wildfires News

Insured Losses From Canada’s Jasper Wildfire Surpass C$880 Million

This summer’s devastating wildfire in Jasper, Canada resulted in more than C$880 million (US$653.4 million) in insured damage, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), quoting data provided by Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). The sudden and intense …

Storm Warnings Issued Across Southern Europe – From Italy to Serbia

Thunderstorm alerts are in place for a swath of Europe from the south of France to the Balkans. There are orange warnings for Lombardy, Piedmont, Tuscany and Umbria in Italy, as the summer heat gives way to violent storms. Serbia …

Update: Greece Battles Wildfires While Storm Lilian Crosses UK

Greek wildfire risks increased as temperatures climb and near gale force winds blow across the Aegean Sea, while Storm Lilian is battering parts of the UK. Firefighters, supported by helicopters, are trying to control an outbreak in Paiania, on eastern …

Remnants of Hurricane Ernesto Trigger Wind and Rain Warnings in Scotland

Yellow weather warnings are in place for Scotland on Thursday, as the remnants of Hurricane Ernesto bring strong winds and heavy rain. There’s an alert for rain across western Scotland, with more than 100 millimeters (4 inches) forecast for higher …

Unseasonal Winter Heat Across Australia Raises Wildfire Risks

Australia is facing elevated wildfire risks months ahead of the summer fire season, as an unusually warm winter scorches parts of the continent and threatens to set temperature records. Heat is forecast to bake vast areas of the country in …

Storm Warnings in Place Across Europe, From Northern Greece to Poland

Thunderstorm alerts are in place for a swath of Europe from Poland and Hungary to Italy and Greece. There are orange warnings for northern Greece, as the summer heat gives way to violent storms and the risk of flooding. Serbia …

Storms Threaten Mediterranean From Sicily to Ionian Sea Islands

Thunderstorms are forecast across the Mediterranean from Corfu to Sicily, where a luxury yacht sank off the coast on Monday after being struck by a waterspout, a form of tornado. Orange storms alerts are in place for a swath of …

The Era of Runaway Heat Records Is Here

Las Vegas set a heat record of 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47.2C) in 1942, and for 82 years no weather system could budge it. Thermometers registered the same temperature four more times, all since 2005, without setting a new high. Then …

California Pot Farmers Feel the Heat from Low Pricing, Wildfires

Small-scale cannabis farmers in California are calling it quits, crushed by crop damage from devastating wildfires and sliding prices, and industry experts expect the exodus to continue near-term in the largest pot market in the United States. Unlike for traditional …

Europe’s $42 Billion Effort to Fight Wildfires Is an Uphill Battle

Europe is spending tens of billions of euros a year to fight wildfires, yet it hasn’t stopped blazes from flaring up across Greece and other parts of the continent this summer. This week fires on the outskirts of Athens engulfed …