drought News

El Niño Sees African Union Insurance Agency Pay Out $60 Million

The African Union’s climate insurance agency will pay out at least $60 million to four southern African nations to help them offset the impact of a drought that’s been driven by the El Niño weather pattern, its director general said. …

Study: California’s 2023 Snowy Rescue from Megadrought a Freak Event

Last year’s snow deluge in California, which quickly erased a two decade long megadrought, was essentially a once-in-a-lifetime rescue from above, a new study found. Don’t get used to it because with climate change the 2023 California snow bonanza —a …

Wildfires in Canada’s Oil Sands Region Prompts Evacuation Orders

Wildfires erupted across Canada’s main oil producing province of Alberta and an evacuation order was issued as the region braces for a repeat of last year’s unprecedented season. Members of the indigenous first nation community of Cold Lake Number 149, …

El Niño to Trigger Drought Insurance Payouts in Four Southern African Countries

A drought driven by the El Nino weather pattern is likely to trigger insurance payouts to four southern African countries who took out cover with an agency of the African Union. Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique will receive payments at …

‘Zombie Fires’ Smoldering Near Oil and Gas Wells Threaten Canada’s Drillers

Leftover blazes from last year’s record wildfire season in Canada are threatening to knock out almost 3% of the country’s natural gas production. A total of 50 so-called zombie fires still smoldering beneath layers of snow are located near oil …

Panama Canal Drought Could Threaten Global Supply Chains, S&P Says

The severe drought which has forced the Panama Canal, one of the world’s busiest trade passages, to limit daily crossings could impact global supply chains during a period of high demand, S&P Global said on Wednesday. The canal has imposed …

Experts Say California to Be Drought-Free Through 2025 Following Winter Storms

AccuWeather meteorologists say California will be free of widespread drought through the end of 2025 on the heels of a blizzard that dumped more than 80 inches of snow on the mountains of northern and central California. Back-to-back wet and …

Climate Change Drives Amazon Rainforest’s Record Drought: Study

Climate change is the main culprit for a record drought in the Amazon rainforest that has drained rivers, killed endangered dolphins and upended life for millions of people in the region, according to a study released on Wednesday. Global warming …

Study: Manmade Warming Increasing Drought in Western U.S.

Manmade warming has increased the prevalence and severity of concurrent drought and heat events, also termed hot droughts, across Western North America in the 20th-21st century, a new report shows. The authors of the report developed the Western North American …

Drought-Prone California Oks New Rules for Turning Wastewater into Drinking Water

When a toilet is flushed in California, the water can end up in a lot of places – the ice in a skating rink, the manufactured snow on ski slopes, in pipes providing irrigation for farmland. And – coming soon …