Topic guide
Wildfires, droughts, floods and heat waves now hit harder and more often. This hub brings together our coverage of extreme weather events and the science behind them: what happened, why it happened, and what researchers expect next for people, crops and wildlife.
Wildfires, droughts, floods and heat waves now affect more people each year. This guide collects our reporting on extreme weather events and the science that explains them.
For each event we answer four questions: what happened, where and when it happened, how it compares with past records, and what researchers say about the role of climate change. When scientists have not yet studied an event, we say so clearly instead of guessing.
EnvironmentIn Poland’s ancient Białowieża Forest, researchers suggest that its wetlands and dense woodlands may function as natural military defences against potential invasions, offering dual benefits for conservation.
AnimalsOn World Kangaroo Day, observed each year on October 24, Australians and wildlife advocates reflect on the growing pressures climate change places on the country's iconic macropods amid the 2026 super El Niño event.
EnvironmentFour artisanal gold miners lost their lives when a hillside collapsed in the Jorong Jujutan forest of Indonesia’s South Solok district on 6 October, the latest in a string of deadly accidents linked to small-scale gold extraction across Sumatra.
ClimateExcessive rainfall during the sensitive flowering and early pod stages has emerged as the primary cause of recent harvest instability in Ghana, the world’s leading cacao producer.
EnvironmentFour firefighters were killed on October 15 while attempting to contain a wildfire that broke out in a savanna area of Mount Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, Indonesia.
