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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.
Sandbags at flood-prone Lei Yue Mun ahead of Super Typhoon Ragasa’s approach on September 23. The city has 50,000 sandbags ready this year. Photo: Sam Tsang
Hong Kong environmental issues

Editorial | Improved defences will help Hong Kong weather typhoon season

Having learned lessons from Ragasa, the government has published guidelines, prepared barriers and employed technology from drones to AI.

Aviation accidents

‘Miraculous’ rescue off US coast as 11 survive crash and 5-hour sea ordeal

South Korea

South Korea adds ‘extreme heat emergency’ to first major alert update in decades

Climate change

‘Godzilla El Nino’: Southeast Asia warned of punishing climate whiplash

Experts warn the heat could increase the risk of localised flooding, put pressure on drainage systems and threaten agricultural production.

A man shields his face from the sunlight as he leaves a train station in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 29. Photo: AFP
Nepal

US climber dies in avalanche on Nepal’s Mount Makalu

Three Nepali guides and a Czech climber have died in the Himalayas so far this season.

India

Heat-triggered insurance offers cold cash cushion for India’s outdoor workers

India lost an estimated 247 billion hours of labour to extreme heat in 2024, equivalent to nearly US$194 billion in economic losses.

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Indonesia

Bus and oil tanker collide in Indonesia, killing at least 16 people

The bus driver, 13 passengers, the tanker’s driver and assistant all burned to death inside the vehicles.

An intercity bus collided head-on with a tanker truck on a major highway in South Sumatra, Indonesia on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua
Malaysia

Malaysia warns of health risks from heatwave, 2 deaths recorded this year

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has ordered cloud-seeding operations to be carried out in the worst-affected states.

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Australia

2 rescue volunteers die as boat capsizes off Australia’s New South Wales

The crew were helping a yacht in distress when their boat rolled over in ‘treacherous’ conditions. A third body was found on shore.

China food security

China’s farmers face dual threats from El Nino and Iran war, analysts say

They warn that country’s fragmented farms are less resilient to natural disasters than bigger, more mechanised operations.

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Farmers in Hebi, Henan province, water newly sown corn in June 2024 after an El Nino event that lasted around a year. Photo: Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Climate change

Tropical forest loss still 11 football fields a minute – or Denmark per year

Researchers warn that fires fuelled by climate change are a dangerous new normal and could reverse gains made in tackling deforestation.

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An aerial picture shows iron ore mines at the foot of Mount Leuser National Park - a cornerstone of rainforest - in Aceh, Indonesia on April 9. Photo: EPA
Hong Kong environmental issues

Watchdog urges Hong Kong Observatory to better explain typhoon warning decisions

Audit Commission says timetable on review of rainstorm warning system should also be set up, amid rise in extreme weather events.

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Hong Kong weather

Amber rainstorm warning issued as thunderstorms hit Hong Kong

Forecaster earlier warned that flooding could occur in some low-lying and poorly drained areas.

Thailand

‘Hard to breathe’: Southeast Asia’s workers reel from warmer offices, heatwave

‘The canteen and even the 7-Eleven downstairs are cooler than our office, which is why people end up gathering there,’ a Thai worker says.

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Office workers walk with umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun during hot weather in Bangkok, Thailand, last month. Photo: EPA
Bangladesh

Child, newlywed among 14 killed by lightning in Bangladesh

Lightning kills ‌hundreds of people every year in ⁠Bangladesh, which ⁠declared lightning strikes a natural disaster in 2016.

A gust of wind blows dust and leaves into the air as a storm approaches after a heat wave in Dhaka. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Wildfires in Japan’s north worsen, 1,400 firefighters deployed

Japan has experienced relatively few wildfires compared with other parts of the world, but climate change has increased their frequency.

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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

2,500 residents forced to evacuate as wildfires burn for a second day in Japan’s northern Iwate prefecture.

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Weather

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

The crew of the Mariana notified the US Coast Guard on April 15 that the vessel lost its starboard engine during Super Typhoon Sinlaku.

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.

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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Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands is a popular tourist destination. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

Vehicles can be seen partially submerged along a flooded road in Wellington, New Zealand, in a screengrab taken from a social media video on Monday, . Photo: Reuters
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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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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A satellite image provided by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows super typhoon Sinlakua in the Pacific Ocean on Monday. Photo: NOAA via AP
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.

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.

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