A total of 70 large wildfires are burning across the U.S., according to the National Interagency Fire Center, and this number is likely to grow as yet another powerful heat dome is set to build across the West, sending temperatures skyrocketing.
Why it matters: States across the northern Rockies and parts of the Pacific Northwest are set to see another searing heat wave from Saturday through at least Wednesday, with temperatures hitting 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit above average. This could significantly exacerbate the wildfires that are already ravaging the territory.
Following days of heavy rainfall in Germany and Belgium, rivers and reservoirs have burst through their banks to create a rare flood event that's left more than 125 people dead.
State of play: The equivalent of two months of rain has fallen on some areas over the last one to two days, per AP, citing the French national weather service.
The unprecedented heat wave in the Pacific Northwest led to a major spike in emergency room visits for heat-related illnesses, according to a report published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Why it matters: Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard in the U.S. during a typical year, and climate change is dramatically raising the risk of such events. Multiple all-time temperature records were shattered during the late June into early July heat wave in the Pacific Northwest.
Greenland announced Friday that it will suspend all oil exploration, saying the territory "takes the climate crisis seriously."
The big picture: While no oil has been found yet, many had hoped potential vast reserves could "help Greenlanders realize their long-held dream of independence from Denmark by cutting the annual subsidy of 3.4 billion kroner ($540 million) the Danish territory receives," AP notes.
The corporate worldand governments are awash in ambitious climate pledges, but two new reports underscore how the on-the-ground policy reality has not yet begun to spur steep emissions cuts.
Driving the news, part 1: The Rhodium Group consultancy is out with new projections of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions cuts under current federal and state policies.
Investment firm General Atlantic is raising $4 billion for a growth equity fund focused on climate technologies, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Massive flooding in Germany. Wildfires in Canada, with smoke reaching Greenland. Droughts causing massive amounts of animal death. Another heat dome forming. Hottest June on record in the U.S. And on and on and on.
At least 69 people have died and 1,300 are assumed missing in Germany and Belgium after heavy rainfall caused water to overtake streets, sweeping up cars and bringing down buildings, the New York Times reports.
Driving the news: Storms across parts of western Europe caused rivers and reservoirs to burst through their banks, triggering flash floods overnight.
The next in a series of relentless heat waves is taking shape across parts of the West and northern Plains, with temperatures set to vault into the triple-digits once again from Idaho and Montana north into Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Why it matters: The West has already been extremely hot so far this summer, with a series of heat waves of unparalleled intensity for some regions.
Seventy-one large wildfires burning across the West have scorched more than 1 million acres so far this year in the U.S. Nine new large fires were added to the roster Thursday, as federal officials raised the national firefighting preparedness level to the highest posture as of Thursday.
Why it matters: In the midst of a relentless series of heat waves taking place in a region plagued by the worst drought so far in the 21st century, the forests and grasses located in western states are a tinderbox. The fire season is only expected to get worse from here.
The White House is not expecting any agreement on Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline to emerge from President Biden's meeting on Thursday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, despite speculation that such a deal could be close.
Why it matters: The Russia-to-Germany natural gas pipeline faces strong bipartisan opposition in Washington, but Biden in May waived sanctions on the company working to complete it. The White House noted that the pipeline was already mostly finished and said Biden wanted good relations with Germany and "diplomatic space" to reach a deal with Merkel on the pipeline issue.
World leaders are pondering unprecedented moves to combat global warming by speeding up the transition to clean tech — but they're also learning more about the potential downsides of those changes.
Why it matters: The changes will be needed to avoid the most dire climate scenarios. But there are potential environmental, human rights, and geopolitical risks to shifting how we get around, the way the electric grid operates, and how everything from cement is made to buildings are constructed.
California officials say a wildfire has erupted near the site of the deadliest blaze in recent American history, burning out of control across some 1,200 acres and prompting evacuation warnings in Butte County.
What's happening: While the Dixie fire is currently moving away from Paradise, was on Thursday just 10 miles from the town that was devastated by the 2018 Camp fire. Residents are worried flames could attack the town again, per AP
