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Fiona Harvey, The Guardian
Nearly 50 million people are likely to be “pushed into acute hunger” before the end of 2027 by the weather system, according to forecasting by the UN World Food Programme covered by the Guardian. The newspaper explains that the impacts and strength of this El Niño “are being strongly affected by the climate crisis”. It adds: “Earlier this year, experts said a strong El Niño could work in tandem with global heating to deliver the hottest year on record either this year or, more likely, in 2027.” says that this El Niño, which is expected to be the strongest in more than 70 years, is set to drive the sharpest rises in food insecurity across Latin America and the Caribbean. explains that current forecasts “point to rainfall deficits in parts of east Africa, the Sahel, Central America and the Caribbean, while flood risks could rise in Somalia and neighbouring areas”.
Hyung-Jin Kim and Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press
There is a “record heatwave” in north-east Asia, with temperatures in South Korea’s densely populated capital, Seoul, and the surrounding areas reaching 39C, according to the Associated Press. The news outlet says North Korean authorities have issued a heatwave advisory in many areas and the Japanese government has announced a heat stroke alert for most of the west and south of the nation. Reuters reports that South Korean president Lee Jae Myung has ordered an “all-out response” to the heat, telling a heatwave response meeting that “conditions once seen only in foreign news reports have now become our reality”. The Korean Herald says Lee also noted that the country is “effectively in the midst of a nationwide climate disaster”, instructing all agencies to act so that the public could see and feel the government’s efforts on the ground. BBC News reports that “at least” 19 people have died due to the heat in South Korea.
MORE ON EXTREME HEAT
Austria and neighbouring Slovakia have set new temperature records – both over 41C – as a “sweltering heatwave batters central Europe”, reports Agence France-Presse. Italy is placing all of its 27 major cities under the highest heat alert as “the fourth heatwave to hit the country this summer intensifies”, reports the Guardian. Wildfires have forced evacuations in Albania, Hungarians have been forced to curb power use and water levels on the Rhine have reached record lows amid the heatwave, according to Reuters. The Daily Express says dry, hot weather “is turning into an expensive headache for homeowners”, with the Association of British Insurers reporting rising insurance claims for subsidence in homes. On the hottest days, thinner air can make it harder for aircraft to get off the ground safely and “researchers say human-caused climate change could make such disruptions more common”, according to the Associated Press. In France, energy company EDF plans to spend €9bn to adapt its power plants to drought and heatwaves, according to Le Monde. The Financial Times reports that “Greece is testing whether a new fleet of thermal satellites can give firefighters earlier warning and a clearer view of the blazes that are becoming harder to contain in a warming climate”.
Gaye Taylor, The Energy Mix
Climate change made the extreme fire-weather conditions behind this summer’s Canadian wildfires in Ontario and the Northwest Territories roughly twice as likely to occur, according to a new attribution study from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group, covered by the Energy Mix. The article includes a quote from UN climate chief Simon Stiell, who said: “The world must move much faster away from polluting fossil fuels and towards clean energy, while protecting communities already living with the worst impacts, including the Indigenous communities on the front lines of these fires.” Eos notes that, in a warming world, “such fires are expected to occur every two to six years in the Northwest Territories and every six to 15 years in Ontario”. The Associated Press notes that US president Donald Trump was “angered” by the smoke from the fires and blamed Canadian authorities for “mismanagement”. Pointing to the role played by climate change, the news outlet says “Canadian climate and fire scientists said Trump doesn’t understand the root causes”. Bloomberg has an article on “how climate change is priming more of the world to burn”.
Liz Lee and Farah Master, Reuters
Heatwaves have driven a “rapid increase” in electricity demand, pushing electricity loads to record highs across northern, north-eastern and eastern China, according to the country’s main grid operator State Grid, as “soaring temperatures boosted air-conditioning use”, reports Reuters. China’s Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Emergency Management have allocated 330m yuan ($48.9m) to support emergency rescue and disaster relief efforts in eight provinces following heavy rainfalls across the country, reports state news agency Xinhua. The country’s top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission, has allocated 50m yuan ($7.4m) to support “post-flood recovery efforts” in Shaanxi province, according to Xinhua. A third Xinhua article says China’s average temperature in July was 1.3C above the seasonal norm, making it the second-hottest July on record.
MORE ON CHINA
The US is preparing to “set a price floor and impose tariffs on polysilicon and related products” to counter China in the solar sector, reports Reuters. People’s Daily has published an article under the byline “Zhong Sheng” – indicating the party leadership’s view on international affairs – saying that the US is undermining the global “green transition” by “artificially fragmenting the market and creating technological barriers”. China’s new “five-year plan” for the development of the meteorological observation system aims to raise its “meteorological disaster” monitoring rate to 85% by 2030, reports Xinhua. Reuters reports that China has further relaxed limits on refined fuel exports for a second month in August. A new report by the NEA says “green fuels” can help reduce emissions and expand the non-power use of renewable energy, says BJX News. China’s three major state-owned oil and gas companies have all undergone “senior management reshuffles” since 2025 amid the “accelerating” energy transition, says Jiemian.
Timothy Cama and Liz Crampton, Politico
Progressive candidates calling for “tough crackdowns” on data centres have won US primaries in the states of Michigan and Kansas, according to Politico. The article says this could intensify “the split within the Democratic Party over the right approach to regulate the industry”. The article quotes Aru Shiney-Ajay, executive director of the Sunrise Movement campaign group, who says the salience of data-centre opposition could drive broader activism on climate change in the US. The Guardian reports that one of the candidates, William Lawrence – who won the Democratic primary in Michigan’s seventh congressional district – is also a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement. The New York Times describes Lawrence’s win as a “victory for the party’s progressive wing in a district pivotal for the fight to control Congress”.
MORE ON US
“Downsizing” at the US Federal Emergency Management Agency during the second Trump administration has “imperiled its response to disasters”, according to a report from the US Government Accountability Office, covered by Inside Climate News. An article by climate scientists in Climate Cafe explores “how climate-driven wildfires have become system-wide risks for the US”. Al Jazeera reports that Puerto Rico has announced it will implement water rationing measures in major cities “as a drought grips the US territory with no relief in sight”. CNN reports on Trump complaining that oil majors are “making too much money” amid the on-going conflict in the Middle East. Politico reports that oil industry executives and White House officials “are making a renewed push to head off any move by the administration to curb US petroleum exports”.
Anna Gross, Attracta Mooney and Malcolm Moore, Financial Times
Green party leader Zack Polanski has called for oil companies in the UK to be taxed more to fund wildfire prevention and help tackle “the climate crisis and climate adaptation”, reports the Financial Times. The newspaper notes that this comes as oil companies, such as Shell and BP, announce “bumper profits during the Iran war”. The Daily Telegraph quotes Polanski saying that levies on these companies’ “excess profits” should be increased to support a better-equipped fire service, including more firefighting helicopters. The Press Association reports that the Green leader also took aim at the Labour government, saying that new prime minister Andy Burnham should “be truthful, be brave” and block new drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea. According to BBC News, Polanski also accused Labour of a "dereliction of duty" amid this summer's heatwaves, describing their threat to public health and food supplies as the "biggest threat to this country since the Second World War".
MORE ON UK
Health secretary Yvette Cooper has warned the NHS to prepare for annual summer crises caused by extreme heat with the same pressures as winter, according to the Guardian. After meeting his US counterpart Marco Rubio, UK foreign secretary Ed Miliband is meeting World Bank president Ajay Banga “to discuss development, climate change and strengthening global resilience”, according to the Press Association. UK battery-electric vehicle sales have risen 44.5% year-on-year to a record 43,106 in July, “amid high petrol prices, manufacturer discounts and government incentives”, reports the Times. The Financial Times reports on the “one climate issue uniting Greens and Reform” in local councils across Kent – namely, opposition to new solar farms. The Daily Telegraph reports that “two net-zero tycoons have criticised the National Energy System Operator after being told their projects must wait more than a decade to be connected to the grid”. The Guardian asks: “Which UK public services are struggling in hot weather?”
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