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Environment News
]Weather Bee | January 2025 all set to be the warmest January month on record
Updated on Feb 01, 2025 06:35 PM IST
January 2025 is on track to be the hottest January on record, with an average temperature increase of 1.75°C above pre-industrial levels
![A couple take a walk at sunrise near the icy Oak Street Beach along the shore of Lake Michigan Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Chicago (AP/Kiichiro Sato) A couple take a walk at sunrise near the icy Oak Street Beach along the shore of Lake Michigan Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Chicago (AP/Kiichiro Sato)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2025/02/01/550x309/Winter-Blasts-Weather-0_1737432884281_1738415082196.jpg)
Looming tragedy: Sikkim lake was unstable for years, new study finds
The flood devastated the Teesta Hydroelectric Project Stage-III (1200 MW), washed away the dam and flooded the underground powerhouse.
![A sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim resulted in a flash flood in the Teesta River in the Lachen valley in October 2023. (PTI File Photo) A sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim resulted in a flash flood in the Teesta River in the Lachen valley in October 2023. (PTI File Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2025/01/31/150x84/A-sudden-cloud-burst-over-Lhonak-Lake-in-North-Sik_1738313835792.jpg)
Updated on Jan 31, 2025 02:35 PM IST
Weather Bee | Why have the LA fires attracted attention?
The wildfires in Los Angeles, while not the largest in California history, attract attention due to the county's high population density and financial stakes.
![A fire fighting helicopter drops water as the Palisades fire grows near the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood and Encino, California, on January 11, 2025. The Palisades Fire, the largest of the Los Angeles fires, spread toward previously untouched neighborhoods January 11, forcing new evacuations and dimming hopes that the disaster was coming under control. Across the city, at least 16 people have died as multiple fires have ripped through residential areas since January 7, razing thousands of homes in destruction that US President Joe Biden likened to a A fire fighting helicopter drops water as the Palisades fire grows near the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood and Encino, California, on January 11, 2025. The Palisades Fire, the largest of the Los Angeles fires, spread toward previously untouched neighborhoods January 11, forcing new evacuations and dimming hopes that the disaster was coming under control. Across the city, at least 16 people have died as multiple fires have ripped through residential areas since January 7, razing thousands of homes in destruction that US President Joe Biden likened to a](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2025/01/25/148x111/US-WEATHER-FIRE-79_1736720709551_1737816250251.jpg)
Published on Jan 25, 2025 08:14 PM IST
Weather Bee | Why is the global temperature high despite La Nina's arrival?
Since the La Nina is expected to be weak and short-lived, its influence may be even more insignificant than in recent years.
![Snow covers a rock as drifting broken sea ice, floats on the surface, off the extreme western point of Replot Island, in Kvarken archipelago, near Bjorkoby, in the northern part of the Baltic Sea on January 15, 2025. Due to a mild winter and temperatures above zero degrees centigrade, the open sea has not frozen. (Photo by Olivier MORIN / AFP)(AFP) Snow covers a rock as drifting broken sea ice, floats on the surface, off the extreme western point of Replot Island, in Kvarken archipelago, near Bjorkoby, in the northern part of the Baltic Sea on January 15, 2025. Due to a mild winter and temperatures above zero degrees centigrade, the open sea has not frozen. (Photo by Olivier MORIN / AFP)(AFP)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2025/01/17/148x111/FINLAND-WEATHER-GLOBAL-WARMING-CLIMATE-4_1737124787146_1737124849506.jpg)
Published on Jan 17, 2025 08:17 PM IST
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How to make sense of 2024’s wild temperatures
Our climate team highlight four charts and two maps
![Temperatures passed 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in northern India as an unrelenting heatwave triggered warnings of water shortages and heatstroke. 2024 is confirmed by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) to be the warmest year on record globally, and the first calendar year that the average global temperature exceeded 1.5°C above its pre-industrial level. (AFP)(HT_PRINT) Temperatures passed 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in northern India as an unrelenting heatwave triggered warnings of water shortages and heatstroke. 2024 is confirmed by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) to be the warmest year on record globally, and the first calendar year that the average global temperature exceeded 1.5°C above its pre-industrial level. (AFP)(HT_PRINT)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2025/01/11/148x111/Temperatures-passed-50-degrees-Celsius--122-Fahren_1736610367717_1736610373756.jpg)
Published on Jan 17, 2025 08:00 AM IST
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The Economist
2024 was warmest year on record, should be wake up call, say scientists
The year 2024 was the first during which the average global temperature exceeded 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level, the threshold beyond which climate change will make human life more difficult
![Human-induced climate change remained the primary driver of extreme air and sea surface temperatures. (Getty Images via AFP/Representative) Human-induced climate change remained the primary driver of extreme air and sea surface temperatures. (Getty Images via AFP/Representative)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2025/01/10/150x84/Human-induced-climate-change-remained-the-primary-_1736480540697.jpg)
Published on Jan 10, 2025 09:12 AM IST
Indian glaciers retreating at a faster pace, UN told
The Biennial Update Report to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change provides a comprehensive assessment of how climate change is impacting India.
![The Gangotri glacier. (File Photo) The Gangotri glacier. (File Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2025/01/06/150x84/The-Gangotri-glacier---File-Photo-_1736130604588.jpg)
Updated on Jan 06, 2025 08:00 AM IST
, New Delhi
Jayashree NandiEcostani: Western Ghats, hill states lose forest; growth outside reserved forest
Forest laws have been diluted over the years resulting in loss of forest, especially the very dense and moderate forest areas.
![The Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Areas occupies an area of approximately 60,285.61 km2. (HT File Photo) The Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Areas occupies an area of approximately 60,285.61 km2. (HT File Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/12/23/150x84/The-Western-Ghats-Eco-Sensitive-Areas-occupies-an-_1734946174152.jpg)
Updated on Dec 23, 2024 02:59 PM IST
Weather Bee: Third consecutive year of record low snow pack in December
The impact of deficit precipitation is that the snow pack in India’s hilly regions in the north has reached a new low for this part of December.
![Houses covered in snow after the plains of Kashmir received the season's first snowfall after a long dry spell on December 12. (PTI Photo) Houses covered in snow after the plains of Kashmir received the season's first snowfall after a long dry spell on December 12. (PTI Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/12/20/150x84/Houses-covered-in-snow-after-the-plains-of-Kashmir_1734696322727.jpg)
Published on Dec 20, 2024 05:35 PM IST
Ganges River Dolphin geotagged in Assam: Environment minister
The Ganges dolphin is an indicator species, whose status provides information on the overall condition of the ecosystem and of other species in that ecosystem.
![A Ganges River Dolphin.(File Photo) A Ganges River Dolphin.(File Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/12/19/148x111/ganges_dolphin_1734585405746_1734585406283.jpg)
Updated on Dec 19, 2024 10:47 AM IST
AQI 15 in Delhi! Meet the Sainik Farms couple that keeps the air clean and cool
Delhiites, urban farmers Peter Singh and Neeno Kaur practice sustainable living through aquaponics. Their quest for clean air began after Kaur got leukemia.
![Neeno Kaur and Peter Singh, residents of south Delhi's Sainik Farms, are the new social media favourites for practicing sustainable living and waste management. Neeno Kaur and Peter Singh, residents of south Delhi's Sainik Farms, are the new social media favourites for practicing sustainable living and waste management.](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/12/08/148x111/sainik_farm_couple_1733633959561_1733633982326.jpg)
Published on Dec 08, 2024 01:13 PM IST
Ecostani: Baku shows India cannot hide behind global south in climate talks
New Delhi fears that the burden of climate finance may have to be shared by the developing countries, especially India and China.
![Activists demonstrate over climate finance at the COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday. (AP Photo) Activists demonstrate over climate finance at the COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday. (AP Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/11/25/150x84/Activists-demonstrate-over-climate-finance-at-the-_1732527413283.jpg)
Updated on Nov 25, 2024 03:07 PM IST
India makes history at COP29, rejects NCQG decision, speaks up for Global South
India was the first to reject the decision because it doesn't reflect the priorities of the Global South
![A man uses his laptop as he sits near the COP29 United Nations climate change conference pavilion, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Friday. (REUTERS) A man uses his laptop as he sits near the COP29 United Nations climate change conference pavilion, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Friday. (REUTERS)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/11/24/148x111/A-man-uses-his-laptop-as-he-sits-near-the-COP29-Un_1732299765693_1732422498988.jpg)
Published on Nov 24, 2024 10:00 AM IST
Weather Bee: What is at stake in Baku?
While all COPs have the mandate to mitigate the climate crisis, the ongoing one is being termed as the ‘finance COP’.
![The venue of the United Nations climate change conference ‘COP29’ in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Reuters Photo) The venue of the United Nations climate change conference ‘COP29’ in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Reuters Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/11/22/150x84/The-venue-of-the-United-Nations-climate-change-con_1732282597120.jpg)
Published on Nov 22, 2024 07:06 PM IST
No NCQG quantum yet from the rich world as COP29 comes to a close
Some members of the civil society also said there are efforts to weaken the unity of developing countries, especially the G77 and China.
![The venue of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AFP Photo) The venue of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AFP Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/11/22/150x84/The-venue-of-the-United-Nations-Climate-Change-Con_1732265490930.jpg)
Updated on Nov 22, 2024 02:21 PM IST
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How to pay for the poor world to go green
Rich countries need not reinvent the wheel
![To estimate the developing world’s requirements in climate finance, economists add together three financing needs. (Unsplash) To estimate the developing world’s requirements in climate finance, economists add together three financing needs. (Unsplash)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/11/17/148x111/greenforce-staffing-bYZn_C-RswQ-unsplash_1708072808614_1731860875527.jpg)
Published on Nov 21, 2024 08:00 AM IST
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The Economist
COP29 president scrambles to save deadlocked talks
Developing countries refuse to commit to stronger climate action without clear financial commitments from developed nations.
![The COP29 UN Climate Summit venue in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo) The COP29 UN Climate Summit venue in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/11/19/150x84/The-COP29-UN-Climate-Summit-venue-in-Baku--Azerbai_1731991944564.jpg)
Published on Nov 19, 2024 10:22 AM IST
, New Delhi
Jayashree NandiWeather Bee | More than one dataset can breach the 1.5°C threshold this year
Divergence between datasets means that the breach of the 1.5°C threshold can be a staggered event with different datasets reporting the event in different years
![Raisen, Nov 13 (ANI): A hot air balloon flies in the air over UNESCO's world heritage site Sanchi Stupas during a hot air balloon show. (ANI Photo) (Sanjeev Gupta) Raisen, Nov 13 (ANI): A hot air balloon flies in the air over UNESCO's world heritage site Sanchi Stupas during a hot air balloon show. (ANI Photo) (Sanjeev Gupta)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/11/16/148x111/Raisen--Nov-13--ANI---A-hot-air-balloon-flies-in-t_1731509397725_1731773964739.jpg)
Published on Nov 17, 2024 09:00 AM IST
Himalayan nations in a huddle at COP29; Brazil to announce ambitious climate plan
India urged nations, particularly Pakistan and Bangladesh, to take proactive, collaborative steps to manage and mitigate air pollution across borders.
![The venue of the COP29 UN Climate Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo) The venue of the COP29 UN Climate Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/11/13/150x84/The-venue-of-the-COP29-UN-Climate-Summit-in-Baku--_1731487840681.jpg)
Published on Nov 13, 2024 02:20 PM IST
COP29 opens with divisions over Europe’s carbon border tax and climate financing
CBAM is hailed by the EU as a critical step to curb carbon leakage. However, developing nations claim it disproportionately burdens them
![A night view shows the venue of the United Nations climate change conference, known as COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday. (REUTERS) A night view shows the venue of the United Nations climate change conference, known as COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday. (REUTERS)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/11/12/148x111/A-night-view-shows-the-venue-of-the-United-Nations_1731350889042_1731433377277.jpg)
Published on Nov 12, 2024 11:14 PM IST
COP29 president says New Collective Quantified Goal ‘top priority’
India, in line with the needs of developing countries, has said in the past that developed countries need to provide at least USD 1 trillion per year as climate finance.
![A pedestrian walks past a COP29 information centre in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sunday. (AFP Photo) A pedestrian walks past a COP29 information centre in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sunday. (AFP Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/11/11/150x84/A-pedestrian-walks-past-a-COP29-information-centre_1731312480556.jpg)
Published on Nov 11, 2024 01:38 PM IST
Climate commitments continue to miss key targets of the Paris Agreement: Report
The latest synthesis report shows climate action is still insufficient, with emissions reductions lacking the depth needed for the Paris Agreement targets
![New Delhi, India- October 18, 2024: Yamuna River at Kalindi Kunj has foamed up in large quantities. The Yamuna in Delhi is almost dead and in most places the water is not fit for bathing, let alone sustaining aquatic life. The main reason for this is the high ammonia levels in the river due to excessive emissions of industrial pollutants, in New Delhi, India, on Friday, October 18, 2024. (Photo by Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times) New Delhi, India- October 18, 2024: Yamuna River at Kalindi Kunj has foamed up in large quantities. The Yamuna in Delhi is almost dead and in most places the water is not fit for bathing, let alone sustaining aquatic life. The main reason for this is the high ammonia levels in the river due to excessive emissions of industrial pollutants, in New Delhi, India, on Friday, October 18, 2024. (Photo by Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/11/06/148x111/20241018-DLI-SGH-MN-YamunaRiverPollution-001-0_1730905415761_1730905547363.jpg)
Published on Nov 08, 2024 08:00 AM IST
Weather Bee | What a forecast for 1.5°C warming in 2024 means
New climate data from the C3S shows that 2024 is almost certain to be the first year with temperatures exceeding the pre-industrial average by more than 1.5°C
![Scientists have weather models that can forecast temperatures with some accuracy only up to a few weeks, and they are very accurate for only a few days ahead. So, how are they certain what global temperatures will average up to December? (HT File Photo)(HT_PRINT) Scientists have weather models that can forecast temperatures with some accuracy only up to a few weeks, and they are very accurate for only a few days ahead. So, how are they certain what global temperatures will average up to December? (HT File Photo)(HT_PRINT)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/11/07/148x111/Temperatures-are-expected-to-stay-in-the-same-rang_1730991787499_1730991883613.jpg)
Published on Nov 08, 2024 07:30 AM IST
2024 to be warmest year on record, first to breach 1.5 degrees Celsius limit: Copernicus
The average temperature anomaly for the rest of 2024 would have to drop to almost zero for 2024 to not be the warmest year, the climate agency said.
![A person pours water on another man to cool off during a hot day in Karachi, Pakistan in May this year. (AP Photo) A person pours water on another man to cool off during a hot day in Karachi, Pakistan in May this year. (AP Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/11/07/150x84/A-person-pours-water-on-another-man-to-cool-off-du_1730970997720.jpg)
Published on Nov 07, 2024 02:43 PM IST
'No More Hot Air’: UNEP calls for urgent action to prevent climate catastrophe
As emissions climb to unprecedented levels, the UNEP’s latest report exposes a widening chasm between climate pledges and reality.
![FILE PHOTO: A countdown display for the COP29 United Nations Climate Change Conference is set in Baku, Azerbaijan October 31, 2024. REUTERS/Aziz Karimov/File Photo(REUTERS) FILE PHOTO: A countdown display for the COP29 United Nations Climate Change Conference is set in Baku, Azerbaijan October 31, 2024. REUTERS/Aziz Karimov/File Photo(REUTERS)](https://images.hindustantimes.com/default/148x111.jpg)
Published on Nov 06, 2024 04:21 PM IST
Weather Bee: Dry weather, record-low snow pack kept northern India warm in Oct
Temperatures are running warmer than normal (considered as the average temperature in the 1981-2010 period, according to IMD) in the northern half of India.
![There has been no rain in Chandigarh so far this month and similar weather is expected to continue for the next two weeks. (Ravi Kumar/HT) There has been no rain in Chandigarh so far this month and similar weather is expected to continue for the next two weeks. (Ravi Kumar/HT)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/11/01/148x111/There-has-been-no-rain-in-Chandigarh-so-far-this-m_1729195866347_1730442941364.jpg)
Published on Nov 01, 2024 12:45 PM IST
Climate crisis posing grave health, survival threats: Report
In 2023, people were exposed to, on an average, an unprecedented 50 more days of health-threatening temperatures than expected without the climate crisis.
![Climate activists protest in London on Monday. (Bloomberg Photo) Climate activists protest in London on Monday. (Bloomberg Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/10/30/150x84/Climate-activists-protest-in-London-on-Monday---Bl_1730258197663.jpg)
Published on Oct 30, 2024 08:46 AM IST
Rhythma Kaul, New Delhi
Tiny farmers: Ants began farming fungi 66 million years ago, says new study
Ant agriculture offers a glimpse into a system that has survived mass extinctions, climate change, and even infectious diseases.
![A close-up of an any colony. (Shutterstock Photo) A close-up of an any colony. (Shutterstock Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/10/29/150x84/A-close-up-of-an-any-colony---Shutterstock-Photo-_1730198352289.jpg)
Published on Oct 29, 2024 04:09 PM IST
Record GHG emissions put Earth on course of warming for decades to come: WMO report
CO2 is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than ever experienced during human existence, rising by more than 10% in just two decades, the WMO said.
![Climate demonstrators during the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington, DC, on October 25. (Bloomberg Photo) Climate demonstrators during the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington, DC, on October 25. (Bloomberg Photo)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/10/28/150x84/Climate-demonstrators-during-the-annual-meetings-o_1730106688614.jpg)
Updated on Oct 28, 2024 02:41 PM IST
Weather Bee | Are two storms rare in the Bay of Bengal in October?
At least one cyclonic disturbance occurred in October in Bay of Bengal in 117 years from 1891 to 2023, which gives an 88% probability of such a storm in October
![Villagers stand near damaged temporary houses following the landfall of cyclone Dana in East Midnapore district around 180km southwest of Kolkata, on October 25, 2024. Cyclone Dana uprooted trees and power lines after making landfall on India's east coast, with officials warning of more fierce weather on October 25. (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR / AFP)(AFP) Villagers stand near damaged temporary houses following the landfall of cyclone Dana in East Midnapore district around 180km southwest of Kolkata, on October 25, 2024. Cyclone Dana uprooted trees and power lines after making landfall on India's east coast, with officials warning of more fierce weather on October 25. (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR / AFP)(AFP)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/10/25/148x111/INDIA-WEATHER-CLIMATE-CYCLONE-DANA-11_1729856831757_1729856868048.jpg)
Published on Oct 26, 2024 08:00 AM IST