Heat

A couple sits atop Tourkovounia Hill in Athens as clouds of Saharan dust cover the capital city.

Skies Over Athens Turn a Martian Orange Amid Saharan Dust Storm

Strong winds brought desert dust and heat across the Mediterranean this week, sparking health advisories and fires in Greece

Bleached corals in the Great Barrier Reef during a previous mass bleaching event.

The World's Fourth Mass Coral Bleaching Event Is Underway—and It Could Become the Worst One Yet

The impacted reefs represent 54 percent of the planet's total, and that figure is currently increasing by 1 percent each week, NOAA scientists say

Without enough food, humpback whales become thinner, more susceptible to disease and less likely to reproduce.

7,000 Humpback Whales May Have Starved to Death During the 'Blob' Heatwave

The unprecedented marine heat between 2013 and 2016 in the North Pacific likely drove the whales' 20 percent decline, a trend revealed by citizen science observations

Greenhouse gas emissions that result from burning fossil fuels drive climate change.

Six Big Ways Climate Change Could Impact the United States by 2100

Climate change is expected to affect all parts of the country in the coming decades, threatening everything from our food supply to our coastlines

Researchers studied roughly 50 numbats over the course of a year.

As the Planet Warms, Australia's Numbats Are at Risk of Overheating

The endangered, squirrel-sized marsupials forage for termites during the day—but they can become too hot after just ten minutes in direct sunlight, according to new research

In the extreme heat of summer 2023, saguaro cactuses died in Arizona.

2023 Broke Temperature Records. Will 2024 Be Even More Extreme?

Climate scientists have confirmed that last year's heat was unprecedented, surpassing records by a wide margin—but it could be one of the coolest years to come

A wildfire in British Columbia, Canada, this summer. Global warming increases the likelihood of extreme events like wildfires.

2023 Will Officially Be the Hottest Year on Record, Scientists Say

A new report finds the global average temperature so far this year is 1.46 degrees Celsius warmer than the pre-industrial average

A stall worker carries a bag of ice on Copacabana Beach during a heatwave in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 18, 2023.

Earth Headed for Nearly Three-Degree Temperature Hike—Well Above Paris Agreement Level

A new U.N. report finds current pledges put the planet on track to warm 2.5 to 2.9 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels this century

By 2030, coal production is projected to rise to 460 percent above what’s consistent with limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Fossil Fuel Production on Track to Increase Despite Climate Promises, Report Finds

World governments are planning to produce 110 percent more coal, oil and gas in 2030 than is allowed under the Paris Agreement, U.N. says

Cheetahs may give up their prey to a larger predator, such as a lion or leopard, if one comes along while they are eating.

Cheetahs Become More Nocturnal in Extreme Heat, Study Finds

Hunting later at night may force the big cats to surrender their prey to larger carnivores, such as lions and leopards

Researchers are still trying to confirm the cause of death, but they suspect the high water temperatures are to blame.

At Least 125 River Dolphins Have Died Amid Drought and Heat in Brazilian Amazon

Though the pink animals' cause of death is not confirmed, temperatures in the remote Lake Tefé reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit in late September

Cows with the slick gene have sleek, short hair that helps keep them cool.

Farmers Are Breeding Cows to Withstand Heat Waves

A gene that occurs naturally in some cow breeds may be the key to helping cattle thrive as temperatures rise because of climate change

KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz

Swiss Seniors Are Suing Over Climate Change's Threat to Their Health

Amid record-setting heat, the group of women argue that their government's failure to cut fossil fuel emissions has violated their human rights

Firefighters have observed fire whirls on the north side of the York Fire.

Spinning 'Fire Whirls' Tear Through the Mojave Desert Amid California's Largest Wildfire This Year

The dangerous columns of fire can rapidly change direction and spread embers over long distances

Phoenix, Arizona recorded temperatures of 110 degrees Fahrenheit and above for 31 days in a row.

July Was Likely Earth's Hottest Month on Record

With El Niño and human-caused climate change expected to bring more heat in the future, scientists say July's extreme temperatures could soon be surpassed

A diver swims around a coral reef in Key West, Florida, on July 14, 2023. Coral reefs in the Florida Keys are at risk of bleaching and death because of very hot water temperatures this summer.

Water Temperatures Hit 'Hot Tub' Levels in the Florida Keys

A buoy in Manatee Bay recorded 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday evening, as coral reefs suffer

Flames reach the Greek village of Gennadi, where residents stand on roofs to try to save their homes with water hoses.

Greece Is on Fire, Forcing Its Largest-Ever Evacuation From Flames

Blazes on three popular vacation islands have led thousands of people to flee the area amid a massive heat wave

Alessandro Rotta Loria and a student in his lab walk through a train tunnel beneath the Chicago Loop.

Chicago May Be Slowly Sinking Because of 'Underground Climate Change'

The ground beneath the Windy City is shifting as heat escapes from buildings and transit systems, posing a threat to infrastructure, a study finds

The sun sets during a record heat wave in Tempe, Arizona, on July 18, 2023.

From Japan to Louisiana to Rome, Here Are Ten Heat Records Earth Has Broken Since June

As the planet clocks the warmest June ever, here's a list of temperature marks that fell this summer

July 4, 2023 was the Earth's hottest day ever, breaking the record set one day earlier. The heat continued into Wendsday, July 5.

Earth Faces Hottest Day Ever Recorded—Three Days in a Row

Researchers attribute the sweltering heat to a combination of human-caused climate change and El Niño, which has a global warming effect

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