Plus: New UK government ditches onshore wind ban
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Welcome to The Independent's weekly round-up on the climate crisis, and the solutions to tackle it. Thanks for reading - Stuti |
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(Clockwise from top left: A man cools off while navigating flood waters following heavy rain from Hurricane Beryl in Houston, Texas; A destroyed home in Surfside Beach, Texas; A drone view shows a flooded area, in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, in Houston, Texas (Credit: EPA; AFP via Getty Images; Reuters) |
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Eight people have died and millions more in Texas could be left without power for days as Tropical Storm Beryl continues to surge through the state.
After making landfall in the United States as a Category 1 hurricane on the coast of Matagorda on Monday morning, Beryl was downgraded to Tropical Storm as it traversed inland across eastern Texas, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds and life-threatening conditions.
Follow our live coverage of Hurricane Beryl here.
At least eight people have died, including two who were killed when trees fell on homes, according the National Hurricane Centre. The number also includes a civilian employee of the Houston Police Department, who was killed when he was trapped in flood waters under a highway overpass, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said.
More than 2.2 million homes and businesses have been left without power around Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city, after Beryl blew through, according to the CenterPoint Energy utility.
But Beryl isn't the only extreme weather plaguing the US right now. Several heat records have already been shattered by the latest heatwave in the South and West of the country, with several parts of Northern California hitting 110 Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius).
An excessive heat warning — the National Weather Service's highest alert — was in effect for about 36 million people, or about 10 per cent of the population.
"The heat can be dangerous for people who do not have power as they work to clean up debris and repair storm damage," said AccuWeather's chief meteorologist, Jon Porter.
"Everyone dealing with the Texas heat who lost power needs to have access to shaded areas and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated."
That heat is part of a global trend of hotter weather: Last month marks the 13th straight month to be the hottest on record, according to Europe's Copernicus climate service.
In other words, all months from June 2023 onwards have broken the record as the hottest for that respective month.
Elsewhere, monsoon rains wreaked havoc in South and Southeast Asia. In Nepal, 11 people were killed within 36 hours due to landslides and flooding, officials said on Sunday.
There was some good news for climate action this week, as the new Labour government in the UK overturned the de facto ban on onshore wind as part of a range of planning reforms unveiled by Chancellor Rachel Reeves to boost growth.
Green campaigners and the energy sector have welcomed the move, which reverses measures brought in for England by the Conservatives in 2015 under David Cameron.
"This government was elected with a mandate to take immediate action to boost Britain's energy independence," energy secretary Ed Miliband said.
"The onshore wind ban is a symbol of how bad decisions in the last 14 years have put up energy bills for families. Today it ends."
More climate news this week from The Independent
Warning of more deaths as 2024 set to be hottest year on record
Evacuations underway as 900-acre wildfire rages near Yosemite National Park
One of Europe's hottest places has lost its only lake
At least 11 killed and 8 missing after heavy rains trigger landslides in Nepal
Deadly flooding threatens rhinos in India's Assam as six drown
Dust in Delhi air puts plane engines at 'serious risk' of wear and tear
Google blames AI for growing emissions that threaten its climate goals
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"When you step out of your vehicle, it's like stepping your entire body out into an oven." |
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