The China Mail - Weather

Featured

World leaders to rally climate fight ahead of Amazon summit

World leaders meet Thursday in the Brazilian Amazon in an effort to show that climate change remains a top global priority despite broken promises and the United States shunning the gathering.

UN says forests should form key plank of COP30

The United Nations warned Wednesday that climate change poses a threat to the world's northern forests, saying it was putting the planet's most powerful natural defence at serious risk.

Last news

EU strikes last-ditch deal on climate targets as COP30 looms

The European Union struck a deal Wednesday on the 27-nation bloc's next big emissions-cutting targets, after making a string of concessions to win over reluctant capitals in time for the UN's COP30 summit.

Typhoon death toll soars past 90 in the Philippines

The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi in the Philippines climbed past 90 on Wednesday as the devastating impact on hard-hit Cebu province became clearer after the worst flooding in recent memory.

Pay to protect: Brazil pitches new forest fund at COP30

Tropical countries from Cameroon to Colombia could earn tens of millions of dollars a year under a novel approach to protecting the world's rainforests being launched at the COP30 summit in Brazil.

No deal yet on EU climate targets as COP30 looms

The European Union's member states have not yet reached an agreement on key emissions targets before the UN's COP30 summit in Brazil, and ministers will meet again on Wednesday to thrash out a deal, according to Brussels officials.

Biggest emitter, record renewables: China's climate scorecard

China is the world's biggest emitter of planet-warning greenhouse gases but is also installing more renewable energy sources and putting more electric vehicles on its roads than any other country.

EU scrambles to seal climate deal ahead of COP30

EU environment ministers will Tuesday make a last-ditch attempt to reassert the bloc's climate ambitions by nailing down key emissions targets in the run-up to the UN's climate summit in Brazil.

Prince William plays football, volleyball in Rio on climate trip

Britain's Prince William played football with Brazil's Cafu and volleyball on Copacabana Beach as he took in the charms of Rio de Janeiro before attending the COP30 climate summit this week.

Prince William awed by Rio on climate-focused trip to Brazil

Britain's Prince William took in the dramatic contrasts of Rio de Janeiro, from sweeping beaches to the troubled favelas, as he kicked off a visit Monday focused on ideas to protect the planet.

Vietnam flood death toll rises to 35: disaster agency

Record heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam this week have killed 35 people, disaster management officials said Sunday, with five more still missing in the deluge.

US not sending any high-level officials to COP30

The United States will not send any top officials to the COP30 climate talks in Brazil later this month, a White House official said Saturday, as President Donald Trump instead works to boost fossil fuels.

Camels replace cows as Kenya battles drought

"God, God, God, protect them," chanted two herders, their eyes following a dozen camels rushing toward acacia trees, oblivious to the dry riverbed in northern Kenya where it hasn't rained since April.

Devastated Caribbean assesses damage as hurricane eyes Bermuda

Hurricane Melissa was approaching Bermuda Thursday after tearing a path of destruction across the Caribbean that left at least 24 people dead in Haiti, and parts of Jamaica and Cuba in ruins.

UN climate fund posts record year as chief defends loans

The head of the UN's flagship climate fund has announced a record-breaking year for approving projects in vulnerable countries, crediting red-tape-cutting reforms for the achievement that includes a major desalination project in Jordan.

Record Vietnam floods kill 10, turn streets into canals

Major flooding that killed 10 people in central Vietnam this week also turned streets in Hoi An into canals on Thursday after a major river reached a 60-year high, authorities said.

Personal tipping points: Four people share their climate journeys

From US President Donald Trump's all-out push for fossil fuels to political squabbles in Europe, governments are retreating on their climate promises. But most people around the world still see global warming as a serious threat.

Spain to hold memorial on first anniversary of deadly floods

Grieving relatives will join political leaders Wednesday for a state memorial service in Spain for the more than 230 victims of last year's floods on the anniversary of the disaster.

Historically strong Hurricane Melissa nears landfall in Jamaica

Rising floodwater and extreme winds hit Jamaica Tuesday as the Caribbean island braced for imminent landfall of Hurricane Melissa and officials pleaded with residents to take shelter.

World far off track to meet climate goals: UN

The UN estimated Tuesday that nations' carbon-cutting pledges imply a far-from-sufficient 10-percent emissions cut by 2035, cautioning that it was unable to provide a robust global overview after most countries failed to submit their plans on time.

Thousands evacuated in Vietnam after record rain triggers floods

Thousands of people in Vietnam were evacuated from their homes after record rainfall of more than one metre in 24 hours submerged a central city, the environment ministry said Tuesday.

Jamaica warns of mass destruction as Hurricane Melissa looms

Jamaican officials urged the public to get to higher ground and shelters ahead of Hurricane Melissa's expected landfall Tuesday, with the prime minister warning it could bring massive devastation.

Slow but savage: Why hurricanes like Melissa are becoming more common

Fueled by abnormally warm Caribbean waters, Hurricane Melissa exploded into a Category 5 cyclone while moving at little more than a strolling pace -- a dangerous mix that could amplify its impacts through relentless rain, storm surge and wind.

India trials Delhi cloud seeding to combat deadly smog

India trialled cloud seeding over its smog-filled capital for the first time, spraying a chemical from an aeroplane to encourage rain and wash deadly particles out of the air.

US oil giants produce mainly at home but send more tax dollars overseas

US fossil fuel giants produce most of their oil and gas domestically but pay billions more in taxes overseas than they do at home because of subsidies that have only grown during President Donald Trump's second term, a report said Thursday.

Scrapped by Trump, revived US climate-disaster database reveals record losses

A flagship US climate-disaster database killed by President Donald Trump's administration has been brought back to life by its former lead scientist -- revealing that extreme weather inflicted a record $101 billion in damages in just the first half of 2025.

UN chief calls for 'fight' against climate disinformation

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for a fightback against climate disinformation ahead of next month's COP30 summit after US President Donald Trump branded climate change the "greatest con job ever".

European airlines drop vague promises on carbon offsets

European airlines are starting to become prudent when promoting flight carbon-offset measures, such as reforestation, following courtroom losses and stepped-up pressure by regulators.

China's power paradox: record renewables, continued coal

Call it the China power paradox: while Beijing leads the world in renewable energy expansion, its coal projects are booming too.

Water salinity hurting farmers, livestock in Iraq

Iraqi farmer Umm Ali has watched her poultry die as salinity levels in the country's south hit record highs, rendering already scarce water unfit for human consumption and killing livestock.

Fatal bear attacks in Japan hit record number

Bears have killed a record number of people in Japan this year, the environment ministry said on Thursday just as another possible victim was reported missing.

Australian rainforests no longer a carbon sink: study

Australia's tropical rainforests are among the first in the world to start leaking more carbon dioxide than they absorb, scientists said Thursday as they linked the worrying trend to climate change.

Climate advisers warn UK to prepare for 2C warming by 2050

UK climate advisers warned the government for the first time on Wednesday to prepare for 2C of global warming by 2050, stressing current efforts to adapt to extreme weather were not enough.

Brazil's climate wins ahead of COP30

Brazil's president has slashed deforestation in the Amazon and worked to better protect Indigenous people, giving him a generally positive environmental record as he prepares to host COP30 UN climate talks in a month.

The China Mail - Weather (English)