Britain’s railways face mounting pressure from extreme weather as a developing El Niño could make next year record-breaking for heat. Railway operators are implementing preparations including infrastructure upgrades and maintenance acceleration.

More than 40,000 excess deaths in England between 1988 and 2025 have been linked to extreme heat on the hottest days, with figures expected to rise as temperatures continue climbing.

The Hawk Fire near Reno, Nevada forced 90,000 people to evacuate in August, exemplifying how suburban sprawl in fire-prone regions intensifies wildfire risks across the American West.

A deadly flood on Wednesday in Nepal’s mountainous region killed approximately 160 people and left hundreds missing, with evidence suggesting rising temperatures contributed to glacial instability.

England faces potential water shortage by 2055 due to climate change, low rainfall, and high consumption. Farmers and households are already experiencing restrictions as river levels drop dangerously low.

China released a five-year climate plan covering 2026-2030 that consolidates existing policies on emissions, greenhouse gases, carbon markets, and international climate cooperation, while reaffirming pledges to peak emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

The UN’s desertification summit convenes this week in Mongolia to allocate over $12bn to help vulnerable countries combat drought and land degradation amid record global heat.

Marine heatwaves are shifting British marine ecosystems, with warm-water species like sunfish and octopuses appearing while cod and cold-water sharks become rare, prompting concerns about kelp and seagrass loss.

Land-use emissions have declined by approximately 32% since the 2000s, driven by reduced deforestation and increased forest regrowth offsetting roughly two-thirds of deforestation impacts.

Labour MPs express concern the government has softened its climate stance despite record wildfires and heat deaths, while polling shows public climate worry remains high but support for net zero targets has declined significantly.

Global ocean surface temperatures reached 21.1C on Saturday, surpassing the previous record set in March 2024, driven by human-caused climate change and the growing El Niño phenomenon.

Analysis shows climate damage from proposed UK oil fields would cost £119bn-£336bn, far exceeding their estimated £28.7bn economic value to the country.