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Worst-ever fire season in 2023 saw 15m hectare burned, eight firefighters killed and 230,000 people evacuatedCanada risks another “catastrophic” wildfire season, the federal government has warned, forecasting higher-than-normal spring and summer temperatures across much of the country, boosted by El Niño weather conditions.Last year, Canada endured its worst-ever fire season, with more than 6,600 blazes burning 15m hectares (37m acres), an area roughly seven...

Federal emergency declared in Orenburg region and at least 6,000 homes inundated after Ural River overflowsFlood waters were rising in two cities in Russia’s Ural mountains on Sunday after Europe’s third-longest river burst through a dam, flooding at least 6,000 homes and forcing thousands of people to flee.The Ural River, which rises in the Ural Mountains and flows into the Caspian Sea, swelled several...

Sydney expected to be badly affected as further downpours and strong winds forecast to lash New South Wales coastSouth-eastern Australia has been experiencing heavy rain since Thursday night, which will continue until Saturday morning local time. New South Wales will be particularly badly affected, with cumulative rainfall totals of 150-200m along coastal stretches.Hourly totals are expected to reach 10-20mm at times, with the worst-affected...

Meanwhile, South Sudan has ordered schools to shut amid extreme heatwaveA cyclone warning has been issued in northern Australia for coastal communities from the island of Groote Eylandt to the Northern Territory/Queensland border. Tropical Cyclone Megan, which developed in the Gulf of Carpentaria on Saturday, has been declared a category 3 cyclone by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Megan is forecast to make landfall...

Authorities advise parents to keep children indoors during extreme heatwave, expected to last two weeksSouth Sudan is closing all schools from Monday in preparation for an extreme heatwave expected to last two weeks.The health and education ministries have advised parents to keep all children indoors as temperatures are expected to soar to 45C (113F). Continue reading...

Wind gusts of up to 220km/h expected to bring heavy rain and flooding to coastal communitiesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastTop End communities are bracing for the crossing of severe Tropical Cyclone Megan, with destructive wind gusts of up to 220km/h expected to bring widespread damage, heavy rainfall and...

Residents in California urged to shelter in place as possible record 12ft of snow forecast to be dumped over weekendA dangerous winter storm has arrived in California, battering the Sierra Nevada with snowfall, gale-force winds and blizzard conditions as authorities urge residents to shelter in place and prepare for power outages.Perilous conditions in the mountain region are expected to get significantly worse on Friday...

Xinjiang in north-west recorded minus 52.3C, while Badu in south recorded 38C – the largest temperature contrast recorded in a single countryChina’s Xinjiang region, in the far west of the country, experienced record-breaking low temperatures of -52.3C on 18 February, surpassing a 64-year-old record for the region. The figure was just shy of the lowest national temperature of -53C, which was recorded in the...

Dairy farmer dead after wild weather in South Gippsland, while ongoing power outages affect more than 134,000 customersGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastA dairy farmer is dead, homes have been lost and nearly 135,000 customers remain without power after bushfires and storms ravaged Victoria.The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, confirmed a 50-year-old man died when storms hit the...

Flights and trains cancelled as heavy snow and freezing rain leave many stranded during busiest travel periodMillions of people in China have had their annual visit home for lunar new year disrupted by blizzards and freezing rain, with delayed or cancelled transport leaving travellers stranded.Videos on social media showed people hacking away at thick layers of ice that have brought roads to a standstill...

This blog is now closedCalifornia is grappling with another round of strong storms this week and the dangerous potential for flash flooding, landslides, and furious winds expected to come with them.Much like last year, when record rainfall lashed the state, the storms are attributed to atmospheric rivers (ARs), systems that have long played a role in California’s precipitation levels – both for good and...

People in affected areas say they are still waiting for government help after more than 300 deaths and widespread devastationTens of thousands of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are living in temporary accommodation and waiting for government help after the country experienced its worst flooding in six decades.More than 300 people have died and 280,000 households in more than half the...

Roads were flooded and trees toppled amid calls for people to get ready for powerful downpours, heavy snow and damaging windsWhat are the atmospheric rivers hitting California right now?The first of two severe storms drenched California on Thursday, bringing intense downpours that flooded roads and toppled trees. But the worst is far from over – officials warned residents to prepare for a “significant threat”...

Roads are cut off, more than 20 schools closed and a town flooded after heavy rainfall inundated south-east Queensland, sparking multiple rescuesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastA relentless series of storms is starting to take an emotional toll on people in Queensland’s south-east as the Bureau of Meteorology warns of more heavy rain to come.Roads are cut...

More than 23,000 residents without electricity days after category-three storm lashed coast on ThursdayGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastCyclone-affected residents have been offered disaster assistance in northern Queensland, where tens of thousands of customers remain without power.Personal hardship assistance grants have been offered to residents of the Townsville and Burdekin shires after Tropical Cyclone Kirrily crossed the...

Outages also affecting phone networks and water supplies for about 10,000 Queensland households, premier says, as restoration efforts continueGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThousands of Townsville residents are still without power as northern Queensland begins to clean up after ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily.Damaging winds and rainfall totals from 100-150mm hit regions on Thursday evening but minimal property damage...

Cyclone downgraded after dense fog hits parts of the US and India while drought affects Philippines and southern AfricaTropical Cyclone Kirrily made landfall on the coast of Queensland on Thursday night (local time). Kirrily originated as a tropical low over the Coral Sea, and gradually intensified over several days. The tropical cyclone then quickly intensified on Thursday, reaching a category 2 system by 10am...

Premier Steven Miles says ‘we’re not out of the woods’ with BoM weather warnings issued as former category three cyclone downgradedFollow our Australia news live blog for the latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe cleanup from ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily has begun in north Queensland after the weather system was downgraded to a tropical low.Damaging winds and...

Kirrily upgraded to category-three storm by BoM and predicted to reach land between Ingham and Bowen on Thursday nightTropical Cyclone Kirrily live update: Qld weather warnings as category three storm tracks toward coastCheck the path of the storm towards Townsville with the BoM radar and forecast tracker map.Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastTropical Cyclone Kirrily has been...

Fast-growing monocultures are less able to withstand extreme weather events than varied woodlands, researchers findAs 90mph winds whip across the UK and Europe this week, new research shows forests containing diverse tree species are more likely to stay standing than monocultures when hit by extreme weather.Forests with two or three tree species are on average 35% more resilient to storms than forests with only...

Cold snap continues from south to Pacific north-west, with thaw not expected until next weekThe deep freeze affecting millions of people across the US is continuing this weekend, as bitterly frigid air spilled into the midwest from Canada amid high winds that could make it feel like -30F (-34C) outside in some areas.The list of severe weather events was growing as the US struggled...

Damaging weather and heavy rain pummels Darwin as BoM forecasts another cyclone could cross Queensland’s east coast from TuesdayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastQueensland residents face the threat of another cyclone reaching their shores within days as intense rain continues across Australia’s north.A tropical low building in the Coral...

Drought in Hwange national park was the cause of most of the deaths, and wildlife experts fear the climate crisis could make such events look normalAt least 160 elephants have died as drought conditions hit Zimbabwe, and with hot, dry weather likely to continue, conservationists fear there could be more deaths to come.The elephants died between August and December last year in the 14,651...

Fire breaks out at RAAF base as firefighters battle four significant blazes in the Wanneroo and Chittering areasGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastA potentially dangerous fire has broken out at an RAAF base as soaring temperatures and windy conditions cause havoc for firefighters north of Perth.The blaze broke out on Saturday afternoon near the entrance to RAAF...