Dozens injured and thousands evacuated in Croatia wildfire

 

by Zahra Fatima

 

At least one person has died and around 40 others have been injured after a severe wildfire tore through cities on Croatia's coastline overnight into Friday.

The blaze broke out near the village of Lokva Rogoznica on Thursday evening, and spread quickly towards the nearby tourist town of Omis, 6km (seven miles) away.

Around 1,200 residents and tourists were evacuated, while 10 people were in intensive care in hospital, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said. Croatia's fire chief Slavko Tucakovic described it as "one of the worst" blazes in the country's history.

Croatia is one of several European nations suffering devastating wildfires during a summer of extreme heat and dry conditions.

Villages near the Adriatic city of Split were struck by the blaze, which coursed through pine forest-lined hillside, causing extensive damage to homes and cars.

Tucakovic said the firestorm burned through "everything in their path" as officials confirmed flames, fanned by strong winds, engulfed 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) in just four hours.

More than 300 firefighters were deployed overnight on Thursday, with crews sometimes forced to retreat as the fire advanced.

Footage shared online shows thick smoke and huge flames tearing through surrounding vegetation, turning the sky red, as stranded residents and tourists looked on.

 Some people were forced to jump into the sea from boats to escape the fire.

 

The wildfire has been described as "one of the worst" in the Croatia's history

 

Emergency shelters were opened in several towns along the coast, as evacuations continued through the night.

On Friday, officials confirmed that a body had been discovered in a burnt-out area as emergency services continued searching affected zones.

Later on Friday, Plenkovic visited the affected area, telling reporters there that the fire had spread at "lightning speed" and with "gale-force winds", adding that what firefighters had managed to save was "truly a miracle".

The commander of Omis Volunteer Fire Department, Viseslav Pesic, told Reuters that the blaze was so intense that people had abandoned vehicles "directly in the fire zone", making it difficult for emergency crews to pass through.

Bystanders watch as a wooden area is engulfed in flames during a raging wildfire near the town of Omis

Firefighters across Europe have been facing intense pressure and a strain on resources as serious wildfires continue to rage across the continent, fuelled by extreme heatwaves.

In Agios Vasileios in Greece, more than 200 people were evacuated by boat from a beach resort after wildfires raged across the country, while more than 500 residents were forced to leave their homes because of a fire in the south-western Landes region of France, near to an area already devastated by wildfires.

More than 2,000 people were also evacuated from the village of Gey in western Germany after a forest fire spread towards a village near the Belgian border.

Meanwhile, an emergency wildfire alert was sent to millions of people in England and Wales on Friday, warning of the "very high risk" of wildfires nationally, as firefighters continue to battle multiple blazes in the West Midlands.

Mudança climática já causa prejuízos para economia da Europa

 

Colheitas como a do girassol já registram prejuízos com ondas de calor e seca, reforçadas pelo aquecimento global

by  Redação DW

 Calor recorde e seca tiveram impacto sobre produção de energia, transporte fluvial e saúde pública. Clima pressiona PIBs da região, que deve enfrentar queda no crescimento.

 

As temperaturas extremas dos últimos dois meses na Europa, durante o verão no Hemisfério Norte, já deixam à mostra o potencial impacto econômico das mudanças climáticas. 

A seca e o calor recorde – ambos exacerbados pelo aquecimento global, apontam os cientistas – causaram prejuízo na produção de energia, no transporte fluvial e na saúde pública sobrecarregada, enquanto a atual temporada de incêndios florestais caminha para se tornar a maior já registrada no continente.

No total, a repercussão sobre a economia da região já pode ser medida em centenas de bilhões de euros, estimam economistas e acadêmicos. Eles alertam que os custos deverão subir ainda mais rápido do que os termômetros na Europa, onde o clima está mudando a passos mais rápidos do que no resto do mundo.

A Europa Ocidental registrou os meses de junho e julho mais quentes já observados, com temperatura média de 21,62 °C , informou nesta segunda-feira o Serviço de Mudanças Climáticas Copernicus, da União Europeia (UE). O número ficou 2,79 °C acima da média de junho do período entre 1991 e 2020.

"O que torna 2026 particularmente preocupante do ponto de vista econômico é o fato de haver múltiplos episódios de eventos extremos", disse a economista Sehrish Usman, da Universidade de Mannheim.

A previsão dos economistas é que os danos provavelmente superarão todos os níveis anteriores. Os prejuízos a setores específicos se capilarizam ao pressionar as finanças públicas, provocar fortes oscilações na inflação, redesenhar o mapa do turismo e forçar a Europa a repensar a forma como produz energia e transporta mercadorias.

Pressão sobre PIBs 

Assim como em junho e em parte de maio, as condições em julho foram mais secas do que a média em muitas regiões da Europa. Áreas da Península Ibérica, França, Alemanha, Áustria, Hungria e Reino Unido foram particularmente afetados, segundo o Copernicus. 

A navegação nos rios Reno e Danúbio, artérias fundamentais para o transporte de cargas, está severamente limitada devido ao baixo nível das águas. Mais de meia dúzia de reatores nucleares tiveram suas operações interrompidas ou reduzidas por dificuldades de resfriamento, também em razão da seca.

A paralisação do transporte no Reno, por si só, reduzirá o Produto Interno Bruto (PIB) da Alemanha, terceira maior economia do mundo, em 0,3 ponto percentual neste ano, estimou o banco ING. Já o MBH Bank, da Hungria, calcula um impacto de 0,1 ponto percentual no PIB para cada semana em que a maior usina nuclear do país permanecer fora de operação.

As estimativas para a produção agrícola, enquanto isso, foram revisadas para baixo. As culturas colhidas mais tarde no verão, como milho e girassol, já registraram perdas de 6% a 7% em julho.

A umidade da camada superficial do solo na Europa Ocidental em julho ficou significativamente abaixo dos níveis observados durante julho de 2022, quando o continente também enfrentou uma seca severa.

"À medida que os solos secam, eles perdem sua capacidade de proporcionar resfriamento natural, permitindo que o calor se acumule com mais facilidade", afirma Samantha Burgess, do Copernicus. "Este é um exemplo claro de como as mudanças climáticas estão intensificando os episódios de calor extremo, com calor e seca reforçando-se mutuamente de forma cada vez mais frequente."

 

Queda do crescimento

Ao mesmo tempo, os custos das ações emergenciais, como o combate a incêndios ou a redução do consumo de energia, pressionam orçamentos públicos. O calor intenso pressiona também a saúde pública: somente a Alemanha registrou mais de 10 mil mortes relacionadas às altas temperaturas.

Apenas a onda de calor de duas semanas registrada em junho – houve quatro ondas de calor excepcionais desde a primavera, segundo o Copernicus – reduzirá o PIB da Europa em 0,3 ponto percentual, previu, por sua vez, a seguradora alemã Allianz. Além disso, as mudanças climáticas devem cortar entre 5% e 7% do crescimento econômico até 2030 nas economias mais expostas, como Espanha, França e Itália.

"A conta total deste ano será muito maior", aponta Hazem Krichene, economista da Allianz. "Esse número não inclui os incêndios, as secas, diferentes episódios de enchentes ou o esperado fenômeno El Niño."

Considerando que a zona do euro deve crescer apenas 1% neste ano, o impacto é significativo. Ainda assim, a extensão completa dos danos econômicos só será sentida vários anos depois, segundo Usman.

"Seria de se esperar que os danos fossem maiores no ano em que ocorre um evento extremo e depois diminuíssem, mas encontramos justamente o contrário", afirmou. "O impacto econômico cresce nos anos seguintes porque os eventos climáticos extremos desencadeiam uma série de consequências econômicas mais lentas."

Impactos maiores no Sul

O Sul da Europa pode sofrer os maiores impactos, já que os picos de temperatura são mais intensos nessa região, reduzindo receitas do turismo, agravando perdas agrícolas e estimulando a migração para outras áreas.

"Você consegue imaginar turistas caminhando pelo sul da Itália ou da Espanha com 45 °C? Eu não. Por isso, acredito que a natureza do turismo vai mudar", disse o economista Carsten Brzeski, do ING.

Calor extremo poderá impactar negativamente o turismo de verão nos países do Sul da Europa, que movimenta a economia regionalFoto: Francesco Fotia/Avalon/Photoshot/picture alliance

Segundo os especialistas, os países do Sul poderão receber mais turistas ao longo de todo o ano. Mas os picos de verão devem diminuir à medida que viajantes optem por destinos mais ao norte, afetando o setor de hospedagem e turismo da região.

Os eventos climáticos extremos deverão também aumentar o preço dos alimentos, complicando ainda mais a tarefa do Banco Central Europeu (BCE) de manter a inflação na meta. A tendência é que as áreas mais quentes sejam as mais impactadas.

Segundo estimativas de Maximilian Kotz, pesquisador do Barcelona Supercomputing Center, o calor extremo de 2022 elevou a inflação da zona do euro em 0,34 ponto percentual por meio do aumento dos preços dos alimentos, com impacto desproporcional sobre os países do sul.

Ao mesmo tempo, a interrupção do transporte fluvial dificulta o abastecimento de combustíveis em partes da Europa, ampliando as diferenças regionais de preços.

Risco de endividamento público

A Allizanz estima ainda que a redução anual de receitas tributárias causada pela perda de atividade econômica pode chegar a 1,8% na França e a 1,3% na Itália e na Espanha. 

As margens de lucro das empresas também devem diminuir, reduzindo investimentos e ampliando as perdas econômicas. Ao mesmo tempo, os custos aumentam, tanto porque os governos precisam financiar respostas emergenciais quanto porque precisam investir em medidas de adaptação, como tornar mais resilientes a geração de energia e as rotas de transporte.

"Uma preocupação central é que os países ainda dependem excessivamente de respostas emergenciais improvisadas, que são caras e frequentemente pouco eficientes", afirma Heather Grabbe, pesquisadora sênior do centro de estudos Bruegel.

Mas os investidores podem reagir negativamente caso os governos tentem ampliar os gastos. Os níveis de endividamento já são elevados, especialmente na França e na Itália.

"Com uma lista tão longa de necessidades de gastos, a tendência será de aumento do endividamento público", disse Brzeski. "Isso poderá significar pressão sobre o BCE para intervir novamente e ampliar os programas de compra de ativos caso ocorra uma venda repentina de títulos nos mercados."

O BCE, ao longo da última década comprou trilhões de euros em títulos da dívida pública para manter baixos os custos de financiamento quando a inflação estava abaixo da meta.

ht/cn (Reuters, dpa)

New Colorado River plan will require steep cuts for three states as reservoirs tumble to new lows

A person stands at an overlook near Lake Powell's Wahweap Marina on July 14. John Locher/AP

by  Laura Paddison

 

California, Arizona and Nevada will be required to slash their water use from the drought-stricken Colorado River by 16 to 20% through 2028, under a federal plan set to be released in the next few days, according to a senior state water official.

But some fear it won’t be enough to save the lifeblood water basin as vital reservoirs plummet toward record lows.

The cuts will mark the latest stage of a long-running effort to figure out how seven basin states should share the depleted water of the Colorado River. They’re coming after years of fraught negotiations between the states have not managed to produce a deal, as the river system spirals further into crisis.

On Friday, the US Bureau of Reclamation published its final environmental impact statement, a 10-year operating framework for the waterway under which the lower basin states of California, Arizona and Nevada could face collective cuts of up to 3 million acre feet per year — enough water to supply roughly 9 million average US families. 

 “This framework provides the flexibility to respond to changing hydrologic conditions while preserving the opportunity for the Basin States to continue working toward durable, consensus-based solutions,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in a statement Friday.

 The framework provides for specific operating plans to be developed every two years. Federal officials are expected to publish the first of these in the coming days, which will specify the exact cuts required of states through 2028 — anticipated to be around 20% for the lower basin. The upper basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are not expected to face mandatory cuts. 

Farms are seen in Yuma, Arizona, in April 2023. Will Lanzoni/CNN

 

The Colorado River is the lifeblood of the Southwest. It irrigates more than 5 million acres of farmland, generates enough electricity to power around 700,000 homes and provides water for 40 million people. However, it has shrunk dramatically over the past 25 years after years of heavy use and as climate change delivers hotter, drier weather and dwindling snow. Today, 95% of the basin is in drought.

The combined water level in Lake Powell and Lake Mead — the most important Colorado River reservoirs and two of the biggest in the United States — fell to a historic low last week. 

 Colorado River water is divided between states under the 1922 Colorado River compact, which allots 7.5 million acre-feet of water yearly for the four upper basin states and another 7.5 million for the three in the lower basin. But as water levels dwindle, states have been trying to work out how to get by with less. 

 The lower basin states have historically used the most water, primarily to support their vast farms and booming cities. Over the past few years, the three states have proposed cuts in their water use but want the upper basin states to share in the pain

A boat cruises near Sentinel Island in Lake Mead on July 25.en the seven states on water rights and usage. Ethan Miller/Getty Images

A formerly floating buoy sits high and dry in Lake Powell on July 15. John Locher/AP

People ride a golf cart beneath a protruding dock that was used during higher water levels at Lake Powell's Antelope Point Marina on July 14. John Locher/AP

 The upper basin states — which, unlike the lower basin states, cannot be compelled by federal authorities to cut their water use — have resisted mandatory cuts, arguing that climate change has reduced water availability and the cuts should be shouldered by the more water-intensive states

 

The current agreement governing the operation and management of the Colorado River, which came into force in 2007, expires this year and a February federal deadline for the states to reach a new agreement came and went with no deal.

Experts fear the current plan won’t be enough as the water crisis deepens. Last winter was one of the driest, warmest winters on record for the western US, leaving the region in a snow drought

 Lake Mead appears on track to tumble to its lowest level on record as early as next week, and Lake Powell may do so next month. Lake Powell could potentially fall so low by spring 2027 that it reaches “minimum power pool” level, meaning its dam will no longer be able to generate hydropower, according to a July report from the Bureau of Reclamation.

 

There are fears that the issue may end up the subject of lengthy and expensive court battles. Arizona in particular has been rattling the litigation saber. The state is likely to get saddled with the steepest cuts during times of shortage due to a deal it made in the 1960s, but its needs are huge to feed sprawling farms and industry.

The new framework “does nothing to elevate expectations around a coherent seven-state plan for shared sacrifice,” the Arizona Department of Water Resources said in a statement Friday, saying the reductions proposed “would devastate Arizona’s water users and its economy.”

States will still be able to carry on negotiations in the meantime, and any agreement could supplant the federal plan. 

‘Stop all outdoor activities’: South Korea records its highest ever temperature

Women use portable fans to cool off at the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul in July. South Korea has recorded its hottest temperature and issued a heat alert. Photograph: Jade Gao/AFP/Getty Images

By Mark Saunokonoko

 Authorities issue alert saying indoor spaces without airconditioning are ‘dangerous’ as temperatures pass 40C for fifth straight day 

South Korea has registered its highest temperature since records began more than a century ago, as authorities warned people to “immediately” stop all outdoor activities in affected areas.

The south-eastern city of Yangsan saw the temperature reach 42.5C on Sunday afternoon, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said, the highest temperature reported since modern weather observation began in 1904.

Yangsan has been the centre of an ongoing heatwave, where temperatures exceeded 40C for a fifth consecutive day on Sunday, while many other cities including Daegu and Busan are seeing temperatures climb into the high 30s.

 

People gathered in airconditioned shopping malls or cafes to escape the blistering temperatures. Others sought relief under mist-spray zones set up in Seoul. Ju Dong-yeol, 27, took refuge from the heat in a Starbucks in the South Korean capital, along with his parents and told AFP “it is too hot to be outside doing anything”.

“I can’t think of anything else to do other than stay in airconditioned places like home, shopping malls and cafes,” the office worker said.

 

The city of Gyeongju, about 240km south-east of Seoul, reached 40.3C on Sunday, its highest recorded temperature in eight years.

North Korea has also faced punishing heat, with temperatures soaring as high as 40C in some regions, state media reported on Monday. Residents in Pyongyang have endured a week of nights where the temperature has not dropped below 25C.

More than 20 localities in South Korea were under emergency heatwave alerts on Sunday – a new warning category introduced this year to better address rising temperatures. An emergency alert is issued when areas experiencing a heatwave are forecast to hit perceived temperatures of 38C or an actual temperature of 39C for the day.

Workers harvest strawberries under parasols to protect against the scorching sun in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Photograph: YONHAP/EPA

 

Issuing a heat warning, the weather agency urged people to “immediately stop all outdoor activities”, adding that “indoor spaces without air conditioning are dangerous”.

“Move immediately to a cool place, such as a designated cooling centre or a shaded area, and stay hydrated while resting,” it advised.

Fearing for those people most vulnerable to heat, the prime minister, Han Seong-sook, ordered local officials to strengthen safety checks on residents and to ensure a stable power and water supply was maintained.

Easterly winds are expected to push the extreme heat further inland on Monday, with Seoul forecast to reach 37C. “Temperatures in South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang are expected to exceed 39C, bringing extreme heat at life-threatening levels,” the KMA said.

People stand in a mist-spraying zone to cool off on a street in Seoul. Photograph: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images

 

Officials are also monitoring Typhoon Dolphin, which is now tracking towards China’s south-east coastal regions, south of the Korean peninsula, and could dictate how long the stifling heat persists.

If the typhoon moves towards eastern China, it could increase humidity and potentially worsening the heatwave and tropical nights in Korea, the KMA said. But a path closer to the south of the peninsula could bring stronger winds, greater cloud cover and rain, temporarily easing the heat.

KMA data show the average annual number of heatwave days in the country has more than doubled to 19 in the past five years.

A heatwave day is defined as one with a maximum temperature of at least 33C.

South Korea’s professional baseball league was forced to cancel one game in Changwon after the city’s temperature climbed to 39.5C, marking the second consecutive game cancellation in the city.

“The decision was made with the safety and health of spectators and players as the top priority, as a severe heatwave warning remains in effect for the Changwon area,” said the Korea Baseball Organization in a statement.

Scientists warn that extreme weather events such as heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of human-induced climate change.

Adding to the extreme weather is the return this year of El Niño – a natural climate phenomenon that warms Pacific Ocean surface temperatures and typically occurs every two to seven years.

With Agence France-Presse

Dead trees and searing-hot benches: Rome’s multimillion-dollar cooling piazza shows the challenges of brutal heat

Tourists shield themselves from the sun near the Pantheon in Rome on July 10, 2026. Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images

by  Barbie Latza Nadeau

  

Rome — 

The new trees meant to provide much-needed shade in Rome’s Piazza Risorgimento were burnt to a crisp. Benches in dark plastic and wood were searingly hot. Several of the large flower pots had been gutted of their foliage entirely. The bushes lining the entrance were a burnt orange color.

This park, under the shadow of St. Peter’s Basilica, was supposed to be a green oasis for tourists and locals alike, but when CNN visited earlier this week it looked parched.

The central square was revamped in 2024 with a 14 million euro ($16 million) budget as part of the preparations for the Vatican’s Holy Jubilee — 4 million euros ($4.6 million) of which went toward the plan’s lush green trees, fountains, ample seating around the square and removal of pavement. But extreme heat, coupled with insufficient irrigation, has led to dead trees, no shade, and seating too hot to sit on.

The city of Rome says it will replace the trees and upgrade the irrigation system. Some of the dead foliage has been cut down in preparation for the new trees’ arrival.

“We are constantly learning how to deal with the changing weather,” Edoardo Zanchini, director of the city of Rome’s Climate Office, told CNN, admitting that the revamped piazza should have been planted with different trees. “We have to constantly think about who is in the city at the hottest time of the year — the elderly and young, the tourists and residents.” 

Withered trees in Piazza Risorgimento, Rome, Italy on June 27, 2026. Barbie Latza Nadeau/CNN

Dried-up plants in the piazza's planters, June 27, 2026. Barbie Latza Nadeau/CNN

 On Wednesday, the day after CNN published its video story about the square, Rome’s Councillor for Agriculture, Environment and Waste Management, Sabrina Alfonsi, posted a video of herself in the piazza, wielding a yellow garden hose and watering recently planted flowers.

 

“In the last few weeks there has been a lot of talk about the plants that were put here, and it’s true, some of them have struggled during an exceptionally intense heatwave,” she said. “Today, as you can see, they’re being looked after and are healthy.”

She referred to criticism of the condition of the square from right-wing opposition politicians, and said it was ironic given many of them have denied climate change for years.

Combating climate change-driven extreme heat has become a top priority facing European cities this summer as parts of the continent have been roiled by a succession of heat waves. Providing adequate shade, building cooling centers, removing asphalt and adding more trees are among the solutions advocated for by climate activists and urban planners. But, as Rome’s piazza shows, it is hugely challenging to build for brutal heat, which arrives earlier, lingers longer and is more intense. 

 In southern Europe, where summers are always hot, heat plans have become necessary — and expensive. Rome has committed to spending around 50 million euros ($58 million) over the next five years to create spaces where everyone from homeless people to tourists to kids in day care can find relief.

 

Only 56% of Italian homes have some form of cooling system, so the city is trying to give people access to air-conditioned venues. Last week, Rome introduced an initiative opening movie theaters for free during the hottest time of the day to give people a chance to cool off.

Over the past few years, Rome has installed hundreds of “water houses” — green kiosks with waterspouts and phone charging stations — to provide free cold water, both still and sparkling, to make sure people stay hydrated. They are a modern take on the roughly 2,500 cast iron “nasoni” water fountains put in place in the 1800s to provide free water across the city. 

People line up to refill their water bottles at a public water dispenser near the Colosseum in Rome on July 4. Andrea Ronchini/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

 

Joanne Waverly, a tourist from New York City, told CNN she didn’t realize Rome would be so hot at night. “I envisioned the afternoon siesta sleeping in my air-conditioned hotel room and going out at night, but it almost feels hotter than during the day,” she told CNN as she filled her bottle at a water house next to Piazza Navona. “The cement and cobblestones radiate heat, and the temperatures don’t even go down. I have no idea how people live here!”

Waverly has taken to early-morning sightseeing; others are seeing the city late into the evening. Venues including the Pantheon and Colosseum are offering new nighttime opening hours, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., to allow people to visit when the sun isn’t blazing. 

 

Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri says trees and green space are key to his government’s heat plan. “The intensity of heatwaves is no longer an exception but the rule,” he said when announcing the city’s heat plan earlier this month. The plan will see thousands of trees planted, with a focus on the hottest districts, where many people don’t have, or can’t afford, air conditioning.

“Rome cannot stand still in the face of impacts that risk overwhelming key infrastructure, undermining urban livability and hitting the most vulnerable residents the hardest,” Gualtieri said.

Rome, like many other cities, has de-paved asphalt streets, replacing surfaces with solar reflective coverings and porous materials, and has introduced more “climate shelters,” like the free movie initiative and other up air-conditioned venues where people can gather.

Construction workers carry air conditioning units in Rome on July 10. Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images

 

But there have been false starts beyond just Piazza Risorgimento. Plans to trial a giant bioclimatic “tree” at the city’s main train station — a huge steel structure intended to bring down temperatures by evaporating water and releasing cooler air — have fizzled out after coming under scrutiny for cost and aesthetic reasons.

Still, the city says it’s committed to figuring out how to adapt to unprecedented heat. 

 

“It’s a challenge that we have no choice but to combat,” Zanchini, the city’s climate chief, says. “The city is changing, but we learn from the ancient Romans who knew how to combat the heat with shade and water and use common sense.”

This story has been updated with additional information. After this story was published, the Mayor of Rome’s office told CNN that of the 14 million euro budget for Piazza Risorgimento, 4 million euros was spent on the trees, plants, benches and removal of pavement.

‘We have lost everything’: extreme rainfall across Asia brings flash floods and typhoons

 

Bangladesh is one of several countries in the region to experience heavy rains and flash floods. Photograph: Rayhan Ahmed/Zuma Press Wire/Shutterstock
 

Residents and rescue workers inspect buildings damaged by heavy flooding in the eastern province of Nuristan, Afghanistan. Photograph: Wahidullah Kakar/AP

 

From Afghanistan to Taiwan, unprecedented deluge highlights devastating impact of climate breakdown

By Natasha May and Jonathan Watts

“It rained for 10 days and 10 nights, non-stop – I’d never seen anything like it,” says Anar Gul, a construction worker who lives in the remote district of Dur Baba in eastern Afghanistan.

The houses in his village are built from stone and mud, which makes them extremely vulnerable to heavy rains. After days of rain, Gul’s kitchen collapsed and his neighbour, Sayed Afsar Sadat, saw a large part of his house completely destroyed. “Rains like this are coming heavier and earlier each year,” says Sadat. “They are destroying the roads and washing away our crops. It’s impacting us directly.”

 

Last week, torrential rains and flash floods wiped out villages and towns in Afghanistan, leaving at least 31 people dead and hundreds missing. It’s been a similar picture in neighbouring countries, with the monsoon rains sparking chaos across the region. India, Bangladesh and Pakistan have all seen erratic, sudden heavy dumps of water.

Jesmin Akter lived in the city of Chattogram, on the south-eastern coast of Bangladesh, which received a record 412.3mm of rainfall in 24 hours in early July, leading to the flash flood that swept through the Banshkhali district where they live. She says her children “understand that we are in a very bad situation”.

Overnight the rains took the little they had; their poultry died, their paddy field flooded, their house collapsed and all their belongings in it – children’s books, school bags, toys, clothes, kitchen items – ruined.

Akter carried her six children through chest-deep water to her mother’s house. There they stayed in the crowded conditions for over a week until the water receded.

 Anar Gul, who lives in a remote mountain village in the Dur Baba district of eastern Afghanistan, says he has never seen rain like it. Photograph: IFRC/Mark South.

 

“We have lost everything,” Akter said. Their house beside the canal was not in a good condition, but a few months ago the family had repaired it. “Now the flood has destroyed it again. We have no money. We are surviving on the food assistance we receive from different organisations.” They have gone back to the ruins of their home, but her children sleep on plastic sheets laid on the wet floor and she worries for their safety, especially that the unsanitary conditions will lead to disease. Her daughter has developed a fever.

As wildfires rage across Europe and North America, the unprecedented rains continue elsewhere. While South Korea swings between heatwave and downpour, in Japan and Vietnam torrential rain has led to landslides. China, meanwhile, has seen bouts of extreme rainfall since the flood season began in April, according to the water resources ministry in mid-July, marking the start of a month-long peak flood control window. More than 600 rivers have since risen above warning levels – a 35% jump from the average for the same period over the past five years.

Sayed Afsar Sadat in Dur Baba says rains are destroying the roads and washing away crops. Photograph: IFRC/Meer Abdullah Rasikh.

In the south-western city of Chongqing, a huge landslide after torrential rain killed at least 11 people and left 50 missing, with rescue efforts still ongoing. Separately, a flash flood at a scenic camping spot in the north-central province of Gansu left 10 people dead and injured 23 others.

The flood season across the region has been exacerbated by successive storms. Typhoon Noul, the strongest to make landfall in China so far this year, prompted the evacuation of more than 890,000 people in Guangdong as of Sunday evening, according to provincial authorities. In early July, Typhoon Maysak inundated parts of Guangxi and swept through commercial snake farms, allowing hundreds of snakes to escape.

Forecasters have warned that more wet weather is on the way. Much of northern China, including Beijing, is expected to receive 20% to 50% more rain than usual, while four to six typhoons are forecast to make landfall in or affect the country this summer, above the average of 4.2, according to the China Meteorological Administration.

 Taiwan, an island that lies in the path of typhoons in the north-west Pacific, has also seen a rise in extreme rainfall. In June, repeated downpours caused more than NT$330m (about US$10.2m) in agricultural losses across Taiwan, according to the agriculture ministry, while the capital Taipei recorded its highest monthly rainfall in more than a century.

Torrential rain flooded the streets of Dhaka in Bangladesh. Photograph: Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters

The extreme weather across the region can clearly be linked to climate change. Climate scientists have long predicted that large areas of Asia will disproportionately suffer from more intense heat, humidity and drought as a result of climate disruption caused by the burning of gas, oil and coal. The most recent report by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said rising temperatures raise the threat of “floods in monsoon regions in south, south-east and east Asia, and glacier melting in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region”.

And World Weather Attribution scientists have warned that extreme rainfall from cyclones is being “supercharged” in south-east Asia, with a clear pattern of increasingly heavy rain over recent decades. 

In early July, Typhoon Maysak inundated parts of Guangxi in south China. Photograph: Cao Yiming/Xinhua/AP

 

The year 2025 saw devastating storms and rainfall across the region. It also saw ocean temperatures rise to record heights. So far, this year has brought record-breaking heatwaves. Extreme rainfall is more common and more intense because of human-caused climate breakdown across most of the world, particularly in Europe, most of Asia, central and eastern North America, and parts of South America, Africa and Australia. This is because warmer air can hold more water vapour and flooding has most likely become more frequent and severe in these locations as a result.

“More intense rainfall is an expected consequence of us heating the planet by burning fossil fuels and building up more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. A warmer atmosphere can carry more water, so when it rains, it rains harder. Also hotter conditions cause air to rise faster and drive more intense thunderstorms,” said Richard Betts, head of the climate impacts strategic area at the Met Office Hadley Centre.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in providing aid helped the Guardian obtain interviews with those affected.

Typhoon Noul (pictured in Hong Kong) prompted the evacuation of more than 890,000 people in Guangdong. Photograph: Venron Yuen/Nexpher/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

 

Dr Hosam Faysal, the head of IFRC’s country delegation in Afghanistan, said “these are the very real, humanitarian effects of a changing climate … becoming increasingly volatile”.

Faysal urged governments to ensure there was more investment in locally-led preparedness and mitigation in order to reduce the loss of life and suffering before climate-related disasters happened.

“The coming forecast El Niño is a clear example – waiting to respond to the extreme needs we can see coming only once they arrive will cost lives.”

• Research by Yu-chen Li

 

Wildfire now nine miles from French city of Bordeaux, mayor warns

 

Firefighters in Gironde are facing an "unprecedented" situation as they battle a blaze that "has a life of its own", the interior minister has warned

by  Jaroslav Lukiv

 

The mayor of Bordeaux has said he is bracing for "all eventualities", as one of multiple wildfires burning in France is now 15km (nine miles) from the south-western city.

"We are preparing to accommodate a large number of people should further evacuations be ordered," said Thomas Cazenave.

President Emmanuel Macron, visiting the fire-ravaged area in the Gironde region, said the country was facing a "completely unprecedented wildfire" - the "toughest since World War Two".

Some 220,000 people have been evacuated in France and more than 100,000 in Spain, where fires are burning "uncontrolled" west of Madrid.

Another intense heatwave on Tuesday could further hamper firefighting efforts.

Macron said a smaller fire in the Landes region had been contained, but the fight continued in neighbouring Gironde.

While firefighters had made progress on Monday, improving the situation compared to 24 hours before, he warned that "temperatures are set to rise again, the wind is still present, and therefore we must remain humble".

Earlier, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez had said the fire "has a life of its own".

 

Jerome Steffe, the mayor of Cestas, a town south of Bordeaux, told the BBC this "will be the fire of the century".

He described how 17,000 residents were evacuated from his town during the night when the fire swelled two days ago. So far, he said, the region has seen 42,000 hectares (103,000 acres) of land burned and 240 houses destroyed.

"In my city the situation is really catastrophic," he added.

And although the fire is no longer moving as quickly, he said his teams have "won only a small battle" and emphasised that the risk remains from flying embers or a sudden change in wind direction.

"We put all our energy into creating protective firebreaks," he explained, but admitted "we are all scared in front of this situation."

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu warned the country "is going through an unprecedented fire season", with 116,085 hectares (286,852 acres) burned and 13,566 fire starts recorded since January.

The minister revealed in a post on X that nine out of 10 fires "are human-caused and most arise from carelessness: a cigarette butt, a barbecue, work carried out without precaution".

But he also said that not all these fires are accidents and some are deliberately set, adding that since 6 July, 162 arrests have taken place.

 Wildfires are also burning in several other French regions, including Var and Landes, and also in Haute-Corse on the island of Corsica.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Spain on Monday entered its fifth day of a national emergency because of raging wildfires west of the capital Madrid.

BBC Verify has been analysing satellite imagery showing the spread of the wildfire west of Madrid, which has now affected more than 27,000 hectares.

Satellite images, captured on 24 and 26 July, show how the fire spread over two days after several blazes in the Almorox, Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias areas merged into one large fire.

The images show the rapid expansion of the burn scar as the wildfire spread.

Local officials have warned that the region faces the "worst fires in its history".

Climate change is driving up temperatures around the world, and Europe is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

 This is causing increased summer heatwaves, greater pressure on Europe's water supply, and more intense wildfires.