Topics tagged with 'Extreme weather'
We recreated the legendary heatwave summer of 1976 in today’s climate – here’s what we found
25 Jun 2026
The summer of 1976 was an extraordinary heatwave for its time. With 15 consecutive days of temperatures over 32°C, it was an unprecedented length for a UK heatwave, coming at the end of a year-long drought.
Scrutiny week reveals unresolved trade-offs
24 Jun 2026
Last week's select committee scrutiny hearings showed how far the Government's energy and environment agenda has moved from target-setting to implementation. They also showed how many unresolved trade-offs now sit beneath that shift.
UK heatwave: 40C in June must be wake-up call on climate crisis, scientists warn
24 Jun 2026
Scientists are warning that politicians are failing to appreciate the magnitude of the climate crisis after the Met Office forecast that temperatures in the UK could hit 40C for just the second time since records began.
Waikato Council advances water security action plan
23 Jun 2026
Waikato Regional Council has endorsed a new action plan to strengthen the region’s water security.
Half of France under red heat alert as alcohol banned at street music festival
23 Jun 2026
France has issued red heatwave alerts for around half the country including Paris for Monday as a heatwave pushes temperatures towards record levels.
Forest owners call for wider FENZ review as funding changes considered
22 Jun 2026
Media release - Forest Owners Association | The Government’s review of how Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) is funded should be accompanied by a wider examination of whether FENZ is delivering for rural communities, forest owners say.
UN food agencies seek $202 million to shield 8.8 million people from El Niño
22 Jun 2026
The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Programme on Thursday appealed for $202 million to help protect 8.8 million people across 22 high-risk countries from the looming El Niño weather pattern.
Record-breaking heat expected across UK this week, says Met Office
22 Jun 2026
The Met Office forecasts that extremely high temperatures could last from Monday until Thursday, leading to health concerns for elderly and vulnerable people.
Govt removes health and life insurers from disclosure regime
19 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Health and life insurers are set to be removed from New Zealand's climate-related disclosure regime, with the Government arguing the sector is not directly exposed to climate risks, a claim disputed by a sustainability expert.
Media round-up
19 Jun 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The Government is set to quietly scrap a looming ban on coal boilers; some South Dunedin homes may be relocated as climate risks increase; and more details emerge about the handling of documents linked to the undisclosed climate case briefing.
Asia warming nearly twice as fast as before
19 Jun 2026
A new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) highlights record ocean heat, accelerating glacier loss and a series of extreme weather events causing significant human and economic losses across Asia.
The merchants of doubt are coming for extreme event attribution science
18 Jun 2026
Andrew Dessler: Fossil-fuel companies are acutely aware that this research could land them in court. And losing those cases would leave them legally liable for billions of dollars in climate damages.
Australia declares El Nino set to be strongest in decades
17 Jun 2026
Australia's weather bureau warned on Tuesday that an El Nino weather pattern has formed in the tropical Pacific and could intensify in the second half of 2026 to become one of the strongest in seven decades.
El Niño under way and threatens weather extremes, scientists say
15 Jun 2026
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has declared that El Niño conditions are now under way in the tropical Pacific, with sea surface temperatures having risen sharply in recent months.
China warns of risk of 'extreme floods' in desert regions
15 Jun 2026
China warned communities in its northwestern Xinjiang and nearby regions on Friday to prepare for "extreme floods" this summer, driven by abnormally high temperatures, heavy rainfall, and rapid glacier melt.
Lower Hutt among five cities in global climate risk initiative
12 Jun 2026
By Justin Wong, Local Democracy Reporter | Lower Hutt is one of five cities around the world picked for a global climate project to help vulnerable people respond to extreme climate risks.
Coastal inundation enquiries increase on the West Coast
12 Jun 2026
By Vihan Dalal, Local Democracy Reporter | The West Coast Regional Council is seeing more inquiries about coastal inundation. A report tabled at the Environmental Management Committee meeting last week showed coastal inundation was the second-most common inquiry received by the council after flooding.
Media round-up
12 Jun 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: A legal expert labels the government's climate law change "constitutionally abhorrent", the first critical minerals project has applied for fast-track, and warming winters are changing New Zealand’s landscapes.
Communities need to prepare for increased landslide risk
12 Jun 2026
Media release: Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha University of Canterbury | New UC-led research shows where future Cyclone Gabrielle-like storms could cause more landslides and how communities can reduce the risk.
Once-in-a-century floods routine as sea levels rise due to climate change
11 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A coastal flood expected to occur just once every 100 years is now hitting Wellington about twice a year, according to new international research that scientists say offers clear evidence of how climate change is already reshaping New Zealand's coastline.
'Ad hoc, piecemeal, incomplete': NZ's approach to hazards not fit for purpose, says insurer
10 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's ability to manage natural hazard risks is failing to keep pace with the growing threat posed by floods, storms, earthquakes and climate change, according to a new report from IAG.
‘That’s a bad combination’: why Australia may be in for a slushy snow season
9 Jun 2026
Snow arrives in time for the start of ski season, but climate change and El Niño mean it may not stick around for long, experts say.
Seven ‘new approaches’ to avoid our Paris commitments: Carr
4 Jun 2026
Praying for “new approaches” to materialise to meet our international climate obligations isn’t a strategy, writes Rod Carr.
Marae-based climate projects announced while future funding cut
4 Jun 2026
The Government has announced two more marae-based projects will benefit from the Māori Climate Platform, while quietly cutting funding for the initiative in last week’s budget.
Prepare for imminent return of El Niño, UN warns
4 Jun 2026
The world must prepare for the imminent return of El Niño and the supercharged weather extremes it brings, the UN has warned.
Farmer's plea to council: Let us help unblock roads after severe weather
3 Jun 2026
A Central Hawke’s Bay farmer says it’s time for a conversation about allowing skilled and properly equipped locals to help councils clear debris and reopen roads after severe weather events.
One day of extreme heat tied to 3,400 excess deaths in India, nearly 30,000 over five days
3 Jun 2026
A day of extreme heat is associated with an estimated 3,400 excess deaths across India, while a heatwave lasting five consecutive days could lead to nearly 30,000 additional deaths, according to a new study.
Record-breaking heat and dry spring leave parts of England without water
2 Jun 2026
Thousands of households in southeast England were left without water or facing low pressure during a record-breaking heatwave this week, as high demand followed a dry spring to expose the failings in Britain's ageing infrastructure.
Climate takes back seat in Budget 2026
29 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate change featured only lightly in Budget 2026, with most climate-related spending focused on resilience and disaster recovery rather than emissions reduction, while the Government again left out any updated estimate of the cost of meeting New Zealand’s Paris Agreement obligations.
Westport climate case study highlights need for national adaptation support
29 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A new Climate Change Commission case study on climate adaptation in Westport has highlighted growing concerns about flooding, climate resilience, and the psychological toll of repeated extreme weather events, with residents and councils calling for clearer national direction and greater funding support.
World almost certain to endure record hot year by 2030, UN warns
29 May 2026
A record-breaking hot year is almost certain by 2030 as the climate crisis intensifies, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization has warned.
Europe heatwave 'brutal reminder' of climate change: UN
28 May 2026
The UN climate chief said Wednesday that a record-breaking early heatwave scorching a swathe of western Europe was "a brutal reminder of the spiraling impacts of the climate crisis".
Why temperature records are being not only broken but smashed
27 May 2026
Scientists have little doubt that human-caused climate change – largely the result of the burning of coal, oil and gas – has supercharged the heat.
FMA urges sharper focus on climate risk disclosures
26 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand companies are making steady progress in climate-related financial disclosures, but the Financial Markets Authority says many organisations still need to provide clearer and more robust reporting on physical climate risks and their potential business impacts.
How do hurricanes and typhoons form and is climate change making them stronger?
25 May 2026
Rising temperatures mean that hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones have the potential to bring stronger winds and heavier rain – and scientists warn it only takes one strong storm to bring major impacts.
Are hailstones getting bigger due to climate change?
21 May 2026
Scientific studies suggest that a warmer climate does not necessarily lead to more frequent hail, but rather to more severe hailstorms with larger hailstones.
At least 21 killed as heavy rains drench southern, central China
21 May 2026
Torrential rain continued across southern and central China on Tuesday with at least 21 people killed in widespread flooding that also closed schools and businesses, and disrupted transport and power supplies, authorities said.
Māori climate risk worsened by colonisation, report finds
20 May 2026
A sweeping national climate assessment argues that exclusion from decision-making has amplified Indigenous vulnerability to floods, storms, and erosion.
Future big droughts may be worse than we think – NZ’s past shows why
18 May 2026
By Adam Brown, University of Waikato; Dave Frame, University of Canterbury, and Luke Harrington, University of Waikato | For an agricultural nation like New Zealand, severe drought is one of the most ominous consequences of a warming planet.
Labour condemns Govt plan to stop climate litigation
15 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Labour Party has slammed the Government’s move to block climate lawsuits against big emitters but won’t say if they would repeal the legislation if elected in November.
Media round-up
15 May 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The government's move to change climate law removes a key protection for NZ citizens, farmers should be paid to use methane-busting tools, and it's one step forward, three steps back on environment policy.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
Move to block lawsuits could strengthen climate case against Govt
14 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s plan to block climate lawsuits – while potentially fatal for one groundbreaking climate case – could actually bolster claims in another live climate case underway against the Government.
Combined climate extremes may prompt carbon budget rethink
14 May 2026
Media release: Springer Nature | Combined extreme climate events are likely to become more common in the future if carbon emissions continue to rise, a paper in Nature suggests.
Risk of drought in UK grows after unusually dry start to spring
14 May 2026
The risk of drought is rising after an unusually dry start to spring has pushed river flow, groundwater and reservoir stores below normal levels across much of the country, especially in central and southern England.
Scientists warn El Niño could intensify climate extremes in 2026
13 May 2026
Climatologists say a particularly powerful weather pattern could amplify wildfire risk, heatwaves and flooding worldwide as global temperatures continue to rise.
Govt moves to block climate change litigation
12 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s move to limit lawsuits holding climate polluters accountable for damage is putting the interests of big emitters ahead of communities, according to Lawyers for Climate Action.
Call for cross-party agreement on climate risks as NZ stuck in costly disaster cycle
8 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | An expert is calling for cross-party ministerial appointments and lasting bipartisan agreement about how to act on significant climate risks the country is facing, in response to the Climate Change Commission’s latest report.
‘Point of no return’: New Orleans relocation must start now due to sea level, study finds
8 May 2026
The process of relocating people from New Orleans should start immediately, as the city has reached a “point of no return” that will see it surrounded by the ocean within decades due to the climate crisis, a stark new study has concluded.
Climate change driving rising stroke risk, experts warn
7 May 2026
Climate change is increasing the risk of stroke and related deaths, with extreme heat and other environmental factors posing growing threats to brain health, says Professor Anna Ranta of the University of Otago.