Articles by Joe Wertz

UK’s Extremely Dry Start to Year Raises Crop and Wildfire Risks

The UK’s driest start to the year in four decades is threatening the country’s grain crops and increasing the risk of wildfires. Total precipitation of about 20.5 centimeters (8.1 inches) during the first quarter was the lowest since 1985, according …

Europe’s Hottest Year Turbocharged Extreme Weather Across Region

Europe experienced the hottest year on record in 2024, as climate change combined with a strong El Niño to generate a series of extreme weather events and force glaciers into retreat. Half the continent reported new heat records in 2024 …

Spain Braces for More Downpours After Floods Kill Three People

Spain is bracing for another round of torrential rains after flooding forced home evacuations, washed away cars and killed at least three people this week in the southern region of Andalusia. Authorities in Spain and Portugal issued amber alerts for …

Europe’s Winter Storms Will Get Worse as Emissions Rise, Study Says

Global carbon emissions are amplifying a North Atlantic wind pattern that drives northern Europe’s biggest winter storms, new research shows. According to projections from scientists at the UK’s Met Office and University of Exeter, in a scenario with very high …

Cascading Extreme Weather Events Unleash Billions in Damages Globally

First came a dry spell that parched the land, then a spark, followed by some wind. Suddenly, swaths of South Carolina were consumed by voracious flames. More than 100 fires ignited in the state last weekend — an unusually high …

Global Warming Could Be Making It Less Windy in Europe

Global warming is driving down wind speeds during European summers, putting additional stress on the region’s energy systems as soaring temperatures boost cooling demand, new research shows. That phenomenon — known as “stilling” — is driven by amplified warming of …

Floods in France Force Evacuations and Cut Power to Homes

Flooding caused by Storm Herminia forced the evacuation of thousands of people in northwest France, while hundreds of homes remain without power. Back-to-back storms — Éowyn followed by Herminia — have triggered the worst flooding in 40 years in parts …

Storm Triggers Worst Floods in 40 Years in Northwest France

Storm Herminia triggered the worst flooding in four decades in parts of northwest France and created dangerous avalanche conditions in the Alps. In Brittany, hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes in the department of Ile-et-Vilaine, including the city …

Climate Change Makes Fierce Winter Storms Like Éowyn Even Stronger

Winter Storm Éowyn pummeled Ireland and the UK with hurricane-force winds on Friday, creating blackouts for hundreds of thousands and disrupting travel across northwestern Europe. Éowyn was one of the strongest storms to hit the region and likely set new …

Storm Éowyn Leaves Thousands Without Power, Grounds Flights

Hurricane-strength winds battered Ireland and the UK early Friday morning, leaving thousands of homes and businesses without power and disrupting transportation across the region. Winter Storm Éowyn brought record gusts of 183 kilometers (114 miles) per hour in Galway in …