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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.
The survivors being hoisted to safety. Photo: US Air Force via AP)
Aviation accidents

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

Rescuers hoist final survivor into helicopter with just minutes of fuel remaining as a thunderstorm approached.

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

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.

A general view of the landscape with snow-covered mountains in Nepal’s Mustang District. Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks. Photo: EPA
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.

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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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The sun sets behind the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. Temperatures in Malaysia have soared to the mid-30s degrees Celsius. Photo: AP
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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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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Extreme weather events such as Super Typhoon Ragasa, which struck Hong Kong last September, are becoming more common. Photo: Karma Lo
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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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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A convoy of fire trucks make their way to the fire in the town of Otsuchi in Iwate Prefecture, northern Honshu, Japan on Sunday. 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

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.

A satellite image shows Carolinas Heights after Typhoon Sinlaku, in Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands on April 17, 2026. Photo: via Reuters
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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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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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.

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