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Extreme weather

Extreme weather
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Extreme weather. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Hundreds of firefighters are battling wildfires in the forests of northern Japan. Photo: AFP
Japan

‘I hope it rains’: Japan battles wildfires, thousands evacuate

The affected area includes a coastal town that lost almost a tenth of its population during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

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Natural disasters

Video | Northern Japan battles large wildfires

Weather

Searchers find body of 1 of 6 missing crew members after typhoon overturns ship

India

Saved by water bell? Indian schools hit on novel idea to tackle brutal heatwave

The India Meteorological Department has issued a ‘yellow alert’ for New Delhi, with temperatures expected to rise to a high of 44 degrees.

A tricycle rider transports school children home in Kolkata on Friday. Photo: AP
Malaysia

‘River of mud’ in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands prompts accountability calls

Environmental NGO calls on authorities to adopt a more responsible approach when granting approvals for development projects in the area.

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New Zealand

New Zealand tells Wellington residents to evacuate as rain threat worsens

Wellington had received 77mm of rain ‌in less than an hour, its heaviest rainfall on record.

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Science

China warns strong El Nino this year may worsen global fossil fuel crisis

National Climate Centre says higher temperatures and extreme weather could create ‘damaging loop’ that hits the climate and the economy.

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A strong El Nino can increase the risk of floods and other extreme weather events. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Blaze in Malaysia’s Sabah destroys 1,000 homes, displaces over 9,000

The proximity of houses in the water village allowed the fire to spread quickly. Over 9,000 people have been affected, though no deaths have been reported.

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Pacific nations

Super Typhoon Sinlakua bears down on group of remote US islands in Pacific Ocean

Trump has approved emergency help for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, where Sinlakua is expected to make landfall on Tuesday.

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Hong Kong workers/labour rights

Hong Kong expands heat stress monitoring to better protect outdoor workers

Data to be used from eight additional sites across city in effort to provide more accurate readings and issue faster warnings.

Hong Kong has expanded heat stress monitoring to include data from eight additional sites in an attempt to better protect outdoor workers. Photo: Jelly Tse
Pacific nations

Australia pledges US$1.7 million in aid after Cyclone Maila kills 11 in Pacific

Entire villages were destroyed in the storm, was briefly classified as a Category 5 cyclone.

A truck is engulfed by floodwaters brought on by heavy rains from tropical cyclone Maila in the Tinputz district of Northern Bougainville. Photo: AFP
Russia

Floods kill 5 in Russia, thousands evacuated after dam wall breaks

Social media videos showed villages and highways engulfed by water as the emergencies ministry said further heavy downpours are expected.

Germany

Tree tragedy and ‘polonium’ scare mar Easter egg hunts in Germany

Infant among three killed by falling tree in the north while discovery of ‘radioactive’ vial triggers major hazmat response in the south.

Australia

Australia’s Karratha LNG plant closed after cyclone amid fuel shortages

The plant’s co-owner Chevron said it suffered outages at its Gorgon and Wheatstone gas plants, which supply more than five per cent of the world’s liquefied natural gas.

An LNG tanker from the Karratha LNG Plant, off the coast of Western Australia, Australia, in 2003. Photo: SCMP
Climate change

Editorial | Community preparation is key as Hong Kong braces for extreme weather

As the city explores green infrastructure and AI forecasting as mitigation solutions, residents must also take up the mantle of safety.

People brave the rain at Wan Chai promenade while a black rainstorm warning is issued by the Hong Kong Observatory on August 14, 2025. Photo: Nora Tam
Malaysia

Malaysia’s weather is so hot that it can warp a payment card

Rice fields are drying out in the northern region, while heat-related health cases are rising across the country.

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Climate change

‘Flashing red’: UN alarmed as heat trapped by Earth hits record high

UN chief warns of a state of emergency as 2015–2025 is confirmed as the hottest decade on record.

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United States

‘Pray for us’: Hawaii dam could fail amid worst flooding in 20 years

Raging waters have lifted homes and cars in the US state and prompted evacuation orders for thousands of people.

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The remains of a house against a bridge in Hawaii’s northern Oahu. Photo: Handout via AFP
Climate change

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

Conflicts, such as the Iran war, are diverting global attention away from the ecological crisis, scientists warn.

Weather

Record-breaking heatwave grips western US at tail end of winter

Arizona community hits 43.3 degrees Celsius, the highest March temperature recorded in the US.

Hong Kong society

Couple to face child neglect charges after son swept into sea during typhoon

Five-year-old’s parents arrested in January after they took family to Hong Kong waterfront amid No 8 typhoon warning signal last September.

The man, who jumped into the water after his wife and child were swept into the sea, is stretchered off a rescue boat in September last year. Photo: Handout
Africa

Kenya floods death toll rises to 62, police say, including 8 children

The capital, Nairobi, was the worst hit, with ⁠33 deaths. Dozens of people have also died in Ethiopia.

A man reacts after identifying the body of a family member who died during floods in Nairobi. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

‘Quite severe’: coastal erosion threatens future of Bali’s famed Kuta Beach

Experts warn extreme weather and decades of coastal development on the resort island have worsened the situation.

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Hong Kong weather

Editorial | Wild weather demands preparedness from Hong Kong

The impact of blurring seasonal lines goes beyond wardrobe adjustments; erratic weather demands robust preparedness from policymakers.

Africa

Military deployed in Kenya after at least 23 die in flash floods in capital

Police said some people drowned and some were electrocuted after heavy rain flooded homes and submerged vehicles.

Volunteers carry the body of a person killed by flooding on Saturday following heavy rainfall in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo: Reuters
Science

China team mulls hitting typhoons with an energy beam from space

Scientist Duan Baoyan says the Zhuri project could also act as a ‘space-based power bank’ to charge satellites and other facilities.

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Duan Baoyan theorises that microwave beams from outer space could “alter regional atmospheric circulation and change a typhoon’s intensity and path”. Photo: Shutterstock
Climate change

Record-breaking? El Nino may return in 2026, making planet even hotter

However, scientists say there’s a risk of 2026 being ‘the warmest year on record even without El Nino, due to the global warming trend’.

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Japan

Japan on track for hottest summer ever as ocean temperatures surge

Various regions across Japan are expected to register above-normal temperatures between June and August, the weather agency says.

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