Topics tagged with 'Extreme weather'
Media round-up
Today 10:30am
In our weekly round-up of climate coverage in local media: Proposed changes to forestry rules won’t solve the ‘slash’ problem; New Plymouth District Council officially opposes seabed mining; and is local media coverage of climate change lacking when reporting extreme weather events?
Central Chinese cities fight floods unleashed by record rain
Today 10:30am
A record summer downpour in China's central province of Hubei dumped more than a month's worth of rain in just 12 hours on the city of Xianfeng, prompting authorities to move 18,000 people to safety, shut schools, and suspend bus services.
Record-breaking sea temperatures in the Mediterranean spark fresh warnings from scientists
Today 10:30am
Intense marine heat can have devastating consequences for ecosystems with its ripple effects also extending onto land.
Warmer seas fuel dangerous ‘weather bomb’ in New South Wales
Thu 3 Jul 2025
If the storm shapes up as predicted, we can expect to see damage to houses and trees as well as significant beach erosion – especially in heavily populated areas exposed to the storm’s southern flank.
NZ urgently needs to change approach to flood management - experts
Wed 2 Jul 2025
Experts say climate change is squarely to blame for flooding in Nelson - but isn’t getting the media attention it deserves - and the country urgently needs to change its approach to flood management in the face of climate change.
Govt policy going backwards on protecting communities from climate-fuelled flooding, say campaigners
Tue 1 Jul 2025
Extreme flooding at the top of the South Island demonstrates the dangers of the government’s ‘growth at any cost’ agenda, according to freshwater campaigners.
Pakistan slams climate ‘injustice’ as deadly floods hit country again
Tue 1 Jul 2025
Pakistan’s climate minister says country facing ‘crisis of injustice’ as more deadly flooding and extreme weather events hit the country.
Fires break out in France as southern Europe heatwave intensifies
Tue 1 Jul 2025
In France, wildfires broke out in the Corbières area in the southwest, where temperatures topped 40°C, forcing the evacuation of a campsite and abbey as a precaution.
US government cuts key data used in hurricane forecasting
Tue 1 Jul 2025
Weather experts are warning that hurricane forecasts will be severely hampered by the upcoming cutoff of key data from U.S. Department of Defense satellites, the latest Trump administration move with potential consequences for the quality of forecasting.
Europe on alert as first major heatwave of 2025 pushes temperatures to 42C
Mon 30 Jun 2025
Authorities across Europe are on alert as the first heatwave of the summer pushes temperatures up to 42C (107.6F), as the fastest-warming continent continues to suffer the effects of the climate emergency.
Council land banks to prepare for future disasters
27 Jun 2025
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter | In a "uniquely Hurunui" move, a North Canterbury council is land banking to prepare for future natural disasters and the threat of climate change.
Floods swamp cities in Southwest China with more storms due
26 Jun 2025
Citizens in Guizhou and other parts of southern China have been swamped by days of record-breaking rainfall as the East Asia monsoon kicked into high gear over the past week.
The true costs of climate disasters
24 Jun 2025
Scientists have linked extreme weather to climate change. Now they can quantify its impact on the damage, writes Chloé Farand.
90% of NZers expect more extreme weather disasters because of climate change
23 Jun 2025
A new climate change poll from AMI, State, and NZI shows New Zealanders are expecting more extreme weather events as a result of climate change.
Extreme heat is the biggest threat to insurers and businesses
18 Jun 2025
Deadly temperatures put great stress not just on human life but also on the economy, infrastructure, agriculture and health care
Forestry consents and relaxed rules in erosion zones sow seeds of future disaster
13 Jun 2025
OPINION: The government’s move to restrict exotic forestry on our best food-growing soils will push even more forestry investment onto high erosion risk land on the East Coast, with the worst land becoming the only land left for the most intensive and destructive land use, writes Manu Caddie
Extreme ocean warming engulfed South-West Pacific in 2024
6 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Unprecedented ocean warming engulfed the South-West Pacific in 2024, with extreme heat and rainfall causing deadly and devastating impacts and sea level rise threatening entire islands.
Australian farmers face 'new world' of extreme weather as scientists urge action on climate change
6 Jun 2025
Scientists and politicians are warning big policy shifts are needed to mitigate extreme weather impacts, following what farmers describe as unprecedented flooding in the New South Wales Hunter and Mid North Coast regions last month.
Climate progress slowing, says Auckland councillor
5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The devastating cyclone that tore through Tāmaki Makaurau in 2023 left behind more than just broken infrastructure, sparking calls to focus on facts over ideology in the fight against climate change.
Death toll from Nigeria flash floods rises to 151
3 Jun 2025
At least 151 people in central Nigeria are now known to have died following flash floods that destroyed homes and displaced thousands of residents earlier this week.
After the LA fires, scientists study the toxic hazards left behind
3 Jun 2025
Researchers from Harvard and universities in California and Texas are studying the long-term effects of the Eaton and Palisades fires on air, water, soils and surfaces of properties that didn’t burn.
Glacier collapse buries most of Swiss village
30 May 2025
The Swiss village of Blatten has been partially destroyed after a huge chunk of glacier crashed down into the valley.
India's monsoon rains arrive eight days early, earliest in 16 years
29 May 2025
Monsoon rains hit the coast of India's southernmost state of Kerala on Saturday, eight days earlier than usual, marking the earliest arrival in 16 years and providing the promise of a bumper harvest and relief from a gruelling heatwave.
New climate hazards report for Waikato region
26 May 2025
By Shannon Williams | A new hazards and risks report from Waikato Regional Council aims to help councils, iwi, businesses and communities in the region understand and respond to risks associated with climate change.
Water crisis on the horizon?
26 May 2025
Media release | Sewage contaminating Auckland oyster farms highlights the “dire state” of water infrastructure in Aotearoa, says University of Auckland Associate Professor Daniel Hikuroa.
Cuts to climate finance put exports in jeopardy: Lawyers
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has halved international climate finance, a move aid organisations describe as “devastating,” and which lawyers say could put our Paris Agreement commitments and export market access at risk.
Climate change could drive surge in foreclosures and lender losses, new study finds
22 May 2025
Extreme weather linked to climate change could spell financial ruin for many American homeowners and lead to billions in losses for lenders, a new study finds.
Budget 2025 needs to prioritise a thriving and resilient Pacific region
16 May 2025
Media release | World Vision New Zealand is urging the government to prioritise Pacific prosperity and resilience with strong investment in climate finance and foreign aid as part of Budget 2025.
Running blind: The silencing and censoring of environmental threats to US national security
16 May 2025
Immediately after the inauguration of President Donald Trump in January 2025, his administration began purging environmental reports from the public record.
Climate change will worsen existing threats to Hawke’s Bay
15 May 2025
Climate change is projected to substantially alter weather patterns and environmental conditions in the coming decades, with significant implications for the human, built and natural environments.
More than 100 dead after flooding in eastern DR Congo, officials say
15 May 2025
Heavy overnight floods have washed away several villages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing more than 100 people, according to local officials, in a nation suffering war and mass displacement.
Three-year flood map legal dispute ends in win for landowners
13 May 2025
By Alisha Evans, Local Democracy Reporter | Tauranga property owners have had a “significant win” after the council agreed to update flood maps, a developer says.
‘Serious’ game looks at coastal climate change
13 May 2025
Media release | A new online game that enables New Zealanders to experience a climate-changed future and explore choices has been launched this month to get 10,000 game-plays over the wettest time of the year.
Commissioner calls on govt to better manage economic risks of climate change
12 May 2025
Climate change is creating an inevitable liability for the government which needs to be understood and managed, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
Deadly April rainfall in US South and Midwest was intensified by climate change, scientists say
12 May 2025
Human-caused climate change intensified deadly rainfall in Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and other states in early April and made it more likely to occur.
Most Kiwis anxious over extreme weather events
9 May 2025
More than half of all New Zealanders are worried about storms, heavy rainfall and flooding as New Zealand faces continued wild weather events.
Media round-up
9 May 2025
In our weekly round-up of climate coverage in local media: When climate resilience meets resident resistance in Auckland; atmospheric and marine heatwaves in and around New Zealand are increasing climate extremes; and seaweed's climate superpowers.
Real-world geoengineering experiments revealed by UK agency
9 May 2025
Trials will test ways to block sunlight and slow climate crisis that threatens to trigger catastrophic tipping points.
Second council quits Hawke’s Bay climate committee
7 May 2025
By Linda Hall, Local Democracy Reporter | Wairoa District Council has pulled the plug on the Hawke’s Bay Climate Action Joint Committee after councillors questioned its value.
Scientific societies say they’ll step up after Trump puts key climate report in doubt
7 May 2025
Two major scientific societies on Friday said they will try to fill the void from the Trump administration’s dismissal of scientists writing a cornerstone federal report on what climate change is doing to the United States.
Northland flood defences pass first major rainfall test
6 May 2025
A small, flood-prone Northland community has withstood a 10-year rainfall event, thanks to new flood protection works led by Northland Regional Council.
Climate effects of volcanoes beneath the waves
5 May 2025
Media release | Volcanoes erupting underwater have a distinctive effect on the climate that is larger and more widespread than previously thought, according to an international group led by University of Auckland and Tongan scientists.
An insurance crisis compounded by climate change threatens the broader economy
5 May 2025
One expert speaking at a forum on insurance and housing says climate change could soon mark a “death spiral” for the financial industry in parts of the country.
UK is not ready for coming climate ‘disaster,’ government advisers warn
1 May 2025
Despite increased examples of extreme weather, advisers say ‘we are seeing no increase in action’.
Fire tornadoes becoming routine due to climate change, analysts say
24 Apr 2025
Fire analysts say once-theoretical fire behaviour is now becoming routine, including fire tornadoes.
Philippines braces for extreme heat as index nears ‘danger’ level of 50C
23 Apr 2025
Nation weather agency warns heat-related illnesses more likely with prolonged exposure or outdoor activity.
Warm water affecting Antarctica’s largest ice shelf - new research
22 Apr 2025
While Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf is currently stable, new research shows warm water is reaching up to 170 kilometres under the front of the ice shelf.
Mapped: How climate change affects extreme weather around the world
22 Apr 2025
Researchers have mapped every published study on how climate change has influenced extreme weather.
NZ heritage sites join international climate programme
17 Apr 2025
Two New Zealand heritage sites are joining an international climate programme for community-led adaptation solutions designed to protect them from pressing climate threats.
New Plymouth consults on managing climate impacts
17 Apr 2025
With severe storms, coastline erosion, landslides, droughts and other extreme weather events on the rise over the past decade, New Plymouth District Council is looking at ways to manage the impacts of climate change.
Open letter warns against Seymour's Regulatory Standards Bill
Today 10:30am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A group of prominent New Zealanders are speaking out against the Regulatory Standards Bill, with top climate scientist Jim Salinger warning it will have a chilling effect on future climate change and adaptation policy.
International group urges PM to strengthen climate targets
Thu 3 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | An international group of New Zealanders working on climate change issues has written to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon warning him against weakening climate targets.
Greenwashing is rife in Australia, but could its days be numbered?
28 May 2025
COMMENT: Have you ever ticked the box to “fly carbon neutral”, had something delivered via “carbon-neutral shipping” or chosen to pay a bit extra to buy “carbon-neutral gas” from your energy retailer?
Nations agree to tax premium flyers, private jets
Wed 2 Jul 2025
A group of countries, including France, Kenya, Spain and Barbados, pledged on June 30 to tax premium-class flying and private jets in a bid to raise funds for climate action and sustainable development.
Biodiversity plan is ‘light on detail and heavy on vague intentions’
Tue 1 Jul 2025
Media Release - WWF New Zealand | The government’s plan to tackle Aotearoa New Zealand’s biodiversity crisis lacks ambition and fails to match the scale and urgency of the challenge.
Sustainability claims questioned as renewable diesel surges
14 May 2025
Critics are sceptical about industry claims of renewable diesel life-cycle greenhouse gas emission cuts and warn renewable diesel carbon releases will surge if sourcing is scaled up, triggering tropical deforestation as producers convert forests to energy crops, such as oil palm and soy.
Carbon price grinds higher - where to from now?
Mon 30 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price has continued to grind slowly higher since this month’s failed auction, with prices at their highest since March, although still languishing well below this year’s auction floor price.
EU Commission proposes allowing carbon offsets to help meet 2040 climate goal
Today 10:30am
Campaigners accuse the European Commission of adding “loopholes” and “distractions” to the 90% emissions reduction target.
Carbon auction fails again
18 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | As predicted, today’s carbon auction failed to attract any bidders, with the secondary market languishing at nearly 20% below the minimum auction price.
China's approvals of coal power plants grow after 2024 decline
11 Jun 2025
China approved 11.29 gigawatts of new coal power plants in the first three months of 2025, already exceeding the 10.34 GW approved in the first half of 2024.
A credible UN carbon market needs rules that count – we’ve just set them
11 Jun 2025
COMMENT: The broad standards for a more ambitious market are now in place. But without a steady flow of investment, this progress will remain largely on paper.
Common low-grade clay strengthens low-carbon concrete
5 Jun 2025
Media release | Engineers at RMIT University have converted low-grade clay into a high-performance cement supplement, opening a potential new market in sustainable construction materials.
Cuts to climate finance put exports in jeopardy: Lawyers
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has halved international climate finance, a move aid organisations describe as “devastating,” and which lawyers say could put our Paris Agreement commitments and export market access at risk.
Could an unexplained carbon forest sink solve govt’s billion-dollar climate woes?
23 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | A groundbreaking study shows that New Zealand’s native forests are absorbing far more carbon dioxide than previously thought.
Kiwi ‘smart panel’ startup aiming to reduce energy bills and emissions
Today 10:30am
NZ start-up Basis this week launched an ‘intelligent’ panel to replace traditional electrical switchboards in homes, which it says can save the average home $1,200 NZD annually on bills and lead to lower emissions.
Govt budgets $200m for would-be gas investors
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | Energy Resources Aotearoa has welcomed the government's plan to co-invest $200 million in fossil gas expansion, while environmental and climate groups have reacted with horror.
Latest trawl bycatch numbers 'a grim wake-up call'
24 Jun 2025
Media release – Greenpeace | The latest fisheries bycatch data paints a grim picture, with trawlers hauling up thousands of kilograms of coral and killing hundreds of fur seals and seabirds over a 12 month period.
Policymakers often ignore forest regeneration in fight against climate change
Mon 30 Jun 2025
Naturally-regenerating forests are often ignored by policymakers working to curb climate change even though they hold an untapped potential to rapidly absorb planet-warming carbon from the atmosphere.
NZ quits Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance
25 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | The New Zealand government has quietly withdrawn from an ambitious coalition to phase out fossil fuels, with a $200 million publicly-funded subsidy for new gas fields the latest policy in conflict with that goal.
Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
29 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Energy and Climate Change minister Simon Watts says the government is doubling down on efforts to boost renewable energy generation, streamline regulation, and drive private sector investment as New Zealand faces mounting energy security and affordability challenges.
Electrification challenge for politicians, regulators
27 May 2025
Rewiring Aotearoa is calling for stronger political leadership to bring its vision of a cheaper, cleaner and stronger energy system to life, with the launch of its policy manifesto today.
MethaneSAT loss ‘a tragedy’
Thu 3 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The disappearance of a methane-tracking satellite, which was backed by $29 million of government funding, is a tragic loss according to one astrophysicist, who is calling for a review to understand how New Zealand blew past multiple red flags about its operation.
Biodiversity market needs govt regulation to avoid fraud risk
17 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Participants have applauded the government’s pilot programme for New Zealand’s voluntary biodiversity market, but an expert says the emerging market needs better regulation to avoid reputational risk and fraud.
Methanex closure comes early this year
14 May 2025
The almost-now-annual closure of Methanex has come earlier this year, giving more confidence that the electricity system will get through the winter without a fuel shortfall.
Electric firebricks: decarbonising high-temperature industrial heat
13 Jun 2025
By Ian Mason | A new technology could offer a more cost-effective solution than hydrogen to decarbonise one ‘hard-to-abate’ sector of New Zealand’s economy, as well as having ample potential for demand response as the electricity grid becomes more renewable.
90% of NZers expect more extreme weather disasters because of climate change
23 Jun 2025
A new climate change poll from AMI, State, and NZI shows New Zealanders are expecting more extreme weather events as a result of climate change.
Will NZ walk away from the Paris Agreement?
20 Dec 2024
By Geoff Bertram | COMMENT: Unless the government can find very cheap offshore mitigation, the temptation to walk away from its Paris Agreement obligations may well be too strong to resist for a coalition government focused on fiscal austerity.
Rise in legal challenges over carbon credit schemes
27 Jun 2025
Scrutiny of how companies plan to meet climate commitments is growing, with many successful legal challenges.
Could ‘orange’ hydrogen be NZ’s key to net-zero?
30 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand could be sitting on resources for a thriving multi-billion-dollar, low-carbon hydrogen economy, which might even be capable of creating a net reduction of carbon dioxide, according to scientists.
Media round-up
Today 10:30am
In our weekly round-up of climate coverage in local media: Proposed changes to forestry rules won’t solve the ‘slash’ problem; New Plymouth District Council officially opposes seabed mining; and is local media coverage of climate change lacking when reporting extreme weather events?
Bill to limit farm-to-forest conversions passes first reading
27 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government's bill aiming to limit farm-to-forestry conversions in the Emissions Trading Scheme passed its first reading in Parliament this week, however concerns were raised over rushing it through under urgency, with less than two weeks allowed for public submissions.
NZ's latest climate target 'weak' – Climate Action Tracker
24 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's new international climate target to 2035 is weak, and could even allow for higher emissions than the 2030 target, according to a global scientific project that tracks government climate action.
UN talks delivered a drop in the ocean of finance and policy change needed to save the sea
27 Jun 2025
Never has the ocean been the focus of so much investor and political attention as it was in Nice earlier this month.
Brussels to stand its ground on 90% emissions cut by 2040
Wed 2 Jul 2025
The European Commission is set to propose a target to slash greenhouse gas emissions to a mere tenth of the levels seen back in 1990 – but a leaked summary confirms it will offer significant leeway as a sweetener for reluctant EU members.
Fight over coal mine heats up
30 May 2025
Forest & Bird is calling on the government to create a new scientific reserve covering the Denniston Plateau on the West Coast, which would stop a fast-tracked coal mine.
Microplastics found in sand on dozens of NZ beaches
4 Jun 2025
Scientists have extracted microplastics from the sand of 22 beaches from the Far North to Banks Peninsula.
Offshore renewable energy bill reported back
Thu 3 Jul 2025
The Offshore Renewable Energy Bill has been reported back from select committee with a few changes and the prospect of further amendment on some issues.
McClay shrugs off legal warning in push for oil and gas
Wed 2 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has dismissed legal advice warning that its plan to co-invest in oil and gas exploration could breach international treaty obligations, sparking fresh criticism from the Greens in Parliament.
Activists protest at London headquarters of global ad giant promoting fossil fuels
Thu 3 Jul 2025
The agency’s work for the fossil fuel industry has made it “complicit in causing existential harm to people and planet”, say campaigners, who are calling on WPP to drop those clients.
Straterra has a new name: the New Zealand Minerals Council
16 Apr 2025
Media release | Straterra has been renamed as New Zealand Minerals Council, says chief executive Josie Vidal.
Clean energy stocks jump after tax on solar and wind projects is removed from Trump’s big bill
Thu 3 Jul 2025
Shares of renewable energy companies are rising after a tax on solar and wind was removed from the Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Methane-detecting satellite lost in space
Wed 2 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | A multi-million dollar satellite to detect methane emissions from the oil and gas industry, financed by the New Zealand government and others including billionaire Jeff Bezos, has been lost in space.
Green budget 'ludicrous la-la land' – govt
15 May 2025
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the budget was "clown show economics" and an "absolute circus".
Biochar's negative emissions tech coming to Fieldays
6 Jun 2025
Biochar Network New Zealand will showcase its negative emissions technology biochar at this year's Forestry Hub at Fieldays 2025.
United Nations carbon market rules agreed but concerns remain
25 Nov 2024
New carbon market rules agreed at the fractious UN climate summit will be a relief to New Zealand and Singapore, who were leading the negotiations, but concerns about greenwashing and disadvantaging nature-based solutions remain.
Trump just revoked California’s EV rules. How much is California to blame?
19 Jun 2025
Before Trump overturned the state’s electric vehicle rules, California had been pushing automakers too hard, according to one of the state’s leading experts.
As methane climate impacts soar, NGOs, scientists, and advocates launch campaign to 'pull the methane emergency brake'
13 Jun 2025
Media release | International NGOs, scientists, and climate advocates are launching a global campaign calling for deep, rapid, mandatory cuts in methane emissions as the best way to lower near-term global temperature rise.
Waste Levy risks becoming ‘slush fund’ under proposed changes – Commissioner
5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Proposed changes to New Zealand's waste legislation risk undermining public trust in the waste levy scheme, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton.
NZ urgently needs to change approach to flood management - experts
Wed 2 Jul 2025
Experts say climate change is squarely to blame for flooding in Nelson - but isn’t getting the media attention it deserves - and the country urgently needs to change its approach to flood management in the face of climate change.
UN University report warns against carbon credits from REDD, tree planting, and improved forest management
13 Jun 2025
But the report stops short of recommending banning the trade in carbon temporarily stored in trees.
For the first time, China invests more in wind and solar than coal overseas
29 May 2025
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, long derided for its heavy carbon footprint, was dominated by wind and solar power projects for the first time from 2022 to 2023, according to a new analysis. But coal plants financed in earlier years are still coming online.
