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By Sharon Kimathi, Energy and ESG Editor, Reuters Digital

Hello,

Wildfires have devastated Hawaii’s Maui island and Big Island, killing at least 55 people while thousands of residents and tourists were forced to evacuate.

Some people fled into the ocean to escape the smoke and flames. “We just had the worst disaster I’ve ever seen. All of Lahaina is burnt to a crisp. It’s like an apocalypse,” said Lahaina resident Mason Jarvi, who escaped from the city.

The causes of the fires, which started on Tuesday night, have not yet been determined. However, the National Weather Service had issued warnings for the Hawaiian Islands for high winds and dry weather – conditions ripe for wildfires – which it canceled late Wednesday.

Wildfires elsewhere in the world this summer, caused by record-setting heat, have forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in Greece, Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe, and western Canada suffered unusually severe fires.

The record-breaking heat waves and wildfires come as a study published in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Science shows that global warming, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, has made Antarctica more vulnerable to extreme events and the impact is “virtually certain” to get worse. 

Climate change will “lead to increases in the size and frequency” of heatwaves, ice shelf collapses and declines in sea ice, it said.

1. Hawaii wildfires: How did the Maui blazes start and what we know about the damage to Lahaina

Wildfires on Hawaii’s Maui island and Big Island have killed at least 55 people, forced thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate and devastated the historic resort city of Lahaina. Click here for some key questions and answers about the disaster. The damage will take many years and billions of dollars to repair, Hawaiian officials said.

Views from the air of the community of Lahaina after wildfires burned across most of the town several days ago, in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S. August 10, 2023. REUTERS/Marco Garcia

2. No quick fix to reverse Antarctic sea ice loss as warming intensifies – scientists

Sea ice in the Antarctic region has fallen to a record low this year as a result of rising global temperatures and there is no quick fix to reverse the damage done, scientists said in a new study of the impact of climate change on the continent.

3. Bone dry on the range: Texas cattle ranchers battle drought, extreme heat

The brown and black cattle of Texas, United States, beloved symbols of the Lone Star state, walk through desiccated grass and stand in shrunken watering holes while their ranchers struggle to get them enough food. Texas is experiencing a lingering heat wave that has led to the rise in demand for power which hit a record high on Thursday for the third time this week and the tenth time this summer as homes and businesses cranked up air conditioners.

4.  Flood-hit northern China gears up for second typhoon in two weeks

Northern China, still grappling with swollen rivers and flood waters caused by Typhoon Doksuri two weeks ago, is preparing for more rains with the arrival of Typhoon Khanun. Khanun, which has already battered parts of Japan and the Korean Peninsula.

5. Factbox: Europe sees another year of droughts and wildfires

Europe is battling the effects of scorching temperatures, which are reaching worrying levels globally, with July being the hottest month recorded on both land and sea. This year, the temperatures could exceed Europe’s current record of 48.8 degrees Celsius, recorded in Sicily in August 2021. Click here for the most recent blazes and heat-related warnings in Europe.

With more humidity and heat in the forecast, climate experts are sounding the alarm about ‘wet-bulb’ temperature – a more holistic measurement that accounts not just for air temperature but also how much moisture it holds. Click on the image for the video.

A dam on a Norwegian river partly collapsed after heavy rain, sending water gushing through a wide gap in the structure, and the prime minister said the country should be prepared for more floods in the coming days.

The Braskereidfoss power dam on the Glomma River, Norway’s biggest waterway, was unable to open its hatches after its control room flooded.

50C

UN human rights chief Volker Turk said the extreme summer heat and pollution of southern Iraq made it clear “that the era of global boiling” has begun.

Turk’s comments came at the end of a four-day visit to Iraq during which he met with leaders and traveled across the country, sometimes in 50C (122F) heat, to discuss human rights, with a focus on climate change.

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