Weekly climate summary: 24–30 July 2026
Extreme weather and climate impacts
- Record low water levels across Europe reveal mammoth skeletons and forgotten shipwrecks – video — theguardian.com
Water levels across several of Europe’s major waterways have dropped to exceptionally low levels, setting new records in some areas. Extreme heat exacerbated by the climate crisis is intensifying the drought hitting the continent as record-breaking heatwaves means the hot atmosphere is evaporating water from rivers, lakes, soils and plants quickly.…
- Race to extinguish blazes across Europe as fire weather breaks records — theguardian.com
Figures show hot, dry, windy conditions in EU are 43% more severe than the average over last 20 years Fire weather in the EU has broken records for severity for this time of year, data shows, as firefighters race to extinguish blazes across the Mediterranean.…
- England on track for record heat-related deaths this summer, official data shows — theguardian.com
UKHSA estimates 2,877 fatalities during heatwaves in May and June, almost twice that recorded in 2025 season England is on track to record its highest ever number of heat-related deaths this summer after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced that an estimated 2,877 people had died in the May and June heatwaves.…
Courts, regulators and legal accountability
- As climate lawsuits advance, the oil industry enters ‘panic mode’ — grist.org
Could the oil industry be held responsible for fueling the extreme heat that led to a woman’s death? That’s the question at the heart of a novel lawsuit in Washington state. Misti Leon’s mother died from overheating during the hottest day in state history in June 2021, when temperatures climbed to 108 degrees Fahrenheit.…
Energy transition and industrial policy
- Affordable Homes, Cooling Centers, and a Faster Grid? Yes, Please — cleantechnica.com
How 4 Companies Are Working To Bring New Technologies to Communities in Need—With Help From National Laboratory Experts By Caitlin McDermott-Murphy and Stacy Parker, NLR A year after the Palisades and Eaton wildfires destroyed more than 13,000 homes in Los Angeles County, fewer than a dozen had been rebuilt. Rebuilds …
- Families Want Lower Costs & Less Pollution: Public Interest Groups Push Washington’s Largest Utility to Lower Rate Increases and Meet Clean Energy Laws — cleantechnica.com
Puget Sound Energy’s proposal seeks major rate increases and costly new gas infrastructure. SEATTLE — Climate, environmental, and social justice organizations filed testimony today urging the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) to reduce the proposed rate hike from Washington’s largest utility and hold it accountable to meet the state’s …
- Here’s how offshore wind helped New England beat record heat — grist.org
America’s offshore wind farms have already shown their ability to keep electricity flowing during brutal winter storms. Now, the clean energy resource has proved it can also bolster the grid during major heat waves.…
Fossil fuels and corporate accountability
- UN bid to keep 1.5C alive exposes deepening divisions over fossil fuels — climatechangenews.com
Vulnerable island nations and the poorest countries want the Belém Mission to 1.5 to drive fossil fuel phase-out, while Arab states call for more investment in oil and gas
- The case for making polluters pay has moved into the mainstream — climatechangenews.com
With fossil fuel firms set to report huge profits off the back of the Iran war amid heatwaves and wildfires in Europe, public debate is asking who should pay for the damage?
Climate science and emissions
- State of the climate: Rapidly developing El Niño raises chance of record-warm 2026 — carbonbrief.org
As 2026 passes its halfway point, the world is watching one of the most rapidly intensifying El Niño events in…
Source URLs
- Record low water levels across Europe reveal mammoth skeletons and forgotten shipwrecks – video — https://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2026/jul/30/europe-record-low-water-levels
- Race to extinguish blazes across Europe as fire weather breaks records — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/30/fire-weather-eu-wildfires-data
- England on track for record heat-related deaths this summer, official data shows — https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/30/excess-deaths-caused-by-heatwaves-in-england-almost-double-so-far-this-year
- As climate lawsuits advance, the oil industry enters ‘panic mode’ — https://grist.org/accountability/lawsuits-heatwave-wrongful-death-supreme-court/
- Affordable Homes, Cooling Centers, and a Faster Grid? Yes, Please — https://cleantechnica.com/2026/07/27/affordable-homes-cooling-centers-and-a-faster-grid-yes-please/
- Families Want Lower Costs & Less Pollution: Public Interest Groups Push Washington’s Largest Utility to Lower Rate Increases and Meet Clean Energy Laws — https://cleantechnica.com/2026/07/28/families-want-lower-costs-less-pollution-public-interest-groups-push-washingtons-largest-utility-to-lower-rate-increases-and-meet-clean-energy-laws/
- Here’s how offshore wind helped New England beat record heat — https://grist.org/energy/heres-how-offshore-wind-helped-new-england-beat-record-heat/
- UN bid to keep 1.5C alive exposes deepening divisions over fossil fuels — https://www.climatechangenews.com/2026/07/29/un-bid-to-keep-1-5c-alive-exposes-deepening-divisions-over-fossil-fuels/
- The case for making polluters pay has moved into the mainstream — https://www.climatechangenews.com/2026/07/28/the-case-for-making-polluters-pay-has-moved-into-the-mainstream/
- State of the climate: Rapidly developing El Niño raises chance of record-warm 2026 — https://www.carbonbrief.org/state-of-the-climate-rapidly-developing-el-nino-raises-chance-of-record-warm-2026
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