heatwaves

Global temperatures have reached record highs as the El Niño climate pattern strengthens, according to a new report. El Niño, the periodic warming of Pacific Ocean waters, is driving temperatures higher worldwide, adding to concerns about extreme weather, heatwaves and the accelerating effects of climate change. Meteorologists are watching the pattern closely for further impacts.

Scientists and commentators are highlighting an El Niño event described as unlike any previously recorded. The claim, widely shared online, points to abnormal ocean temperature patterns and associated extreme weather, from heatwaves to storms, affecting regions worldwide. Discussions focus on how climate change may be intensifying El Niño cycles and what this means for global weather in the months ahead.

BBC News examines how one of the strongest El Niño events on record turned into a global disaster, driving extreme weather worldwide. The report traces how the warming of Pacific Ocean surface temperatures disrupted rainfall, fuelled droughts, floods and heatwaves, and affected food supplies and communities across multiple continents.

French economist Marc Touati is drawing attention amid renewed debate over inflation in France. Provisional Insee figures put annual inflation at 3 percent, prompting discussion of whether the country could head toward 4 percent. Commentators are also weighing how Middle East conflict, heatwaves and debt costs could push up supermarket prices in the coming months.

Severe weather is in the spotlight in Australia, with authorities urging residents to get ready for summer hazards. Warnings highlight the risks of heatwaves, storms and bushfires as the season approaches. Emergency services are encouraging households to prepare emergency plans and property before conditions worsen.

Searches are surging around Spain's state meteorological agency AEMET and Palma de Mallorca, indicating strong public interest in the latest forecast or weather warnings for the Balearic capital. Spaniards commonly check AEMET updates during storms, heatwaves, or heavy-rain alerts affecting the islands, and the current spike suggests fresh conditions or advisories concerning Palma.

Scientists are expressing concern about a potential El Niño event in 2026, warning the climate pattern could bring extreme weather worldwide, including heatwaves, droughts, floods and disrupted monsoons. The BBC's Global Story examines what researchers know so far, why the timing matters, and how a warming planet may intensify El Niño's effects on food supplies, economies and vulnerable communities across the globe.

A powerful El Niño has driven ocean temperatures to a record high, according to NBC News, prompting aid groups to prepare for severe impacts. Forecasters warn the event could bring extreme weather, including floods, droughts and heatwaves, affecting millions of people across multiple continents in the coming months.

French vegetable processor Bonduelle has kept its revenue stable despite a difficult backdrop of drought, heatwaves and Chinese imports of maize, according to L'Usine Nouvelle. The company is managing to maintain sales amid a tense geopolitical and climate environment, prompting discussion in France about how agri-food firms are weathering extreme weather and shifting global trade flows.

Europe has endured a summer of extreme heat, and analysts argue it highlights a contradiction in economic policy: authorities continue to pursue growth and investment strategies that sit uneasily with climate realities. The discussion, published by Green Central Banking, focuses on how monetary and fiscal policymakers reconcile climate risks with conventional economic goals.

The BBC World Service's Climate Question podcast examines whether the world has lost the battle against rising heat. The episode explores why global temperatures keep breaking records despite decades of climate pledges, and what options remain for protecting people from deadly heatwaves. It is drawing a large audience as heat extremes intensify across many regions.

Health experts warn that extreme heat can trigger mental health disorders as well as a range of other illnesses. As heatwaves become more frequent and intense, medical professionals are urging people to take heat exposure seriously, highlighting risks that go well beyond dehydration and heatstroke, including documented effects on mood, anxiety and cognitive health.

Researchers and science outlets are examining whether this year's exceptionally hot summer has increased public worry about climate change. The discussion follows a season of record heatwaves across many regions, with commentators asking whether direct experience of extreme heat shifts public attitudes faster than scientific warnings alone. Surveys on climate perception are being revisited as the question draws renewed attention.

A mass of unusually warm ocean water, nicknamed 'the blob', is moving up the Pacific coast of North America, according to National Geographic. Marine heatwaves like this one can disrupt fisheries, harm salmon and other marine life, and alter coastal weather patterns, and scientists are watching closely to see how far and how fast it spreads.

Extreme heat around 100°F is pushing Southern California's electrical grid toward its limits as residents crank up air conditioning across the region. Operators face surging demand during the heatwave, raising concerns about potential strain, conservation calls, or outages if temperatures stay high. Officials typically urge residents to reduce electricity use during peak afternoon and evening hours.

A visitor in Malibu, California headed to the beach hoping to escape the heat, only to find temperatures there still around 33 degrees Celsius. The post notes the discomfort with a sweat-soaked emoji, despite the coastal location and ocean nearby. It highlights how far the heat is reaching, with even usually cooler coastal spots offering little relief during California's hot weather.

The United Nations warns that intensifying heatwaves are becoming a 'new fault line' in the climate crisis for pregnant women, who face heightened health risks from extreme temperatures. UN officials are urging stronger protection for expectant mothers as global heat records continue to fall, framing maternal health as an increasingly urgent front in climate adaptation efforts.

New reports say rising temperatures are reducing the protein and fat content of milk, with European heatwaves causing measurable declines in milk quality. Heat-stressed hens may also lay eggs with thinner shells and altered yolks. Despite these changes, consumer demand for dairy and eggs remains largely unaffected, though farmers and food producers face mounting pressure from climate impacts on animal welfare and product consistency.

A photographer describes escaping a recent August heatwave on the coast, noting an unprecedented crowd of people swimming in the North Sea. The image, shot on an Olympus Trip 35 film camera, shows the sea teeming with bathers, with a helicopter visible in the sky above. The scene has drawn attention as a striking illustration of how crowded coastal waters became during the hot weather.

The Dutch word for heatwave, 'hittegolf', is currently the top trending search in the Netherlands, with more than 200 people looking it up. A heatwave in the Netherlands is typically declared only after at least five consecutive days above 25 degrees, including three days above 30. Interest suggests people are watching whether upcoming weather will qualify, though no confirmed heatwave details are included here.

Forecasts point to a significant heatwave, with temperatures expected to climb well above seasonal averages in parts of the UK. People are checking the latest weather outlook and sharing what the heat could mean for travel, work and health, with warnings about staying hydrated and keeping cool during the hottest days.

Southern California is sweltering under an intense heatwave, with record high temperatures reported across the region. The Guardian reports that the unusual October heat is pushing temperatures to unprecedented levels for this time of year, prompting concerns about public health, wildfire risk and strain on the power grid as residents endure the prolonged heat.

Green Party politician Zack Polanski has described this summer's extreme heat as terrifying, arguing that voting Green in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election would force the UK Government to act on climate change. Writing in the London Evening Standard, he ties the recent heatwaves directly to the case for stronger climate policy and a Green vote.

Scientists and wildlife watchers are discussing how humpback whales will cope with the marine heatwave driven by the current El Niño. A previous record heatwave from 2014 to 2016 disrupted the food web humpbacks depend on, and the North Pacific population fell by roughly 20% between 2012 and 2021, a decline of about 7,000 whales, raising fears of a similar impact.

Swiss photographer Dietmar Bachmann shared the 62nd image in his 1001-photo series, titled «End Of Season». It shows a small soccer field in a residential neighbourhood with only a ball left behind by children and grass scorched by recent, unusual heatwaves, standing as reminders of the summer's activity there.