https://www.scmp.com/rss/325307/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Edith Lin Edith Lin This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The Hong Kong Observatory issued an amber rainstorm warning on Friday afternoon, after earlier telling residents to brace for hail and violent gusts as severe thunderstorms approached the city. The forecaster sent out the lowest rainstorm warning of its three-tiered system at 4.35pm on Friday. Less than an hour earlier, it issued several special weather tips... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3350455/hong-kong-observatory-issues-amber-rainstorm-signal-warns-hail-violent-gusts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3350455/hong-kong-observatory-issues-amber-rainstorm-signal-warns-hail-violent-gusts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:54:07 +0000 Chao Kong Chao Kong An AI computing centre capable of predicting weather patterns weeks in advance typically carries a price tag of US$100 million or more. Now, Chinese researchers say a small-scale quantum system can outperform such facilities at less than 1 per cent of the cost. The findings raise questions about the long-term economics of the global artificial intelligence infrastructure race. If compact quantum systems can deliver competitive performance in specific tasks, could today’s colossal data centres... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349995/chinese-team-shows-quantum-tech-can-disrupt-ai-real-world-task?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349995/chinese-team-shows-quantum-tech-can-disrupt-ai-real-world-task?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:00:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A dangerous super typhoon in the Pacific Ocean is barrelling towards a group of remote US islands. Super Typhoon Sinlakua is expected to make landfall on Tuesday in the Northern Mariana Islands and bring destructive winds, widespread heavy rain and flooding, the National Weather Service said on Monday. Power cuts on the islands could be lengthy, forecasters warned. Guam, a US territory with American military installations and about 170,000 residents, could also see damaging winds and is under a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3349957/pacific-ocean-super-typhoon-sinlakua-bears-down-group-remote-us-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3349957/pacific-ocean-super-typhoon-sinlakua-bears-down-group-remote-us-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:42:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australia has pledged A$2.5 million (US$1.7 million) in aid to Pacific neighbours Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, after tropical cyclone Maila caused devastating floods and landslides that killed 11. Australia stood “shoulder to shoulder” with its neighbours, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday, pledging A$1 million for Papua New Guinea and A$1.5 million for the Solomon Islands, where severe impacts have been felt in remote communities across Western and Choiseul... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3349855/australia-pledges-us17-million-aid-after-cyclone-maila-kills-11-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3349855/australia-pledges-us17-million-aid-after-cyclone-maila-kills-11-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 05:26:16 +0000 Denise Tsang Denise Tsang This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong issued an amber rainstorm warning on Sunday afternoon in response to intense thundery showers influenced by a trough of low pressure, coinciding with the city’s marking of the Ching Ming Festival. The Observatory said in the morning that a band of intense thundery showers over the seas south of the city had been gradually edging closer to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349058/observatory-warns-thundery-showers-amid-ching-ming-festival-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349058/observatory-warns-thundery-showers-amid-ching-ming-festival-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 02:53:44 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong is expected to be hit by thunderstorms and showers on Saturday, with the weather to remain unsettled for the rest of the Easter holiday, the local forecaster has warned. The Hong Kong Observatory said on Friday that occasional showers – which would be heavier at times – and some fast-moving thunderstorms brought by a trough of low pressure would hit... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348947/hong-kong-set-thunderstorms-and-showers-saturday-observatory-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3348947/hong-kong-set-thunderstorms-and-showers-saturday-observatory-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:41:41 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse At least one of the world’s largest LNG plants remained closed on Sunday after a cyclone knocked out power to thousands of people in Western Australia. The outages were restricting already stretched fuel supplies caused by the war in the Middle East. Woodside Energy, which processes fuel from one of the world’s biggest offshore gas operations, said on Sunday that its Karratha plant remained offline. “We have commenced remobilising our workforce to some of our offshore facilities and inspections... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3348292/australias-karratha-lng-plant-closed-after-cyclone-amid-fuel-shortages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3348292/australias-karratha-lng-plant-closed-after-cyclone-amid-fuel-shortages?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 08:44:04 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hongkongers can expect thundery showers in the next few hours, the local weather forecaster has said. The Observatory issued the advisory notice at 3pm on Friday, urging the public to be aware of the weather change. “Areas of thundery showers now to the west of the [Pearl River Delta] are edging closer, and are expected to affect the territory in the next couple of hours,” it said. The weather would be mainly cloudy with a few showers in the afternoon and at night, with isolated thunderstorms at... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348125/thundery-showers-hong-kong-expected-several-hours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348125/thundery-showers-hong-kong-expected-several-hours?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:46:10 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Across peninsular Malaysia, the heat is getting unbearable and posing health risks for many, and nowhere is this felt more sharply than in Kedah and Perlis, two northern states at the centre of Malaysia’s food-growing belt. Over the start of the Eid period last weekend, the scorching sun dampened the holiday mood during the festival marking the end of the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. Families are timing visits to avoid the fierce afternoon sun, farmers are watching paddy fields – known... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347822/malaysias-weather-so-hot-it-can-warp-payment-card?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347822/malaysias-weather-so-hot-it-can-warp-payment-card?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 06:34:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The amount of heat trapped by the Earth reached record levels in 2025, with the consequences of such warming feared to last for thousands of years, the UN warned on Monday. The 11 hottest years ever recorded were all between 2015 and 2025, the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO) weather and climate agency confirmed, in its flagship State of the Global Climate annual report. Last year was the second or third hottest year on record, at about 1.43 degrees Celsius above the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3347542/flashing-red-un-alarmed-heat-trapped-earth-hits-record-high?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3347542/flashing-red-un-alarmed-heat-trapped-earth-hits-record-high?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 05:03:51 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Accelerating glacial retreat in the Himalayas over the past decades is threatening over 2 billion people in the region who depend on meltwater from the “water tower of Asia” for their daily needs, according to climate scientists. Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region have been losing ice at twice the rate since 2000, with smaller glaciers under 0.5 sq km shrinking more rapidly than larger ones, according to two landmark reports published on Saturday to coincide with the World Day for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347298/himalayas-glacier-loss-threatens-2-billion-people-greatest-problem-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347298/himalayas-glacier-loss-threatens-2-billion-people-greatest-problem-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A punishing heatwave has been gripping the western United States, with parts of the region logging record temperatures - even though it was still winter. A desert community in southwestern Arizona reached 43.3 degrees Celsius (110 Fahrenheit) on Thursday, breaking a record for the highest March temperature recorded in the United States. The temperature was recorded just outside Martinez Lake, Arizona, in the Yuma Desert. The previous record of 42.2 degrees had been set in Rio Grande City, Texas,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347241/record-breaking-heatwave-grips-western-us-tail-end-winter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347241/record-breaking-heatwave-grips-western-us-tail-end-winter?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 03:28:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Tokyo’s meteorologists declared the start of the much-loved cherry blossom season in the Japanese capital on Thursday, as residents prepare to host outdoor picnics under dazzling floral displays. The cherry season for Tokyo starts when the official sample tree at Yasukuni Shrine opens at least five flowers. “Today, the blooming of the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms was observed,” the Tokyo Regional Headquarters of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said in an eagerly awaited statement,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347166/blooming-marvellous-tokyos-cherry-blossom-season-officially-begins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347166/blooming-marvellous-tokyos-cherry-blossom-season-officially-begins?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:46:07 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong faces a damp week ahead as humidity is expected to peak at 95 per cent with the arrival of a seasonal coastal mist from Wednesday, according to the city’s weather forecaster. The Observatory said on Sunday daytime temperatures would climb to 26 degrees Celsius (79 Fahrenheit) in the middle of the week, with significantly more humid air arriving in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346651/damp-days-ahead-hong-kong-95-humidity-expected-midweek?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346651/damp-days-ahead-hong-kong-95-humidity-expected-midweek?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:44:18 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Southeast Asia is set to see a warmer-than-usual early summer, potentially raising power demand for fuel and straining grids at a time when the Middle East conflict has tightened energy supplies in the region. Across most of maritime and mainland Southeast Asia, home to more than half a billion people, temperatures will be above average for the March-April-May period, according to the latest seasonal outlook published by the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) on Friday. The forecast... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345961/heatwave-coming-southeast-asia-so-energy-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345961/heatwave-coming-southeast-asia-so-energy-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 08:22:53 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial An exceptionally warm February in Hong Kong does not spell the end of winters forever, yet the city’s warmest winter on record signals far more than a fleeting anomaly. Across the Pacific, meanwhile, polar vortex disruptions have unleashed Arctic blasts, burying parts of the United States under feet of snow, cutting power, closing schools and grounding flights. These extremes – from subtropical warm spells to polar chills – highlight a warming world with increasingly unpredictable weather,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3345699/wild-weather-demands-preparedness-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3345699/wild-weather-demands-preparedness-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 23:15:11 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin China should accelerate development of a space-based solar power station, as the technology could one day do far more than beam clean energy to Earth, it might even help tame typhoons, according to a senior Chinese engineer. Duan Baoyan, the lead scientist behind the ambitious “Zhuri” project – which aims to hold a megawatt-class demonstration in the Earth’s orbit by 2030 – said microwave beams generated by such a station to transmit electricity back to Earth could potentially be directed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345240/change-typhoon-intensity-and-path-china-team-mulls-hitting-cyclones-space-beam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345240/change-typhoon-intensity-and-path-china-team-mulls-hitting-cyclones-space-beam?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Jeffie Lam,Lo Hoi-ying Jeffie Lam,Lo Hoi-ying This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hongkongers should brace for cooler and rainy weather on Tuesday as temperatures are expected to drop progressively to as low as 16 degrees Celsius (61 Fahrenheit) as a cold front approaches, according to the city’s weather forecaster. The Observatory issued an amber rainstorm signal at 7.50pm on Monday, warning of possible flooding in low-lying areas and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345105/rainy-tuesday-expected-hong-kong-temperatures-dipping-16-degrees-celsius?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345105/rainy-tuesday-expected-hong-kong-temperatures-dipping-16-degrees-celsius?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 06:58:42 +0000 Jeffie Lam Jeffie Lam This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Hong Kong can expect gloomy weather and occasional rain this weekend, with showers persisting into next week, according to the city’s weather forecaster. The Observatory said on Friday that, under the influence of a broad low-pressure trough, there would be a few showers on Saturday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3344822/gloomy-weekend-forecast-hong-kong-showers-saturday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3344822/gloomy-weekend-forecast-hong-kong-showers-saturday?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 04:39:20 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan is likely to face another record-setting summer, climate experts have warned, as global warming continues to shrink Arctic ice, alter wind patterns and heat ocean waters. The Japan Meteorological Agency on Tuesday released its seasonal forecast for the coming months, predicting a 60 per cent probability of above-normal temperatures across Kyushu, Shikoku and the southern and eastern parts of Honshu between June and August. The southern islands of Okinawa, the northern prefecture of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3344770/japan-set-endure-another-record-hot-summer-global-warming-persists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3344770/japan-set-endure-another-record-hot-summer-global-warming-persists?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday ordered the shutdown of the city’s entire traffic network for all but emergency travel as a massive snowstorm began to hit the northeast United States. Tens of millions of Americans from the US capital Washington to the northern state of Maine prepared for up to two feet (60cm) of snow forecast in some areas. The National Weather Service (NWS) said blizzard conditions would “quickly materialise” from Maryland up to southeastern New England, making travel... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3344280/new-york-mayor-mamdani-orders-citywide-travel-ban-ahead-major-us-storm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3344280/new-york-mayor-mamdani-orders-citywide-travel-ban-ahead-major-us-storm?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 19:51:35 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The Hong Kong Observatory detected locally felt tremors from a 4.0-magnitude earthquake in Guangdong province on Friday afternoon, confirming more than 100 reports from residents. The weather forecaster’s initial analysis indicated that the 4.0-magnitude earthquake occurred at 2.28pm in Guangdong’s Yangjiang, with the epicentre located about 260km (161.6... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3344112/hong-kong-observatory-detects-tremors-felt-residents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3344112/hong-kong-observatory-detects-tremors-felt-residents?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 07:13:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Eight backcountry skiers have been found dead and one remains missing after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California, officials said on Wednesday, making it the deadliest avalanche in the US in more than four decades. Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said during a news conference that authorities have told the families the mission has moved from rescue to recovery. It is the deadliest avalanche in the US since 1981, when 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier, Washington. Crews have faced... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343914/9-missing-california-avalanche-whiteout-conditions-hamper-rescue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343914/9-missing-california-avalanche-whiteout-conditions-hamper-rescue?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 09:55:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters Heavy rain and strong winds disrupted flights, trains and ferries, forcing the closure of roads across large parts of New Zealand’s North Island on Monday, while snapping power links to tens of thousands. Domestic media reported a few flights had resumed operating by afternoon from the airport in Wellington, the capital, although cancellations were still widespread after authorities said most morning flights were disrupted. Air New Zealand said it hoped to resume services when conditions ease... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343699/absolutely-terrifying-new-zealand-storm-leaves-30000-homes-without-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343699/absolutely-terrifying-new-zealand-storm-leaves-30000-homes-without-power?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 05:26:05 +0000 SCMP Reporter SCMP Reporter This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Temperatures on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island and in some rural areas could reach as low as 8 degrees Celsius (46.4 Fahrenheit) on Sunday morning, the local forecaster said. The Hong Kong Observatory said on Saturday that minimum temperatures in Lantau and Sai Kung were likely to sit at 8 degrees and just a degree higher in Ta Kwu Ling the next day. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3342766/temperatures-lantau-rural-areas-go-low-8-degrees-sunday-morning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3342766/temperatures-lantau-rural-areas-go-low-8-degrees-sunday-morning?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 09:42:23 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s hay fever sufferers have been warned to brace themselves for significantly higher levels of pollen this spring, with some already reporting having runny noses and itchy eyes for days. Hay fever season typically starts in Tokyo and eastern parts of the country in early February, peaks towards the end of the month and eases from mid-March. It affects the southern and other parts of the country slightly later. According to Weathernews, a weather information company which monitors the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3342548/japan-enters-hay-fever-season-pollen-levels-may-surge-due-horribly-high-summer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3342548/japan-enters-hay-fever-season-pollen-levels-may-surge-due-horribly-high-summer?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall With the number of deaths during the current severe winter season in Japan expected to rise, environmental and tourism experts have warned of greater risks to lives and property arising from unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change. Parts of Japan have experienced “disaster-level” snowfall in recent days, with authorities reporting at least 29 dead and 290 injured in accidents since January 20. Just as Japanese summers are becoming hotter, longer and more humid, global warming is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3342265/japans-deadly-winter-rages-fears-disaster-level-weather-patterns-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3342265/japans-deadly-winter-rages-fears-disaster-level-weather-patterns-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 03:00:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iguanas stunned by cold temperatures dropped from trees in usually balmy Florida on Sunday as icy conditions blasted southern US states, dumping nearly a half metre of snow in some areas and whipping up high winds that caused traffic chaos. The heaviest snows were reported in North Carolina - a state that rarely sees snow other than in its highest elevations. The city of Lexington saw 40cm (16 inches), and Faust in the state’s Walnut Mountains got 56cm (22 inches). State Governor Josh Stein... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342026/us-winter-weather-leads-heavy-snow-cancelled-flights-and-florida-falling-iguanas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342026/us-winter-weather-leads-heavy-snow-cancelled-flights-and-florida-falling-iguanas?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 20:48:22 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press There was no mayday call from the commercial fishing vessel Lily Jean as it navigated the frigid Atlantic Ocean on Friday morning on its way home to Gloucester, Massachusetts, America’s oldest fishing port. The US Coast Guard was notified by the boat’s beacon that alerts when it hits the water. When rescuers arrived they found one person dead, floating in the water, along with a debris field and an empty lifeboat. Six people remain missing. The fate of the Lily Jean, a 22-metre (72-foot) fishing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341927/search-continues-frigid-atlantic-6-crew-after-noreaster-men-fishing-boat-sinks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341927/search-continues-frigid-atlantic-6-crew-after-noreaster-men-fishing-boat-sinks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 05:20:44 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A court on Wednesday ordered the Dutch government to draw up a plan to protect residents on the tiny Caribbean island of Bonaire from the devastating effects of climate change – a sweeping victory for the islanders. The Hague District Court, in a stunning rebuke of Dutch authorities, also ruled that the government discriminated against the island’s 20,000 inhabitants by not taking “timely and appropriate measures” to protect them from climate change before it is too late. “The island already... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341587/caribbean-island-wins-climate-case-against-netherlands-forcing-dutch-action-rising-seas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341587/caribbean-island-wins-climate-case-against-netherlands-forcing-dutch-action-rising-seas?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:50:37 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Parts of Australia sweltered in record temperatures of close to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday as the country sweated through a prolonged heatwave. The rural towns of Hopetoun and Walpeup in Victoria state registered preliminary highs of 48.9 degrees, which if confirmed overnight would top records set on the day in 2009 when 173 people were killed in the state’s devastating Black Saturday bushfires. No casualties were reported from Tuesday’s heatwave, but Victoria... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3341450/australia-swelters-temperatures-near-50-degrees-record-breaking-heatwave?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3341450/australia-swelters-temperatures-near-50-degrees-record-breaking-heatwave?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 13:06:10 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse A monster storm barrelling across the United States had killed at least 11 people on Monday, prompting warnings to stay off the roads, mass flight cancellations and power outages after a weekend of misery. The storm dumped snow, sleet and freezing rain across swathes of the country from Texas to New England, with temperatures set to fall dangerously low this week. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said five people were found dead outside over the weekend, telling reporters “there is no more... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341187/close-million-us-households-without-power-severe-winter-storm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341187/close-million-us-households-without-power-severe-winter-storm?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 20:15:30 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Improved weather on Sunday helped rescuers on Indonesia’s main island of Java recover more bodies as they dug through mud and debris in search of scores of missing in a landslide that killed more than two dozen villagers. The predawn landslide on the slopes of Mount Burangrang in West Java province on Saturday buried some 34 houses in Pasir Langu village. On Sunday, 72 people remained missing, many feared buried under tons of mud, rocks and uprooted trees. About 230 residents living near the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341180/indonesian-rescuers-recover-bodies-after-java-landslide-72-still-missing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341180/indonesian-rescuers-recover-bodies-after-java-landslide-72-still-missing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 15:20:00 +0000 Alan Robles Alan Robles The Philippines is reviving a popular disaster monitoring and simulation programme that was defunded nine years ago by then president Rodrigo Duterte – a move that some have blamed for resulting in a swathe of corrupted construction projects now plaguing the country. Last month, Congress said it would allot 1 billion pesos (US$16.9 million) in the 2026 General Appropriations Bill for the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) project, a clutch of programmes that identifies risk... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3341026/did-shelved-anti-disaster-scheme-lead-philippines-corrupted-flood-control-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3341026/did-shelved-anti-disaster-scheme-lead-philippines-corrupted-flood-control-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters More than 4,000 flights were cancelled in the US on Saturday ahead of a monster winter storm that has ‌already cut power to more than 210,000 customers as far west as Texas, ‍and threatened to paralyse eastern states with heavy snowfall. Forecasters said snow, sleet and freezing rain, accompanied by dangerously frigid temperatures, would sweep the eastern two-thirds of the nation on Sunday and into next week. Calling the storms “historic”, US President ⁠Donald Trump on Saturday approved federal... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341135/thousands-flights-cancelled-monster-winter-storm-bears-down-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3341135/thousands-flights-cancelled-monster-winter-storm-bears-down-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 22:39:36 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A landslide killed at least eight people and left over 80 missing on Indonesia’s main island of Java on Saturday, a disaster official said. The landslide triggered by heavy rainfall struck a village in the region of West Bandung at around 2.30am, burying residential areas. Floods and landslides are common across the vast archipelago during the rainy season, which typically runs from October to March. “There was a rumbling noise, like thunder,” said Oyoh, a resident of Pasir Langu village who,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341090/7-killed-82-missing-indonesian-landslide-west-bandung-java?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341090/7-killed-82-missing-indonesian-landslide-west-bandung-java?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 04:57:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse New Zealand police have found human remains beneath mud and debris from a landslide that struck a campsite in the popular holiday spot of Mount Maunganui, and are now moving to recover more victims. Efforts to rescue at least six people buried alive at the park ended on Saturday. Police Superintendent Tim Anderson said it could take several days to locate all of the bodies, after a mountain of dirt and debris tumbled onto a campsite in Mount Maunganui on Thursday. Anderson said it was... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3341081/new-zealand-landslide-human-remains-found-operations-move-rescue-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3341081/new-zealand-landslide-human-remains-found-operations-move-rescue-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 01:44:21 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A deadly storm this week dumped nearly six months of rain on the Greek capital, Athens, in less than a day, one of the country’s top weather experts said on Thursday. Wednesday’s storm lashed the country and left two dead, with disaster crews spending Thursday cleaning up debris. Kostas Lagouvardos, research director at the National Observatory in Athens, said the “extreme” weather phenomenon had dumped up to 170 mm (6.7 inches) of rain on the capital. That amounted to “about 40 per cent of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340888/deadly-storm-athens-dumps-six-months-rain-single-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340888/deadly-storm-athens-dumps-six-months-rain-single-day?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:49:24 +0000 Reuters Reuters The biggest snowfall in 60 years ‌on Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula created ‍vast drifts several metres tall that blocked building entrances and buried cars, according to Reuters visuals and weather monitoring ⁠stations. In some areas more than 2 metres (6.5 feet) of snow has fallen in the first half of January after 3.7 metres in December, ‍according to weather monitoring stations. Heavy snow is not uncommon in Kamchatka - a peninsula which stretches down towards Japan. Reuters... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3340488/record-snow-russias-far-east-blocks-building-entrances-buries-cars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3340488/record-snow-russias-far-east-blocks-building-entrances-buries-cars?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 02:18:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Wildfires raging across central and southern Chile on Sunday left at least 18 people dead, scorched thousands of acres of forest and destroyed hundreds of homes, authorities said, as the South American country sweltered under a heatwave. Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in the country’s central Biobio region and the neighbouring Nuble region, around 500km (300 miles) south of Santiago, the capital. The emergency designation allows the suspension of constitutional... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3340354/chile-declares-state-emergency-wildfires-kill-least-18-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3340354/chile-declares-state-emergency-wildfires-kill-least-18-people?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 21:52:56 +0000 Natalie Wong Natalie Wong This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Temperatures in Hong Kong are expected to sharply dip to as low as 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday next week as a cold front moves through the city midweek. The Hong Kong Observatory said the fine and relatively warm weather on Friday, brought by a dry northeast monsoon,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3340094/hong-kong-temperatures-fall-12-degrees-next-week-winter-monsoon-arrives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3340094/hong-kong-temperatures-fall-12-degrees-next-week-winter-monsoon-arrives?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 03:29:38 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Three separate avalanches killed three off-piste skiers in the French Alps on Sunday, resort officials said, a day after three skiers died in similar incidents, bringing the weekend death toll to six. The deaths came despite alerts from the weather service of a high risk of avalanches and warnings against off-piste skiing. In one incident on Sunday, a British man in his 50s was buried while skiing off-piste, according to a statement released by La Plagne ski resort in southeastern France. More... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339522/6-piste-skiers-killed-separate-french-alps-avalanches-over-weekend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339522/6-piste-skiers-killed-separate-french-alps-avalanches-over-weekend?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 22:44:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A man was killed after a tree fell on a caravan in England after record winds brought by Storm Goretti, as 100,000 homes in France were still without power on Saturday. Some 15 people have died in weather-related accidents this week across Europe as gale-force winds and storms caused travel mayhem, shut schools, and cut power to hundreds of thousands in freezing temperatures. The storm barrelled through southwestern Cornwall and parts of Wales overnight Thursday to Friday, with gusts of up to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339448/1-dead-uk-100000-french-homes-without-power-storms-batter-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339448/1-dead-uk-100000-french-homes-without-power-storms-batter-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 11:16:13 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A lone body discovered on a cold Japanese beach and a shattered wooden boat coated in black tar have stirred memories of the “ghost ships” that in past winters drifted across to Japan from North Korea. The body washed ashore on Wednesday in Ishikawa prefecture, while a Japan Coast Guard vessel later recovered the capsized boat nearby, local media reported. Authorities have yet to identify the man and are investigating whether he was linked to the vessel, which bore Korean characters and numbers.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3339354/body-capsized-boat-found-japan-waters-raise-spectre-north-korean-ghost-ships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3339354/body-capsized-boat-found-japan-waters-raise-spectre-north-korean-ghost-ships?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 01:30:19 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Hong Kong experienced its driest January day on record earlier this week, bucking its reputation for high temperatures and humidity. Relative humidity in the city plunged to 17 per cent on Thursday, the lowest for the month since records started in 1984. To help Hongkongers adjust, the Post speaks to experts about how to manage the cold and dry weather. 1. What is the impact on the respiratory system? Dr Edmund Lam Wing-wo, a family doctor, said the sudden cold and dry weather was conducive to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3339373/hong-kong-just-had-its-driest-january-day-how-does-impact-your-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3339373/hong-kong-just-had-its-driest-january-day-how-does-impact-your-health?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:50:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Snow, ice and high winds brought transport chaos to swathes of Europe for a third day on Wednesday, with hundreds of flights cancelled and passengers stranded. Airports in Paris and Amsterdam were the worst affected, with the Dutch authorities saying more than 1,000 travellers had been forced to spend the night at Schiphol, one of Europe’s busiest hubs. Six people have died in weather-related accidents as the continent reels from the most bitter cold snap of the winter so far. Five of those... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339082/snow-ice-paralyse-europe-brutal-cold-snap-disrupts-flights-rail-services?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339082/snow-ice-paralyse-europe-brutal-cold-snap-disrupts-flights-rail-services?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:16:01 +0000 Jeffie Lam Jeffie Lam This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. The Hong Kong Observatory has issued its second cold weather warning of 2026, saying temperatures will drop to around 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday and lower in rural areas. The forecaster also said the cold weather would persist for a few days as it issued the warning at... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3338792/hong-kong-issues-cold-weather-warning-temperatures-set-dip-11-degrees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3338792/hong-kong-issues-cold-weather-warning-temperatures-set-dip-11-degrees?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 10:48:11 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Temperatures in Hong Kong are expected to drop to as low as 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday due to an incoming northeasterly monsoon, according to the local forecaster. The Hong Kong Observatory said temperatures on Sunday ranged from 14 to 19 degrees, while a fresh surge... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3338650/hong-kong-temperatures-dip-12-degrees-celsius-northeasterly-monsoon-arrives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3338650/hong-kong-temperatures-dip-12-degrees-celsius-northeasterly-monsoon-arrives?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 03:30:22 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Heavy snowfall caused a traffic jam to form on Friday on a highway in western Japan that stretched for up to 23km (14 miles) overnight, involving an estimated 3,000 vehicles, according to the highway operator and local firefighters. Lanes were subsequently closed on the Sanyo Expressway between Hiroshima Prefecture, where the incident happened, and neighbouring Yamaguchi Prefecture, but they reopened on Saturday afternoon, West Nippon Expressway said. The traffic jam hit as some drivers were... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3338609/japanese-snowstorm-traps-3000-vehicles-23km-traffic-jam-highway-over-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3338609/japanese-snowstorm-traps-3000-vehicles-23km-traffic-jam-highway-over-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 08:09:58 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju Sitting on the pavement outside the emergency ward of the National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases in South Delhi’s Mehrauli, Asha promised her son she would not leave his side. Nineteen-year-old Nitish was reluctant to be admitted to a government hospital, even after doctors said he needed further tests to understand the cause of his sudden breathlessness. He had been struggling to breathe for two or three days – something he had never experienced before – and his family... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3338226/india-new-delhis-smog-crisis-exposes-high-price-clean-air?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3338226/india-new-delhis-smog-crisis-exposes-high-price-clean-air?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 02:30:08 +0000