europe, which should set off alarm bells for po…
New Orleans residents on warning to abandon sinking city: ‘Nobody wants to leave home’
After a recent study found New Orleans is at a ‘point of no return’ amid the climate crisis, some locals say they will ‘only leave if forced to’. But …