Weather

Europe facing its worst drought in 500 years

Europe is facing its worst drought in at least 500 years, with two-thirds of the continent in a state of alert or warning, reducing inland shipping, electricity production and the…

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Italy registers surge in extreme weather events

Extreme weather events linked to the climate crisis have surged in Italy, with 132 in the last six months, the highest average figure in the last decade, environmental group Legambiente…

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China’s Sichuan extends power curbs until Aug.25 as heatwave drags on

SHANGHAI, Aug 22 (Reuters) - China's Sichuan province will extend curbs on industrial power consumers until Aug. 25 as it tries to deal with dwindling hydropower output and surging household…

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FACTBOX – Why low water levels on the Rhine river hurt Germany’s economy

BERLIN, (Reuters) - Water levels on the Rhine river are very low because of unusually hot and dry weather, preventing many vessels from navigating the critical European shipping route fully…

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Europe’s drought exposes ancient stones, World War Two ships as waters fall

(Reuters) - Weeks of baking drought across Europe have seen water levels in rivers and lakes fall to levels few can remember, exposing long-submerged treasures - and some unwanted hazards.…

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Weather warning lifted for Corsica after violent storms left 5 dead

PARIS, Aug 19 (Reuters) - France's weather forecaster lifted a major storm warning for Corsica on Friday, a day after hurricane-strength winds and rain ripped across the Mediterranean island, killing…

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China issues first national drought alert, battles to save crops in extreme heatwave

SHANGHAI, Aug 19 (Reuters) - China has issued its first national drought alert of the year as authorities battle forest fires and mobilise specialist teams to protect crops from scorching…

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Deaths are reported after storms hit France, Austria and Italy

Powerful storms have battered areas of central and southern Europe, killing at least 13 people including three children. The deaths, most from falling trees, were reported in Italy and Austria,…

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Violent storm kills five on Corsica as island raises new alert

PARIS, Aug 18 (Reuters) - A violent and unexpected storm battered the French Mediterranean island of Corsica on Thursday, killing at least five people including a teenage girl, and meteorologists predicted more…

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Climate risks dwarf Europe’s energy crisis, space chief warns

PARIS, (Reuters) - The head of the European Space Agency (ESA) has warned economic damage from heatwaves and drought could dwarf Europe's energy crisis as he called for urgent action to tackle…

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Brussels’ flower carpet blooms despite heatwave

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The creators of Brussels' vast flower carpet, unfurled every two years in front of city hall, are opting for more heat-resistant blooms and the use of pot…

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Drought declared in parts of England: What does it mean?

The government formally declared parts of England to be in drought on Friday as the country faces a period of prolonged hot and dry weather. The declaration does not trigger…

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Heatwave in Paris exposes city’s lack of trees

PARIS, (Reuters) - As a third heatwave baked France this week, the heat radiating off the asphalt outside the Garnier Opera house in Paris hit 56 degrees Celsius on urban…

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Broad swathe of China swelters in high temperatures

SHENZHEN, China, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Several regions of China including the major southwestern city of Chongqing baked in temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Saturday, while the…

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Drought in England, fires rage in France as heatwave persists

SAINT-MAGNE, France, (Reuters) - Firefighters from across Europe came to France's rescue to battle a massive wildfire, while fire also raged in Portugal and parts of England faced a severe…

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UPDATED: UK government officially declares drought in parts of England

LONDON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Britain officially declared a drought in parts of England on Friday as households faced new water usage restrictions during a period of prolonged hot and dry weather…

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Out of the frying pan, into the fire? Meal couriers sweat amid heatwave

UTRECHT, Netherlands/PALERMO, Italy, Aug 11 (Reuters) - As Europe braces for another heatwave, one group of workers has little choice but to sweat it out: the couriers shuttling around town…

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Italy’s mortality rate up 21% July 1-15 due to heat waves

The Italian mortality rate was up 21% from July 1-15 due to this summer's heat waves, the Italian health ministry announced.This resulted in 733 deaths in the 33 cities subject…

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UPDATED: ‘Extreme’ weather warning in force in Britain as new heatwave hits

LONDON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - A four-day "extreme heat" warning came into force in parts of England and Wales on Thursday, with temperatures poised to top 35 Celsius in another heatwave that could cause wildfires…

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Bad-weather alert issued for the centre and south of Italy

A bad-weather alert is in force in seven regions in the centre and south of Italy Wednesday as thunderstorms and 'water bombs' continue to break the sticky 'afa' African heat…

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Torrential rain lessens in S.Korean capital amid heavy flood damage

SEOUL, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Torrential rains that have slammed South Korea's capital, Seoul, diminished on Wednesday after killing at least nine people and damaging about 2,800 homes and other…

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UK issues new ‘extreme heat’ warning for England and Wales

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's weather service issued an amber "Extreme Heat" warning for parts of England and Wales, with no respite in sight from hot dry conditions that have sparked…

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Heatwaves increasing in India but related deaths fall

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) - Temperatures during India's monsoon season have risen this century and the country could see more frequent heatwaves in future, the government said on Wednesday, but it added heat-related…

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Factbox: Wildfires breaking out across the world

(Reuters) - Extreme fires have swallowed up huge swathes of land, destroyed homes and threatened livelihoods across the world in the first half of 2022. Below is a list of…

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Care for elderly stepped up as Italy swelters in driest year ever

MILAN, (Reuters) - Volunteers delivered food and medicines to elderly people living alone in Milan, as another heatwave swept through northern Italy in what is the country's driest year since…

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Wildfires in Europe burn second-biggest area on record

Wildfires raging through Europe this summer have burned the second-largest area on record, even though the region is only halfway through its typical fire season, according to data from the…

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Photo Story: No grass in London’s parched Greenwich Park

A woman sunbathes on parched ground in Greenwich Park in London, Britain. Southern England has experienced the driest July since records began. With another heatwave expected in the coming weeks,…

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Major fire spreads at Cuban fuel storage facility hit by lightning

HAVANA, Aug 6 (Reuters) - A second fuel storage tank near Cuba's supertanker port in Matanzas exploded on Saturday morning following a blaze which burned through the night after lightning hit another…

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Drought takes toll on Tuscany’s famed olive oil and wine production

SAN CASCIANO IN VAL DI PESA, Italy, (Reuters) - Farmers in Tuscany, the heart of Italy's prized wine and olive oil industry, are battling to salvage as much as they…

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Why some heatwaves prove deadlier than others

LONDON, (Reuters) - Europe's record-breaking heatwave last month saw England and Wales register nearly 1,700 extra deaths in just one week, early data shows, while Portugal and Spain counted another…

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Dutch government declares water shortage due to drought

The Dutch government declared a water shortage, following an unusually dry summer with no rain forecast for the coming two weeks. Brutal heatwaves gripped large parts of Europe and the…

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Italy heading for another intense heat wave

After a brief truce, Italy is starting to feel the effects of the latest in a long series of intense heat waves to hit the country this year, exacerbating its…

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Hosepipe and sprinkler ban for UK’s South East Water clients

LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Britain's South East Water announced a temporary ban on the use of sprinklers and hosepipes in parts of the south of England, citing record breaking temperatures and…

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Rhine water in Germany rises slightly, not enough to boost shipping

HAMBURG, July 27 (Reuters) - Water levels on the Rhine in Germany have risen slightly after rain but not enough to provide a significant relief to freight ships which are…

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Photo Story – Shipping and houseboats suffer from low water along the Waal in Netherlands

Dry houseboats along the Waal near Nijmegen. Shipping is experiencing nuisance due to low water in the Waal near Nijmege The ongoing drought is causing low water levels in the…

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Portugal cuts golf course irrigation in drought-hit Algarve tourist hub

Facing an unprecedented drought, Portugal will cut irrigation of golf courses and green spaces in its tourism-dependent Algarve region to avert water rationing for human consumption, the country's environment minister…

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EXPLAINER-How climate change drives heatwaves and wildfires

(Reuters) - Brutal heatwaves are gripping both Europe and the United States this week and are forecast to dump searing heat on much of China into late August. In addition to temperatures…

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Heatwaves to hit China from east to west as almanac’s ‘big heat’ day looms

BEIJING, July 22 (Reuters) - China will suffer the return of more heatwaves over the next 10 days, with high temperatures expected from east to west, meteorologists warned, with some cities issuing…

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Europe’s heatwave reaches Poland, Greece as it moves eastwards, brings wildfires

ATHENS/MILAN, (Reuters) - The vast heatwave covering swathes of Europe moved steadily eastwards, forcing countries including Italy, Poland and Slovenia to issue their highest heatwave alerts as firefighters battled wildfires…

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Number of Italian cities on heat-wave red alert to rise to 16

The health ministry said that the number of Italian cities on red alert because of the heat wave that is baking the country is set to rise from nine to…

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Record-breaking U.S. heat wave bakes Americans

BOSTON (Reuters) - Some 100 million Americans from New York City to Las Vegas are under heat warnings this week as temperatures rise well above 100 Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), part of a trend…

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Wildfires rage across Europe as climate alarm sounded

ATHENS/LONDON (Reuters) - Emergency services battled wildfires across swathes of southern Europe amid mass evacuations, as warnings sounded in London after Britain's hottest day that the fight against climate change…

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Italy battles wildfires as hundreds evacuated in Tuscany

MILAN, July 20 (Reuters) - Fire brigades in Tuscany battled a wildfire on Wednesday that forced hundreds to evacuate and caused gas tanks to explode, as smoke from a blaze in northeast…

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Rhine water falls again in Germany, river ships cut loads

HAMBURG, July 20 (Reuters) - Water levels on the river Rhine in Germany have fallen again after this week’s heatwave and cargo vessels are sailing with significantly reduced loads, navigation authorities said…

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Britain counts cost of hottest day ever

LONDON, July 20 (Reuters) - Firefighters worked overnight to damp down wildfires and engineers raced on Wednesday to fix train tracks that had buckled on Britain's hottest day, triggering warnings that efforts to tackle…

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Wildfire rages near Athens; homes damaged, hospital evacuated

ATHENS, July 20 (Reuters) - Hundreds of firefighters on Wednesday battled a wildfirethat raged for a second day in mountains near Athens, burning homes and cars and forcing the evacuation of at…

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Americans endure ‘dragon’s breath’ heat wave, set to last into next week

They're planning days around air conditioning in Oklahoma, monitoring the grid in Texas and keeping an eye out for sharks as they try to cool off in New York. Across…

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Germany, Belgium brace for possible record-breaking temperatures, Britain bakes in record heatwave

Firefighters in southwestern France battled on Tuesday to contain massive forest wildfires and Britain recorded its highest ever temperature, while Portugal reported more than 1,000 heatwave-related deaths as Europe scorches.…

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UK on course for hottest day on record

Britain was on course for its hottest day on record on Monday with temperatures forecast to hit 40C for the first time, forcing train companies to cancel services, schools to…

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Londoners urged not to travel due to extreme heat

London Mayor, Sadiq Khan has urged the public to only travel if necessary, and has issued an air pollution alert for Monday. On Friday, Mr Khan convened a special meeting…

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Brussels braces for heat wave

Brussels will be engulfed by the heat wave that is set to hit Western Europe from the weekend onwards — and the city is bracing for the consequences. As the…

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Warming rivers threaten France’s already tight power supply

High water temperatures threaten to reduce France's already unusually low nuclear output, piling more pressure on operator EDF at a time when half its reactors are offline due to maintenance…

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UPDATED: Health warnings issued as heatwave scorches Europe

LEIRIA, Portugal/LONDON, July 15 (Reuters) - Hundreds more people were evacuated from their homes as wildfires blistered land in France, Spain and Portugal on Friday, and officials in Europe issued…

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Air quality to degrade with European heat wave, WMO says

GENEVA, July 15 (Reuters) - The heat wave in Europe will trap atmospheric pollutants, causing the air quality to degrade, especially in towns and cities, an official from the World Meteorological Organization…

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Hundreds more evacuated from homes as wildfires spread in France

PARIS, July 15 (Reuters) - Hundreds more people were evacuated from their homes as wildfires continued to rage out of control in southwestern France, authorities said on Friday. More than…

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UPDATED: As Europe bakes in heatwave, wildfires rage from Portugal to Croatia

LEIRIA, Portugal/RASLINA, Croatia, July 14 (Reuters) - Wildfires raged across tinder-dry country in Portugal, Spain, France and Croatia on Thursday, burning homes and threatening livelihoods, as much of Europe baked…

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Chinese cities break heat records, weather extremes to persist

BEIJING, July 13 (Reuters) - Several Chinese cities broke new records for high temperatures as scorching heat and contrasting relentless rains wreaked havoc, with local forecasters expecting the weather extremes to linger…

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