Over 77 per cent of Earth's land experienced a drier climate during the three decades leading up to 2020, compared to the previous 30-year period, according to a report released by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) on Monday. During the same period, global drylands expanded by approximately 4.3 million square kilometres an area nearly a third larger than India now covering more than 40 per cent of the Earth's land. The report, launched at the 16th conference of the UNCCD in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, warned that if efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions fail, another 3 per cent of the world's humid areas are projected to transform into drylands by the end of this century. Meanwhile, the number of people living in drylands has doubled to 2.3 billion over the past three decades. Models suggest that as many as 5 billion could inhabit drylands by 2100 in a worst-case climate change scenario. These billions of people face even greater threats to their lives and liveliho
C3S said data from January to November had confirmed 2024 is now certain to be the hottest year on record, and the first in which average global temperatures exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius
The UK-based scientists behind the new approach, who published it Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience, say it simplifies the tracking of climate change and is easier to use
For the second year in a row, Earth will almost certainly be the hottest it's ever been. And for the first time, the globe this year reached more than 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming compared to the pre-industrial average, the European climate agency Copernicus said Thursday. It's this relentless nature of the warming that I think is worrying, said Carlo Buontempo, director of Copernicus. Buontempo said the data clearly shows the planet would not see such a long sequence of record-breaking temperatures without the constant increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere driving global warming. He cited other factors that contribute to exceptionally warm years like last year and this one. They include El Nino the temporary warming of parts of the Pacific that changes weather worldwide as well as volcanic eruptions that spew water vapour into the air and variations in energy from the sun. But he and other scientists say the long-term increase in temperatures beyond fluctuations like E
Weather office said India experienced its warmest October since 1901
Scientists have linked high ocean temperatures to the rapid intensification of hurricanes- Milton's wind speed increased 95 miles per hour in a single day
Will the Earth warm by 2C or 5.5C? Either way it's bad, and trying to narrow it down may be a distraction
Indian scientists revealed that the moon's temperature reduced significantly during the lockdown period on Earth in 2020, underscoring the link between Earth and the Moon
Cities in the Global South are equipped with only about 70 per cent of the "cooling capacity" provided by urban greenery in cities in the Global North and are, therefore, are more vulnerable to extreme heat, a new research has found. As the planet warms, researchers said that rising temperatures, along with 'urban heat island' effects, make cities hotter than rural areas. As a result, heat-related illness and deaths in these areas are becoming more common. An international team, including researchers from the University of Exeter, UK, analysed satellite data on 500 of the world's largest cities to assess 'cooling capacity' -- how much do the urban green spaces cool down a city's surface temperatures? "Our analysis suggests green spaces can cool the surface temperature in the average city by about 3 degrees Celsius during warm seasons -- a vital difference during extreme heat," author Timothy M. Lenton, from the University of Exeter, said. "However, a concerning disparity is evident
A recent study revealed that most districts in India have been experiencing extended summer-like conditions on non-rainy days during the monsoons
IMD weather update: The record heat was accompanied by 'exceptionally heavy rainfall' in various states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Kerala, which led to significant flooding last month
Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus service, said that it was possible the beginning of this week could eclipse Sunday's record as heatwaves continue to sizzle across the world
JM Financial said in its report that companies witnessed the highest growth ever in room air conditioners (RAC) on the back of a strong season, and improvement in demand for refrigerators
The Italian health ministry placed 12 cities under the most severe heat warning Tuesday as a wave of hot air from Africa baked southern Europe and the Balkans and sent temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), with the worst still to come. Croatia reported the highest-ever temperatures of the Adriatic Sea, with the thermometer reaching nearly 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) at the southern walled city of Dubrovnik, the country's most popular tourism spot. In Serbia, the state power company reported record consumption Tuesday due to the use of air conditioning. Municipal authorities in several southern European and Balkan cities took measures to look after elderly people in particular as civil protection crews fielded calls for water-dropping aircraft such as Canadairs to douse wildfires that raged in southern Italy and North Macedonia. It's hellishly hot," said Carmen Daz, a tourist from Madrid who was trying to keep cool with a fan at lunchtime in ..
June's temperature exceeded the estimated average for the pre-industrial period (1850-1900) by 1.50 degrees Celsius, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service
The average for the year through June 2024 was 1.64C higher than the era from 1850 to 1900
Climate change will throw at us many such surprises in terms of impact on human health. Even now, this science is not understood
The mid-year end-of-season sales start typically mid-June and go on till the end of July. A few pieces go on heavy discounts towards the Independence Day weekend
The national capital on Sunday recorded a maximum temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius, 2.5 notches above the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department. The weather department has predicted mainly clear sky with strong surface winds. The humidity at 5.30 am was at 16 per cent. The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded in the "moderate" category with a reading of 181 at 6 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".
The average global temperature for the 12-month period to the end of May was 1.63 degrees Celsius (2.9 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial average