Year: 2026

Climate change fuels the destruction of world’s oldest trees

From early January 2026 severe wildfires burned through the Andean foothills of central-southern Chile and across northern Patagonia in Argentina, affecting dense native forests, national parks, and small rural and tourist communities straddling the Chile–Argentina border.  In Argentina, the fires first ignited in early January in Chubut province, then came back with force by 27 … Continue reading “Climate change fuels the destruction of world’s oldest trees”

La Niña, Climate change, high exposure and vulnerability combined led to devastating floods in parts of Southern Africa

Since late December 2025, severe flooding has affected large parts of Mozambique, Eswatini, northeastern South Africa and Zimbabwe, killing more than 200 people (Al Jazeera, 2026), destroying more than 173,000 acres of crops (Sky News, 2026) and causing further widespread humanitarian and socioeconomic impacts in the affected countries. In Mozambique, more than 75,000 people across … Continue reading “La Niña, Climate change, high exposure and vulnerability combined led to devastating floods in parts of Southern Africa”

Climate change eclipses La Niña cooling in Australia to drive extreme heatwave and heightened fire risk

From 5–10 January, 2026, south-eastern Australia experienced its most severe heatwave since 2019–20. Temperatures exceeded 40°C in major cities including Melbourne and Sydney, with even hotter conditions across regional Victoria and New South Wales. Extreme heat affected large parts of Australia, including Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania before moving east to New Zealand. The … Continue reading “Climate change eclipses La Niña cooling in Australia to drive extreme heatwave and heightened fire risk”