The Japan Times

Featured

Drought forces water restrictions across nearly 70 percent of France

Nearly 70 percent of France is subject to water-use restrictions as drought conditions worsen amid successive heatwaves, the government said Monday.

Europe braces for another summer heatwave

Much of Europe is bracing for yet another heatwave following periods of scorching temperatures that have driven rivers to record lows, ignited historic forest fires and contributed to thousands of deaths.

Last news

July was Spain's hottest month on record: weather agency

July was mainland Spain's joint-hottest month since records began in 1961, national weather agency AEMET said on Monday, after high temperatures fuelled the country's biggest wildfire in recent history.

Eighth day of wildfires in Indonesian national park

Indonesian firefighters backed by helicopters and drones battled devastating flames for an eighth day Monday in a national park on Java Island where over 500 hectares have been lost, an official said.

Typhoon Dolphin weakens but disrupts travel in east China

Typhoon Dolphin brought heavy rain to eastern China on Monday, causing hundreds of flight cancellations even as the storm weakened and some cities resumed public transport.

Western Europe experienced hottest June-July on record: EU monitor

Western Europe experienced its hottest June-July on record as climate change fuels an historic summer of heat, drought and wildfires across the region, the EU's global warming monitor said Monday.

Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall in China after flight cancellations, evacuations

Typhoon Dolphin made landfall in densely populated eastern China on Sunday, meteorological authorities said, after the storm triggered more than 1,000 flight cancellations, evacuations and a top-level alert.

Flight cancellations, evacuations in China as Typhoon Dolphin looms

China's densely populated eastern coast was preparing Sunday for the arrival of Typhoon Dolphin, which has triggered more than 1,000 flight cancellations, evacuations and a top-level alert from authorities.

Canada tries to adapt to a future of wildfires

Faced with another summer when wildfires have scorched millions of hectares of land and blankets of smoke have disrupted daily life nationwide, Canada is trying to limit the annual devastation.

Indonesia battles Mount Bromo wildfire as El Nino takes root

Indonesian authorities battled Friday to contain a wildfire that has swept through Mount Bromo National Park on Java island, destroying more than 120 hectares as the country braces itself for an extreme El Nino-fuelled dry season.

Food security fears mount as UK farmers battle drought

Giant dust clouds rose from a green-red combine harvester as it crawled across a parched field, a sign that something was awry with UK farmer John Pawsey's land.

North Korea touts dog soup and other home-cooked recipes to beat the heat

Dog meat soup and bubbling ginseng broths are being proffered by North Korea's leadership as home remedies to take the edge off a spell of searing weather.

Rising Kenyan lakes push crocodiles closer to homes

A crocodile basks in the sunshine on the roof of a submerged conference hall at a holiday resort in central Kenya, in a visible sign of how rising lake waters are endangering thousands of families and local businesses.

South Korea pro baseball league cancels games over heatwave

South Korea's professional baseball league cancelled all games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday amid a record-setting heatwave that has sent spectators to hospital.

'Like the end of the world': the eclipse chasers flocking to Spain

Suddenly, the world is plunged into an eerie, violet darkness. The temperature drops. Birds and other animals, bewildered by unforeseen night, start behaving strangely. Stars and planets appear in the sky next to the blotted-out Sun.

Heatwave divides rich and poor of upmarket Seoul

In Seoul's affluent district of Gangnam, a severe heatwave has changed the currency of cool: access to air conditioning now defines the line between the haves and the have-nots.

Heat kills 16 in South Korea this summer: interior ministry

South Korea's summer heat has killed 16 people so far this year, the interior ministry said Tuesday, as the nation swelters in a wave of searing weather.

WWII shells surface in wildfire-ravaged French village

A huge forest fire near Bordeaux in southwestern France has revealed World War II shells in the village of Le Porge, where all residents returned to their homes on Monday after days of demining operations.

England, Wales had driest July on record: Met Office

England and Wales both experienced the "driest July on record", the UK Met Office weather agency said Monday, based on provisional figures.

Seoul issues first 'severe heatwave warning' under new system

South Korea's weather agency issued a "severe heatwave warning" for Seoul on Monday, the first such advisory since introducing the designation this year to alert the public about extreme temperatures.

South Korea records its highest-ever temperature of 42.5C

South Korea registered its highest temperature since records began more than a century ago on Sunday, as authorities warned people to "immediately" stop all outdoor activities in affected areas.

France's largest wildfire in decades 'under control', says minister

France's largest wildfire since 1949 has been brought under control, a minister said Saturday, more than a week since the fire erupted in a pine forest near the southwestern city of Bordeaux.

South Korea baseball league cancels two games over heatwave

South Korea's baseball league cancelled two professional games Saturday to ensure the safety of players and fans in a heatwave.

California lifeguards wiped out from extreme weather

In California, repeated heat waves have sent Americans running to the beaches to seek relief, but more and more swimmers are finding themselves in troubled waters as strong waves whip the coast and fuel powerful rip currents.

US plans steep water cuts for southwest amid Colorado River crisis

The US federal government on Friday unveiled its plan for future management of the beleaguered Colorado River, with significant water reductions ahead for several western states in response to record-breaking droughts worsened by climate change.

Alarm over climate-linked low level of German waterways

Alarm is growing among German shipping and industry about low rainfall sapping major waterways, with one stretch of the Rhine briefly dipping to its previous record low on Friday.

Italy's Po River valley on drought alert

Italian authorities raised the drought alert level to "high" on Thursday in the Po Valley, home of the country's longest river, due to worsening conditions and unfavourable weather forecasts.

Southern Europe 'becoming more flammable' in hotter climate, experts say

Southern Europe is "becoming more flammable" with the number of summer days primed for extreme fire conditions more than doubling since 1981, a new study found on Thursday.

May, June heatwaves caused 2,877 extra deaths in England: govt

Record-breaking heatwaves in May and June led to an estimated 2,877 excess deaths in England, the UK Health Security Agency said Wednesday.

Danube drops to 'historic lows' as fresh heatwave hits

Plummeting river levels have already brought shipping to a standstill in parts of Serbia, squeezing fuel imports and energy production -- and now heatwave warnings have been issued in the Balkans.

Spanish wildfire evacuees go home as France hit by new heat alert

Thousands of Spaniards evacuated from huge wildfires returned home on Wednesday while in France firefighters braced for worsening conditions in their own battle with raging flames.

How an AFP beach snap became emblem of Europe's wildfire summer

AFP photo editor Maximilien Lamy was on holiday with his partner and daughter last week when he took a series of snapshots of vacationers in fire-struck southwest France with his smartphone.

Spain returns wildfire evacuees as France braces for worsening weather

Thousands of Spaniards evacuated from the path of huge wildfires were returning home on Wednesday while in France firefighters braced for worsening conditions in their own battle with raging flames.

Japan coral protectors race to save reefs from heat 'bomb'

From "heatwave simulators" to ecological bootcamps, scientists and conservationists are trying ways to revive and reinforce the famous coral reefs off Japan's Okinawa, decimated by climate-driven bleaching two summers ago.

The Japan Times - Weather (English)