Droughts, as a research topic, encompass the characterization, drivers, impacts, and prediction of prolonged periods of abnormally low water availability in the atmosphere, soil, and hydrological systems. Scientific study distinguishes meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and socio-economic droughts, often quantified using indices such as the Standardized Precipitation Index or Palmer Drought Severity Index. Research investigates land–atmosphere feedbacks, large-scale circulation anomalies, soil moisture deficits, vegetation stress, and groundwater depletion, as well as the modulation of drought frequency, duration, and intensity by climate variability and anthropogenic climate change, with implications for water resources management, ecosystem functioning, and risk assessment.
Scorching heat waves, severe cold snaps and other extreme weather events are limiting where species can exist—and affecting biodiversity estimates—for more than 500 North American bird species, according to a new, Yale–led ...
Ecology
Aug 12, 2026
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From the American West to Europe, droughts are drying up rivers, fueling destructive fires and reshaping ecosystems. They are also changing the spread of infectious diseases, leading to surges in illnesses like cholera and ...
Ecology
Aug 12, 2026
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Tropical forests store enormous amounts of carbon and harbor most of the world's terrestrial biodiversity, but scientists fear that increasingly severe droughts threaten their ability to survive and continue absorbing carbon ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 12, 2026
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Britain is "on course" to chalk up its warmest summer on record for the second year running, the UK's Met Office weather agency said Tuesday as the country braced for its fifth heat wave of the season.
Environment
Aug 12, 2026
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Vast tracts of many of Europe's largest rivers, including the Rhine, Rhone and Danube, have slowed to a trickle never before recorded in July, data from a European climate observatory showed Monday.
Environment
Aug 10, 2026
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Regions home to around 900 million people experienced their hottest July on record in 2026, including in the Sahel, Central America, France and Spain, according to AFP analysis of Copernicus data.
Environment
Aug 10, 2026
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Much of Europe is bracing for another scorching heat wave following periods of record drought that have driven rivers to historic lows, ignited historic forest fires and contributed to thousands of deaths.
Environment
Aug 10, 2026
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A changing climate increases the health risks posed by extreme weather. However, according to the 2024 Yale Climate Opinion Maps, only 47% of U.S. survey participants believed that global warming would harm them personally.
Environment
Aug 10, 2026
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Western Europe experienced its hottest June–July on record as climate change fuels a historic summer of heat, drought and wildfires across the region, the EU's global warming monitor said Monday.
Environment
Aug 10, 2026
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Early last month, Utah experienced two historic wildfires at the same time, highlighting the record-setting fire season continuing to unfold in the Beehive State.
Environment
Aug 6, 2026
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