Mexico is fighting a record surge of sargassum, the foul-smelling seaweed that has been swamping beaches along its Caribbean coast. President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a $115 million cleanup plan that includes two large ships to capture the seaweed at sea, 30 miles of containment barriers installed by the navy, and hundreds of workers shoveling beaches. The brown algae, which smells like rotten eggs as it decomposes, has threatened tourism in Cancun, Tulum, and other resort towns. Officials now expect more than 119,000 tons to wash ashore this year, one of the worst seasons on record.
Global ocean temperatures are on track to break the all-time record this year, scientists warn. Sea surface readings are running above every previous year at the same point in the calendar, following two years of record ocean heat. Warmer seas fuel stronger hurricanes and typhoons, trigger coral bleaching and disrupt fisheries as fish move toward cooler waters. Marine heatwaves have already caused mass die-offs of seabirds and marine mammals in recent years. Scientists say short-term natural cycles can shift temperatures, but the long-term warming trend continues as oceans absorb most of the extra heat trapped by greenhouse gases. Researchers call for faster cuts in fossil fuel emissions and more investment in adapting coastal regions to rising ocean temperatures.
Officials in Belgium have called the wildfire burning through the High Fens National Park the country's worst ecological disaster. The blaze has scorched thousands of hectares of protected moorland and peat bogs near the German border, destroying habitat that will take decades to recover. Fire crews said the fire is partly contained and no longer spreading toward Germany, but evacuated residents have not yet been allowed home. The fire is the latest in a string of blazes across Europe this summer, as record heat dries out forests and moorlands. In neighboring France, the government has announced tax breaks for companies affected by wildfires. Climate researchers warn that Europe's fire season now starts earlier and lasts longer, and they call for more investment in prevention.
Global ocean temperatures are on track to break the all-time record this year, scientists warned this week, as marine heat waves spread across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. New data from climate monitoring agencies shows average sea surface temperatures running above the previous record set in 2023. Researchers said the warmth is already harming coral reefs, pushing fish populations toward cooler waters and adding energy to storms. The record heat comes even as the Pacific shifts away from El Nino conditions, which scientists said points to the growing role of greenhouse gas emissions in driving ocean warming. The findings add urgency to calls for stronger emissions cuts ahead of upcoming international climate talks.
Humanity exhausted Earth's entire ecological budget for 2026 on July 30, the Global Footprint Network announced, marking the highest level of global overshoot ever recorded. Humans are now using nature 73 percent faster than Earth can regenerate, the equivalent of consuming 1.73 planets. The date shifted from July 24 in 2025 due to updated data on ocean carbon absorption, not a real reduction in demand. After Earth Overshoot Day, humanity draws down resource stocks and accumulates carbon dioxide, deepening climate breakdown and biodiversity loss. The network says circular economy solutions could move the date back, and its #MoveTheDate campaign tracks projects working toward that goal. The calculation uses UN data and is an approximation.
Humanity has used up nature's entire budget for 2026, according to the Global Footprint Network. Earth Overshoot Day falls on August 15 this year, meaning people are now consuming resources faster than the planet can renew them. The date has moved earlier over the decades, though the pace has slowed in recent years. Carbon emissions account for more than half of the ecological footprint. Researchers say shifting food systems, transport and energy use could push the date back by weeks. The group tracks the day each year to show how demand compares with nature's supply.
Wildfires near Spokane, Washington, have forced thousands of people from their homes, but fire crews are finally gaining ground. The Old Trails Fire has burned through neighborhoods on the city's edge, destroying homes and sending thick smoke across the region. Evacuation orders have covered entire communities, and shelters are housing families who left with little more than what they could carry. After days of hot, dry wind, calmer weather has helped firefighters build containment lines. Officials warned that the fire is not out and that residents should stay alert. The blaze is part of a broader wildfire season that has hit the US West, Canada, and other countries. Climate researchers say hotter, drier conditions are making such fires more common and harder to fight.
Forecasters have officially declared that El Nino conditions are now in place across the tropical Pacific, and scientists say this event could be a strong one. El Nino warms the surface of the Pacific Ocean and shifts weather patterns around the globe, bringing drought to parts of Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Amazon while raising flood risk in other regions. Researchers warn the pattern could push the Amazon rainforest toward crisis, add to ocean warming, and stress coral reefs and fish populations. Past events have triggered mass seabird die-offs along South America's coast. Governments and aid agencies are already preparing for extreme weather, with farmers urged to adjust planting and water managers reviewing supplies.
El Niño conditions are under way in the Pacific Ocean and are strengthening rapidly, according to forecasters at NOAA and the World Meteorological Organization. NOAA gives a 63 percent chance that sea surface temperatures will rise 2 degrees Celsius or more above average between November 2026 and January 2027, which would rank as a very strong or super El Niño. The last super event was in 2015-2016. Forecasters expect drought, heavy rainfall, heatwaves and marine heatwaves in different parts of the world. Scientists say the event is arriving in a world already much warmer than average, which could amplify its effects.
Arctic sea ice reached its lowest winter maximum on record this year, scientists reported. The ice cover stopped growing in March at a smaller size than in any winter since satellite records began in 1979. This year's peak was about 1.4 million square kilometers below the recent average, roughly the size of Alaska. The low ice year follows months of record warmth, with global oceans logging their hottest July on record and Arctic air temperatures running far above normal. Scientists say warm ocean water stored during summer is slowing the growth of new ice. The loss of sea ice accelerates warming, because open water absorbs more heat than reflective ice, and it threatens Arctic wildlife and coastal communities.