Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC

Extreme weather

Extreme weather
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Extreme weather. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
People watch as a firefighting plane tries to battle a wildfire by a motorway near Beziers, France, on Friday. Photo: Reuters
Climate change

‘Help us’: wildfires ravage France, Spain, Portugal forests as mercury soars

The early fires have already devastated an area twice as big as Manhattan across the three nations. Blazes have also hit Greece.

videocam
China trade

Why is a Chinese-made portable AC selling out across heat-stricken Europe?

videocam
8
United States

‘We will always be on top’: Trump lauds US in 250th birthday speech

videocam
European Union

Italian rice crops suffer in drought, worst European heatwave ever

Italian rice farmers are despondent over the lack of spring rain, while rivers from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea are in ‘critical situation’ because of drought.

Farmer Sharon Angoli, 22, inspects rice plants struggling to grow in a paddy field overrun by weeds during a drought in Torre Beretti, near Pavia, Italy, on Friday. Photo: AFP
United States

Heatwave upends Fourth of July events across US, strains power grids

Scorching conditions have forced officials in the US capital and elsewhere to cancel or postpone parades, concerts and fireworks displays.

Hong Kong weather

Hong Kong lifts amber rainstorm warning, but wet weather to remain

Strong winds, swells and heavy showers expected until middle of next week, Observatory says.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Lessons from China's history

Reflections | As Europe bakes, how people in China kept cool before air conditioning

As temperatures soar, our columnist takes his cue from premodern Chinese, who used clothing, food and even a Chinese mantra to beat the heat.

A tourist cools off with a folding fan in Prague, Czech Republic, on June 28, 2026. Temperatures in several European countries have surged past 40 degrees Celsius in recent days. Photo: EPA
European Union

Outside In | Hot and bothered Europeans finally warm to air con

People are buying air conditioners despite the political awkwardness of relying on Chinese imports and worsening global warming.

videocam
Climate change

Video | European heatwave sparks scramble for air conditioners

Only 18 to 26 per cent of French households had air conditioning in April.

France

In heatwave-baked France, ‘madness’ and chaos grip air-conditioner shoppers

Consumers in Paris besiege Lidl supermarkets for low-cost cooling units, leading to long queues and brawls.

videocam
A man cools off at a fountain near the Eiffel Tower during a heatwave in Paris last month. Photo: AP
China food security

China food-security risks worsen as extreme weather becomes more common

Heavy rains and growing drought risks may make it harder to feed China’s 1 billion-plus population.

Photo: Shutterstock
Singapore

Singapore warns of ‘severe’ haze in August, September from El Nino effect

There is a ‘high risk’ of haze in Southeast Asia as a combination of El Nino and warmer seas raises the danger of forest fires, agency says.

Climate change

Spain blames over 1,000 excess deaths on heatwave, in second-hottest June ever

At the heatwave’s peak, June 23, almost 75 per cent of the population were exposed to health risks due to heat. The hottest June was in 2025.

videocam
Hong Kong weather

Hong Kong to issue No 1 typhoon signal on Thursday as tropical depression nears

Storm is expected to remain about 400km from the city, weather forecaster says.

Hong Kong will issue the No 1 typhoon signal on Thursday. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Climate change

Editorial | Deadly threat of heatstroke must prompt better heat safety education

Following an 11-year-old’s death from suspected heatstroke, extreme heat must be treated as a public health crisis.

A pedestrian uses a fan to beat the heat in Causeway Bay on May 28. Photo: Karma Lo
Britain

As I see it | Do BN(O) migrants dream of air conditioning?

Those who left Hong Kong for Britain may be missing the ubiquitous cooling in homes as the UK swelters this summer.

videocam
41
Accidents and disasters in China

China’s Politburo orders rapid-response overhaul in the face of extreme weather

Meeting urges steps to prevent disaster and ‘always put the safety of people’s lives first’.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Hong Kong weather

Record heat expected in Hong Kong this year as ‘super’ El Nino threatens

Pacific sea surface temperatures expected to rise further, developing into ‘super strong’ El Nino that could also lead to more intense tropical typhoons.

Visitors under the scorching sun at the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront on Tuesday. Photo: Jelly Tse
France

Couple detained in France after 15-month-old twins die of dehydration

Four other children hospitalised as prosecutors investigate a tragedy unfolding during summer heatwave.

Ukraine war

Russian strikes on Ukraine kill at least 11 as heatwave also attacks

Some of the fatalities occurred when a passenger minibus was hit by a drone in the city of Zaporizhzhia.

videocam
E-commerce

China’s cooling, e-commerce giants see sales surge as Europe heat sizzles

Alibaba notes surge in retail and business-to-business orders, Midea reports sharp revenue rise, and Gree sales get bump in major European markets.

videocam
On AliExpress, Alibaba’s international retail site, this month’s debut of air conditioners in Germany saw local warehouse inventory for a Midea model completely wiped out by Thursday. Photo: Shutterstock
European Union

Heatwave grips Eastern Europe after Germany weather breaks records

The intense and unusually early heat event underscores how climate change is transforming summers in the world’s fastest-warming continent.

videocam
A pigeon drinks water amid a heatwave in Budapest, Hungary. Photo: Xinhua
France

Europe’s record heat has overwhelmed Paris mortuaries

With temperatures eclipsing 40 degrees Celsius, heat-related deaths are rising.

Education in Hong Kong

School activates crisis team after boy dies from heatstroke on weekend run

Hong Kong Adventist Academy confirms one of its students died from heatstroke on Saturday.

videocam
France

France sees 1,000 excess deaths during record-breaking heatwave

Most of the fatalities involved older people and the mortality rate is expected to rise.

A woman walks near water fountains in Beziers, southern France on Monday. The latest bout of exceptionally high temperatures to hit Europe has seen outdoor events cancelled, transport disrupted, schools shut and office workers told to work from home. Photo: AFP
China exports

As Europe sizzles amid extreme heat, the hunt for China’s ACs remains elusive

While Europe sweats its way through torturous temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius, China cannot get ACs transported over fast enough.

videocam
34
People swim in the Canal Saint-Martin on Friday after public swimming was permitted in certain areas due to high temperatures amid a heatwave in Paris. Photo: Reuters
France

French heatwave packs hotels as city dwellers struggle to sleep

French people struggling to beat the heat have booked up hotel rooms for pool and air conditioner access as temperatures hit a record 40.9 degrees celsius.

India

India’s late monsoon rains leave cities and fields parched

Mumbai has less than 40 days of water and farmers are delaying planting as El Nino stalls the vital rainy season.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement