Extreme heat and bushfires have ravaged the parched landscape of Western Australia. With temperatures expected to continue soaring above 40C (104F) over the coming days, the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe heatwave warning across much of the south-west.

The conditions follow bushfires in New South Wales this month, which resulted in the destruction of homes and loss of life. Severe heatwave warnings have also been issued for later this week in parts of South Australia and New South Wales, as a ridge of high pressure moves eastward, bringing blazing sunshine to much of the region.

In Brazil, São Paulo was plunged into darkness last week after strong winds damaged the city’s power grid, with falling trees bringing down power lines. The weather conditions also caused travel disruption at Congonhas airport, where hundreds of flights were cancelled. Severe damage to electrical infrastructure is expected to cause further problems as utility companies scramble to restore power to more than 1 million residents.

Meanwhile, California’s Central Valley – known for its clear skies and abundant sunshine – has experienced one of its dullest and foggiest weeks on record. Tule fog, which typically lingers for only a few days, has been unusually widespread and persistent this year, keeping temperatures at Sacramento international airport below 8C for more than a week – the longest such streak in more than three decades. The prolonged fog has been fuelled by exceptional autumn rainfall that left soils saturated.

And in Spain, Storm Emilia has brought intense rainfall, strong winds and even snow to the Canary Islands – conditions many would not associate with the popular holiday destination. While snow is not unheard of at higher ground on Tenerife, Emilia delivered some of the deepest accumulations since 2016 to the Teide national park, forcing its closure on Sunday.

Alongside the snowfall, strong northerly winds swept across the archipelago, with gusts exceeding 50mph recorded on several islands including Lanzarote and Gran Canaria. The effect of Storm Emilia is expected to ease this week with more seasonal weather taking hold.

","freeContentEncoded","textContent","published","strategy","curl-ready","locked","deletedAt","isSyncedFromOwnBlog","original","duplicatesCount","duplicateVersion","originalArticleId","errorsCount","appearance","article","color","backgroundColor","shortSummary","Extreme weather events, including heatwaves, bushfires, storms, and persistent fog, are impacting regions across Australia, Brazil, California, and Spain.","summary","Western Australia is experiencing extreme heat and bushfires with temperatures expected to exceed 40C, following similar conditions in New South Wales. Brazil's São Paulo faced power outages due to strong winds damaging the grid, while California's Central Valley endured record-breaking Tule fog. Spain's Canary Islands were hit by Storm Emilia, bringing snow and strong winds.","bullets",[320,321,322,323,324,325],"Western Australia is facing extreme heat (over 40C) and bushfires.","Severe heatwave warnings are issued for parts of South Australia and New South Wales.","São Paulo, Brazil, experienced darkness and power outages due to strong winds and fallen trees.","California's Central Valley is experiencing its dullest and foggiest week on record due to persistent Tule fog.","Spain's Canary Islands were affected by Storm Emilia, bringing intense rainfall, strong winds, and snow.","Snow accumulations in Tenerife's Teide national park were the deepest since 2016, causing its closure.","persons",[],"places",[330,331,332,333,334,335,336,337,338,339,340,341,342,343],"Western Australia","New South Wales","South Australia","Brazil","São Paulo","California","Central Valley","Sacramento","Spain","Canary Islands","Tenerife","Teide national park","Lanzarote","Gran Canaria","words",268,"sentiment","subject","environment","meta",{"_351":352,"_353":354,"_378":360},"type","bee:get-index-of-articles","schedule",{"_27":355,"_51":-5,"_356":357,"_80":-5,"_235":358,"_359":360,"_361":86,"_83":84,"_347":39,"_362":-5,"_363":84,"_300":301,"_364":365,"_53":365,"_366":367,"_368":86,"_369":365,"_55":365,"_370":84,"_82":117,"_371":372,"_373":-5,"_374":375,"_376":-5,"_377":-5},"42c16914-63e2-4613-a85b-636804578877","npub","npub1cuxrf940g02stjzu932tg7fyqxckyzaqkaunej8xsdyd0u4zp8dqxwhw6s",1,"rssUrl","https://www.theguardian.com/","system","userRef","autosign","syncedAt","2025-12-15T18:48:55.174Z","frequency","daily","isOwnBlog","nextRunAt","autopublish","sourceVariant","rss","systemVariant","scheduleVariant","scraping-bee-classic-proxy","retryArticlesIds","ownershipConfirmedAt","dataSourceUrl","eventId","28a9c39c6dd7165fadc44b1187c8ec2722ec770c9d2b34a04e0bb1d93d3fc0e3","nostrRootEvent","event",{"_27":380,"_384":385,"_134":358,"_80":386,"_398":397,"_293":399,"_400":401},"sig","a4e52520b27159744c39d0db149b5b3668d96a9c9feb2930b05ed130fb72aa55312f3030123aaace079f7033a0c0440df82b9a1ba3bb10769d7a218b781360cd",[387,388,389,393,396],[347,280],[44,286],[390,391,39,392],"a","30023:c70c3496af43d505c85c2c54b4792401b1620ba0b7793cc8e68348d7f2a209da:95d224c6-30c1-43c5-b1a7-1ce3d79d8649","mention",[394,395],"client","Layer3.press",[137,397,39],"c70c3496af43d505c85c2c54b4792401b1620ba0b7793cc8e68348d7f2a209da","pubkey","Weather tracker: Bushfires ravage Western Australia as temperatures soar\nExtreme heat follows blazes in New South Wales, while winds plunge Brazil’s largest city into darkness\n\n\nnostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzp3cvxjt27s74qhy9ctz5k3ujgqd3vg96pdme8nywdq6g6le2yzw6qqjrjdtyxgergcek95enqce3956rxce4943rzcfh95ckxefnvsmnjepcxc6rjavq8ha ","created_at",1765825267,"authorNPub","markdown","Extreme heat and bushfires have ravaged the parched landscape of [Western Australia](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/western-australia). With temperatures expected to continue soaring above 40C (104F) over the coming days, the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe heatwave warning across much of the south-west.\n\nThe conditions follow bushfires in New South Wales this month, which resulted in the destruction of homes and loss of life. Severe heatwave warnings have also been issued for later this week in parts of South Australia and New South Wales, as a ridge of high pressure moves eastward, bringing blazing sunshine to much of the region.\n\nIn [Brazil](https://www.theguardian.com/world/brazil), São Paulo was plunged into darkness last week after strong winds damaged the city’s power grid, with falling trees bringing down power lines. The weather conditions also caused travel disruption at Congonhas airport, where hundreds of flights were cancelled. Severe damage to electrical infrastructure is expected to cause further problems as utility companies scramble to restore power to more than 1 million residents.\n\nMeanwhile, California’s Central Valley – known for its clear skies and abundant sunshine – has experienced one of its dullest and foggiest weeks on record. Tule fog, which typically lingers for only a few days, has been unusually widespread and persistent this year, keeping temperatures at Sacramento international airport below 8C for more than a week – the longest such streak in more than three decades. The prolonged fog has been fuelled by exceptional autumn rainfall that left soils saturated.\n\nAnd in [Spain](https://www.theguardian.com/world/spain), Storm Emilia has brought intense rainfall, strong winds and even snow to the Canary Islands – conditions many would not associate with the popular holiday destination. While snow is not unheard of at higher ground on Tenerife, Emilia delivered some of the deepest accumulations since 2016 to the Teide national park, forcing its closure on Sunday.\n\nAlongside the snowfall, strong northerly winds swept across the archipelago, with gusts exceeding 50mph recorded on several islands including Lanzarote and Gran Canaria. The effect of Storm Emilia is expected to ease this week with more seasonal weather taking hold.","freeMarkdown","kind1EventId","kind30023EventId","8cb6a6ccbcf2dbfce1ee7fa83b8f3af5f96393601ce1d1a70fc166da4ee17439","kind30023",{"_27":408,"_384":411,"_134":412,"_80":413,"_398":397,"_293":427,"_400":401},"42afc8c6bf52d1d8bc6bad38df6c3ddcd5987ec89731522d80e2aeee627282bbbce4ea3d7feb62c57684560df8ff186830fc0d5c597ecaf0a802ccedc314bcc0",30023,[414,417,418,421,422,424,425,426],[415,416],"r","https://news.layer3.press/articles/95d224c6-30c1-43c5-b1a7-1ce3d79d8649",[40,280],[419,420],"published_at","1765788840",[44,286],[423,275],"d",[316,281],[394,395],[137,397,39],"Weather tracker: Bushfires ravage Western Australia as temperatures soar\nWestern Australia is experiencing extreme heat and bushfires with temperatures expected to exceed 40C, following similar conditions in New South Wales. Brazil's São Paulo faced power outages due to strong winds damaging the grid, while California's Central Valley endured record-breaking Tule fog. Spain's Canary Islands were hit by Storm Emilia, bringing snow and strong winds.\n - Western Australia is facing extreme heat (over 40C) and bushfires.\n - Severe heatwave warnings are issued for parts of South Australia and New South Wales.\n - São Paulo, Brazil, experienced darkness and power outages due to strong winds and fallen trees.\n - California's Central Valley is experiencing its dullest and foggiest week on record due to persistent Tule fog.\n - Spain's Canary Islands were affected by Storm Emilia, bringing intense rainfall, strong winds, and snow.\n - Snow accumulations in Tenerife's Teide national park were the deepest since 2016, causing its closure.\n","publishedToNostr","htmlContentKind30023","

","pubDate","2025-12-15T19:12:17.121Z","modifiedAt","2025-12-15T19:01:07.552Z","2025-12-15T19:04:20.634Z","storyId","likes","zaps","reposts","comments","storyUpdatedAt","storyArticlesCount",{"_27":444,"_276":445,"_278":445,"_279":-5,"_40":446,"_42":447,"_282":-5,"_283":-5,"_238":-5,"_284":-5,"_285":448,"_287":-5,"_288":-5,"_289":-5,"_290":-5,"_291":-5,"_292":-5,"_293":449,"_295":450,"_297":-5,"_298":-5,"_29":299,"_300":301,"_302":-5,"_87":86,"_303":-5,"_304":-5,"_305":-5,"_306":210,"_307":-5,"_308":-5,"_309":210,"_310":311,"_312":-5,"_313":-5,"_314":451,"_316":452,"_318":453,"_326":465,"_328":469,"_344":479,"_346":480,"_82":117,"_347":348,"_349":481,"_80":-5,"_379":483,"_381":-5,"_382":484,"_402":-5,"_403":494,"_405":-5,"_406":483,"_407":495,"_409":496,"_428":84,"_429":510,"_431":511,"_433":-5,"_53":434,"_55":512,"_56":-5,"_436":-5,"_437":-5,"_438":-5,"_439":-5,"_440":210,"_441":-5,"_442":-5},"97a0bb44-af7d-447b-a4a7-e36f56f4a220","https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/15/alpine-glaciers-rate-extinction-climate-crisis","Glaciers to reach peak rate of extinction in the Alps in eight years","Climate crisis forecast to wipe out thousands of glaciers a year globally, threatening water supplies and cultural heritage","https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/a1f9ef4210d2b7a8c21a778c5c5fb065915015f1/683_0_6827_5464/master/6827.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&precrop=40:21,offset-x50,offset-y0&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=1563c652d5ba613dac32dd914c963b68","Glaciers in the European Alps are likely to reach their peak rate of extinction in only eight years, according to a study, with more than 100 due to melt away permanently by 2033. Glaciers in the western US and Canada are forecast to reach their peak year of loss less than a decade later, with more than 800 disappearing each year by then.\n\nAlmost 40% of world’s glaciers already doomed due to climate crisis – study\nRead more\nThe melting of glaciers driven by human-caused global heating is one of the clearest signs of the climate crisis. Communities around the world have already held funeral ceremonies for lost glaciers, and a Global Glacier Casualty List records the names and histories of those that have vanished.\n\nAbout 200,000 glaciers remain worldwide, with about 750 disappearing each year. However, the research indicates this pace will accelerate rapidly as emissions from burning fossil fuels continue to be released into the atmosphere.\n\nCurrent climate action plans from governments are forecast to push global temperatures to about 2.7C above preindustrial levels, supercharging extreme weather. Under this scenario, glacier losses would peak at about 3,000 a year in 2040 and plateau at that rate until 2060. By the end of the century, 80% of today’s glaciers will have gone.\n\nBy contrast, rapid cuts to carbon emissions to keep global temperature rise to 1.5C would cap annual losses at about 2,000 a year in 2040, after which the rate would decline.\n\nPrevious studies have focused on the volume of ice lost, given its contribution to rising sea levels that threaten coastal towns and cities. Individual glaciers, however, are also important as water sources and tourist attractions for many communities, and often have spiritual significance for local people. This prompted the researchers to analyse the number of glaciers disappearing.\n\nMatthias Huss, a senior scientist at ETH Zurich in Switzerland and a member of the study team, said: “As glaciologists, we do not only model the disappearance of glaciers globally, but we are very directly concerned with this loss of glaciers in our daily work.”\n\nAs the director of the Swiss glacier monitoring network, Huss recently declared four extinct, the latest in an estimated 1,000 lost in the country over the past three decades.\n\nHuss also spoke at a funeral ceremony for the Pizol glacier in 2019. “More than 250 people climbed up to this glacier to say goodbye. It was very impressive.”\n\nSuch funerals have also taken place in Iceland, Nepal and elsewhere. “People climb up to these vanishing glaciers to say goodbye for themselves, but also to send out a strong signal to the public to tell them it matters to us.”\n\nMany glaciers hold spiritual significance, for example Māori culture regard them as ancestors. The Māori political leader Nā Lisa Tumahai visited the melting Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere in 2022 and told the Global Glacier Casualty List:“This mighty glacier, a presence once so physically commanding, is shrinking into oblivion. [It] has been subdued, humiliated by the actions of humans.\n\n“To see this retreating giant is to understand impermanence, to understand the real and terrible results of industrialisation, of climate change.”\n\nThe new study, published in Nature Climate Change, analysed more than 200,000 glaciers from a database of outlines derived from satellite images. The researchers used three global glacier models to assess their fate under different heating scenarios.\n\nRegions with the smallest and fastest-melting glaciers were found to be the most vulnerable. The study estimates the 3,200 glaciers in central Europe would shrink by 87% by 2100 – even if global temperature rise is limited to 1.5C, rising to 97% under 2.7C of heating.\n\nIn the western US and Canada, including Alaska, about 70% of today’s 45,000 glaciers are projected to vanish under 1.5C of heating, and more than 90% under 2.7C. The Caucasus and southern Andes are also expected to face devastating losses.\n\nLarger glaciers take longer to melt, with those in Greenland reaching their peak extinction rate in about 2063 – losing 40% by 2100 under 1.5C of heating and 59% under 2.7C. However, the melting is forecast to continue beyond 2100.\n\nThe researchers said the peak loss dates represent more than a numerical milestone. “They mark turning points with profound implications for ecosystems, water resources and cultural heritage,” they wrote. “[It is] a human story of vanishing landscapes, fading traditions and disrupted daily routines.”\n\nThese transitions also underscored the urgent need to help communities adapt to changing conditions, they said, with 2 billion people downstream reliant on mountain water for regular supplies and food security. Adaptation measures could include new types of farming, alternative businesses to replace tourism and even artificial glaciers, which have been trialled in Kyrgyzstan.\n\nDr Arun Bhakta Shrestha, a senior adviser at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and not part of the study, said: “[The study] underscores how today’s climate decisions will profoundly influence the future of these vital natural features.”\n\nShrestha said the work offered a valuable perspective on the rapid changes occurring in glacier landscapes and the people that depend on them, while noting some limitations, including uncertainty in counting small and debris-covered glaciers and the lack of up-to-date data.","

Glaciers in the European Alps are likely to reach their peak rate of extinction in only eight years, according to a study, with more than 100 due to melt away permanently by 2033. Glaciers in the western US and Canada are forecast to reach their peak year of loss less than a decade later, with more than 800 disappearing each year by then.

Almost 40% of world’s glaciers already doomed due to climate crisis – study

The melting of glaciers driven by human-caused global heating is one of the clearest signs of the climate crisis. Communities around the world have already held funeral ceremonies for lost glaciers, and a Global Glacier Casualty List records the names and histories of those that have vanished.

About 200,000 glaciers remain worldwide, with about 750 disappearing each year. However, the research indicates this pace will accelerate rapidly as emissions from burning fossil fuels continue to be released into the atmosphere.

Current climate action plans from governments are forecast to push global temperatures to about 2.7C above preindustrial levels, supercharging extreme weather. Under this scenario, glacier losses would peak at about 3,000 a year in 2040 and plateau at that rate until 2060. By the end of the century, 80% of today’s glaciers will have gone.

By contrast, rapid cuts to carbon emissions to keep global temperature rise to 1.5C would cap annual losses at about 2,000 a year in 2040, after which the rate would decline.

Previous studies have focused on the volume of ice lost, given its contribution to rising sea levels that threaten coastal towns and cities. Individual glaciers, however, are also important as water sources and tourist attractions for many communities, and often have spiritual significance for local people. This prompted the researchers to analyse the number of glaciers disappearing.

Matthias Huss, a senior scientist at ETH Zurich in Switzerland and a member of the study team, said: “As glaciologists, we do not only model the disappearance of glaciers globally, but we are very directly concerned with this loss of glaciers in our daily work.”

As the director of the Swiss glacier monitoring network, Huss recently declared four extinct, the latest in an estimated 1,000 lost in the country over the past three decades.

Huss also spoke at a funeral ceremony for the Pizol glacier in 2019. “More than 250 people climbed up to this glacier to say goodbye. It was very impressive.”

Such funerals have also taken place in Iceland, Nepal and elsewhere. “People climb up to these vanishing glaciers to say goodbye for themselves, but also to send out a strong signal to the public to tell them it matters to us.”

Many glaciers hold spiritual significance, for example Māori culture regard them as ancestors. The Māori political leader Nā Lisa Tumahai visited the melting Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere in 2022 and told the Global Glacier Casualty List:“This mighty glacier, a presence once so physically commanding, is shrinking into oblivion. [It] has been subdued, humiliated by the actions of humans.

“To see this retreating giant is to understand impermanence, to understand the real and terrible results of industrialisation, of climate change.”

The new study, published in Nature Climate Change, analysed more than 200,000 glaciers from a database of outlines derived from satellite images. The researchers used three global glacier models to assess their fate under different heating scenarios.

Regions with the smallest and fastest-melting glaciers were found to be the most vulnerable. The study estimates the 3,200 glaciers in central Europe would shrink by 87% by 2100 – even if global temperature rise is limited to 1.5C, rising to 97% under 2.7C of heating.

In the western US and Canada, including Alaska, about 70% of today’s 45,000 glaciers are projected to vanish under 1.5C of heating, and more than 90% under 2.7C. The Caucasus and southern Andes are also expected to face devastating losses.

Larger glaciers take longer to melt, with those in Greenland reaching their peak extinction rate in about 2063 – losing 40% by 2100 under 1.5C of heating and 59% under 2.7C. However, the melting is forecast to continue beyond 2100.

The researchers said the peak loss dates represent more than a numerical milestone. “They mark turning points with profound implications for ecosystems, water resources and cultural heritage,” they wrote. “[It is] a human story of vanishing landscapes, fading traditions and disrupted daily routines.”

These transitions also underscored the urgent need to help communities adapt to changing conditions, they said, with 2 billion people downstream reliant on mountain water for regular supplies and food security. Adaptation measures could include new types of farming, alternative businesses to replace tourism and even artificial glaciers, which have been trialled in Kyrgyzstan.

Dr Arun Bhakta Shrestha, a senior adviser at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and not part of the study, said: “[The study] underscores how today’s climate decisions will profoundly influence the future of these vital natural features.”

Shrestha said the work offered a valuable perspective on the rapid changes occurring in glacier landscapes and the people that depend on them, while noting some limitations, including uncertainty in counting small and debris-covered glaciers and the lack of up-to-date data.

","Glaciers are disappearing at an alarming rate, with a new study predicting peak extinction in the Alps in just eight years and significant losses worldwide by 2100. This phenomenon is a clear indicator of the climate crisis, impacting water resources, tourism, and cultural heritage.","A new study reveals that glaciers worldwide are disappearing at an accelerating pace due to human-caused global heating, with the European Alps predicted to reach their peak extinction rate within eight years. Depending on future emissions, global glacier losses could peak at 3,000 per year by 2040, leading to 80% of today's glaciers vanishing by the end of the century. The melting impacts water sources, tourism, and cultural heritage, underscoring the urgent need for adaptation strategies.",[454,455,456,457,458,459,460,461,462,463,464],"Glaciers in the European Alps are projected to reach their peak extinction rate by 2033, with over 100 disappearing permanently.","Glaciers in the western US and Canada are expected to reach peak loss less than a decade later, with over 800 vanishing annually.","Approximately 750 glaciers disappear globally each year, a rate expected to accelerate due to continued fossil fuel emissions.","Under current climate action plans (2.7C warming), glacier losses could peak at 3,000 per year by 2040, with 80% of glaciers gone by 2100.","Rapid emission cuts (1.5C warming) would cap annual losses at 2,000 per year in 2040, with the rate then declining.","Individual glaciers are crucial as water sources, tourist attractions, and hold spiritual significance for many communities.","Central European glaciers could shrink by 87% to 97% by 2100, while western US and Canadian glaciers could see 70% to over 90% vanish.","Larger glaciers, like those in Greenland, will take longer to melt but will continue beyond 2100.","Peak loss dates mark turning points with significant implications for ecosystems, water resources, and cultural heritage.","Urgent adaptation measures are needed for communities reliant on mountain water, with 2 billion people depending on these supplies.","The study analyzed over 200,000 glaciers using three global models under different heating scenarios.",[466,467,468],"Matthias Huss","Nā Lisa Tumahai","Arun Bhakta Shrestha",[470,471,472,473,474,475,476,477,478],"European Alps","US","Canada","Iceland","Nepal","Switzerland","Greenland","Caucasus","Andes",749,-0.7,{"_351":352,"_353":482,"_378":360},{"_27":355,"_51":-5,"_356":357,"_80":-5,"_235":358,"_359":360,"_361":86,"_83":84,"_347":39,"_362":-5,"_363":84,"_300":301,"_364":365,"_53":365,"_366":367,"_368":86,"_369":365,"_55":365,"_370":84,"_82":117,"_371":372,"_373":-5,"_374":375,"_376":-5,"_377":-5},"d1002440c7f05e39c225d4733d5784eee1a38a31a14a90404dc36fffda7dceb1",{"_27":483,"_384":485,"_134":358,"_80":486,"_398":397,"_293":493,"_400":401},"e3849818c44b8cfeeffe95b5e5099ff2602a70a7fbeba89846175554ac67ac0ac5b0ab45afa8012598a08925f8f130cb9f33b60fba5e2af9968ca20f1c491862",[487,488,489,491,492],[347,446],[44,448],[390,490,39,392],"30023:c70c3496af43d505c85c2c54b4792401b1620ba0b7793cc8e68348d7f2a209da:97a0bb44-af7d-447b-a4a7-e36f56f4a220",[394,395],[137,397,39],"Glaciers to reach peak rate of extinction in the Alps in eight years\nClimate crisis forecast to wipe out thousands of glaciers a year globally, threatening water supplies and cultural heritage\n\n\nnostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzp3cvxjt27s74qhy9ctz5k3ujgqd3vg96pdme8nywdq6g6le2yzw6qqjrjdmpxp3xydp594skvdmy956rgdmz94sngcfh94jnxdnxx5mxvdrpxgerqg66plz ","Glaciers in the European Alps are likely to reach their peak rate of extinction in only eight years, according to a study, with more than 100 due to melt away permanently by 2033. Glaciers in the western US and Canada are forecast to reach their peak year of loss less than a decade later, with more than 800 disappearing each year by then.\n\nAlmost 40% of world’s glaciers already doomed due to climate crisis – study\n\nThe melting of glaciers driven by human-caused global heating is one of the clearest signs of the climate crisis. Communities around the world have already held funeral ceremonies for lost glaciers, and a [Global Glacier Casualty List](https://glaciercasualtylist.rice.edu/) records the names and histories of those that have vanished.\n\nAbout 200,000 glaciers remain worldwide, with about 750 disappearing each year. However, the research indicates this pace will accelerate rapidly as emissions from burning fossil fuels continue to be released into the atmosphere.\n\nCurrent climate action plans from governments are forecast to push global temperatures to about 2.7C above preindustrial levels, supercharging extreme weather. Under this scenario, glacier losses would peak at about 3,000 a year in 2040 and plateau at that rate until 2060. By the end of the century, 80% of today’s glaciers will have gone.\n\nBy contrast, rapid cuts to carbon emissions to keep global temperature rise to 1.5C would cap annual losses at about 2,000 a year in 2040, after which the rate would decline.\n\nPrevious studies have focused on the volume of ice lost, given its contribution to rising sea levels that threaten coastal towns and cities. Individual glaciers, however, are also important as water sources and tourist attractions for many communities, and often have spiritual significance for local people. This prompted the researchers to analyse the number of glaciers disappearing.\n\nMatthias Huss, a senior scientist at ETH Zurich in [Switzerland](https://www.theguardian.com/world/switzerland) and a member of the study team, said: “As glaciologists, we do not only model the disappearance of glaciers globally, but we are very directly concerned with this loss of glaciers in our daily work.”\n\nAs the director of the Swiss glacier monitoring network, Huss recently declared four extinct, the latest in an estimated 1,000 lost in the country over the past three decades.\n\nHuss also spoke at a [funeral ceremony for the Pizol glacier](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49788483) in 2019. “More than 250 people climbed up to this glacier to say goodbye. It was very impressive.”\n\nSuch funerals have also taken place in Iceland, Nepal and elsewhere. “People climb up to these vanishing glaciers to say goodbye for themselves, but also to send out a strong signal to the public to tell them it matters to us.”\n\nMany glaciers hold spiritual significance, for example Māori culture regard them as ancestors. The Māori political leader Nā Lisa Tumahai visited the melting Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere in 2022 and told the Global Glacier Casualty List:“This mighty glacier, a presence once so physically commanding, is shrinking into oblivion. \\[It\\] has been subdued, humiliated by the actions of humans.\n\n“To see this retreating giant is to understand impermanence, to understand the real and terrible results of industrialisation, of climate change.”\n\nThe new study, [published in Nature Climate Change](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02513-9), analysed more than 200,000 glaciers from a database of outlines derived from satellite images. The researchers used three global glacier models to assess their fate under different heating scenarios.\n\nRegions with the smallest and fastest-melting glaciers were found to be the most vulnerable. The study estimates the 3,200 glaciers in central [Europe](https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news) would shrink by 87% by 2100 – even if global temperature rise is limited to 1.5C, rising to 97% under 2.7C of heating.\n\nIn the western US and Canada, including Alaska, about 70% of today’s 45,000 glaciers are projected to vanish under 1.5C of heating, and more than 90% under 2.7C. The Caucasus and southern Andes are also expected to face devastating losses.\n\nLarger glaciers take longer to melt, with those in Greenland reaching their peak extinction rate in about 2063 – losing 40% by 2100 under 1.5C of heating and 59% under 2.7C. However, the melting is forecast to continue beyond 2100.\n\nThe researchers said the peak loss dates represent more than a numerical milestone. “They mark turning points with profound implications for ecosystems, water resources and cultural heritage,” they wrote. “\\[It is\\] a human story of vanishing landscapes, fading traditions and disrupted daily routines.”\n\nThese transitions also underscored the urgent need to help communities adapt to changing conditions, they said, with 2 billion people downstream reliant on mountain water for regular supplies and food security. Adaptation measures could include new types of farming, alternative businesses to replace tourism and even [artificial glaciers](https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cd7557en), which have been trialled in Kyrgyzstan.\n\nDr Arun Bhakta Shrestha, a senior adviser at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and not part of the study, said: “\\[The study\\] underscores how today’s climate decisions will profoundly influence the future of these vital natural features.”\n\nShrestha said the work offered a valuable perspective on the rapid changes occurring in glacier landscapes and the people that depend on them, while noting some limitations, including uncertainty in counting small and debris-covered glaciers and the lack of up-to-date data.","24e211509e74bf91377aeec5b56b47e88372097b94ad05c8ee87abc14db8eb1b",{"_27":495,"_384":497,"_134":412,"_80":498,"_398":397,"_293":509,"_400":401},"0ed3dc66a0a19eceb1fc1f125c4144deb1c71675f37594160930a46f6bc54748ea4775d76475749452f539acc714c6f51b0b7881fc50a2ab3620203e2a009abc",[499,501,502,504,505,506,507,508],[415,500],"https://news.layer3.press/articles/97a0bb44-af7d-447b-a4a7-e36f56f4a220",[40,446],[419,503],"1765814400",[44,448],[423,444],[316,447],[394,395],[137,397,39],"Glaciers to reach peak rate of extinction in the Alps in eight years\nA new study reveals that glaciers worldwide are disappearing at an accelerating pace due to human-caused global heating, with the European Alps predicted to reach their peak extinction rate within eight years. Depending on future emissions, global glacier losses could peak at 3,000 per year by 2040, leading to 80% of today's glaciers vanishing by the end of the century. The melting impacts water sources, tourism, and cultural heritage, underscoring the urgent need for adaptation strategies.\n - Glaciers in the European Alps are projected to reach their peak extinction rate by 2033, with over 100 disappearing permanently.\n - Glaciers in the western US and Canada are expected to reach peak loss less than a decade later, with over 800 vanishing annually.\n - Approximately 750 glaciers disappear globally each year, a rate expected to accelerate due to continued fossil fuel emissions.\n - Under current climate action plans (2.7C warming), glacier losses could peak at 3,000 per year by 2040, with 80% of glaciers gone by 2100.\n - Rapid emission cuts (1.5C warming) would cap annual losses at 2,000 per year in 2040, with the rate then declining.\n - Individual glaciers are crucial as water sources, tourist attractions, and hold spiritual significance for many communities.\n - Central European glaciers could shrink by 87% to 97% by 2100, while western US and Canadian glaciers could see 70% to over 90% vanish.\n - Larger glaciers, like those in Greenland, will take longer to melt but will continue beyond 2100.\n - Peak loss dates mark turning points with significant implications for ecosystems, water resources, and cultural heritage.\n - Urgent adaptation measures are needed for communities reliant on mountain water, with 2 billion people depending on these supplies.\n - The study analyzed over 200,000 glaciers using three global models under different heating scenarios.\n","

Almost 40% of world’s glaciers already doomed due to climate crisis – study

By contrast, rapid cuts to carbon emissions to keep global temperature rise to 1.5C would cap annual losses at about 2,000 a year in 2040, after which the rate would decline.

As the director of the Swiss glacier monitoring network, Huss recently declared four extinct, the latest in an estimated 1,000 lost in the country over the past three decades.

Huss also spoke at a funeral ceremony for the Pizol glacier in 2019. “More than 250 people climbed up to this glacier to say goodbye. It was very impressive.”

“To see this retreating giant is to understand impermanence, to understand the real and terrible results of industrialisation, of climate change.”

","2025-12-15T19:04:30.089Z","2025-12-15T19:02:46.968Z","nextPage","category","categoryName","Environment","categorySlug","requestUrl","http://data-source-service:3000/public/api/articles?offset=132&limit=13&tags[]=environment&state=published&sortBy=relevance&subject=environment","page",12,"actionData","errors"]