Environment

Europe’s record summer ‘impossible’ without global heating

The heatwaves and wildfires that caused devastation in Europe this summer would not have happened without global heating, new analysis shows.

The summer of 2021 was the hottest on record in the continent, with average temperatures about 1C above normal. The elevated heat caused wildfires and premature deaths.

Researchers have calculated how much more likely the climate crisis made the high temperatures. For almost all of the past 150 years, the expected frequency of a European summer as hot as 2021 was no higher than once every 10,000 years.

But since the 1990s, as carbon emissions continued to soar, the expected frequency has rocketed to reach once every three years.

The analysis is a stark reminder to the leaders meeting at the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow that global heating is causing terrible damage to lives and livelihoods. If countries do not achieve drastic reductions in carbon emissions by 2030 and hit net zero by 2050, the record heat of 2021 will strike every year by the end of the century, the scientists say.

Despite the extraordinary increase in likelihood of record heat in recent years, Nikos Christidis at the Met Office, who led the analysis, said: “These kinds of results are no longer surprising. Climate change is already making our weather extremes more severe.”

“Extreme events are the new norm,” said Prof Petteri Taalas, the head of the UN World Meteorological Organization. A European temperature record of 48.8C was set in Sicily in August. “Cop26 is a make-or-break opportunity to put us back on track,” Taalas said.

The analysis used 14 climate models and scores of model runs to calculate how frequently the record summer of 2021 is expected to occur in today’s human-influenced climate, compared with a climate with no human influence.

The research analysed the period from June to August and covered all of Europe, as far east as Yekaterinburg in Russia.

For large stretches of the 20th century, the estimated frequency of such a hot summer in a world without climate change was more than one in 10,000 years. “This event was so rare, it was nearly impossible to calculate a probability,” Christidis said.

The same scientific approach has shown clear links between global heating and other severe weather. The record-breaking heatwave in the Siberian Arctic in January and February 2020 was made at least 600 times more likely, while the terrible floods in Germany and Belgium in July were made up to nine times more likely.

Prof Peter Stott, also at the Met Office, said: “We can be more confident than we have ever been about linking extreme weather events to climate change. The science is clear that the faster we reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases, the more we can avoid the most severe impacts.”

“The new study is another stark reminder of just what 1.2C [of global heating to date] means,” said Friederike Otto, at Imperial College London, who conducted the Siberian study. “I really do not want to imagine the summers we’d have at 2.7C.” She said looking at large regions gives a stronger climate change signal than smaller areas.

Bob Ward, a policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change at the London School of Economics, said: “The study shows clearly that the severe intensity of this summer’s heatwave was due to man-made climate change resulting from the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities.

“The cost to humans and wildlife was substantial, with heatwave conditions killing people across the continent, and the enhanced evaporation of higher temperatures turning forests into fuel for devastating wildfires.

“These extreme temperature events in Europe will continue to increase in severity and frequency for at least the next 30 years, until the world reaches net zero emissions of greenhouse gases.”

Other previous studies have shown an extreme heatwave in 2017 that saw deadly forest fires blazing in Portugal and Spain was made 10 times more likely by global warming. In Portugal, 64 people died. Previous work has also demonstrated floods in England and France – as far back as 2000 – were made significantly more likely by global heating.

Environment

NEMA cautions Lagos residents on safety amid downpour

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has cautioned Lagos residents on the need to observe safety rules to mitigate the impact of heavy rainfall in the state.

NEMA Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

Farinloye said motorists should park their vehicles and move away to safer environment during heavy rainfall.

He warned Lagos residents from taking shelter under temporary or makeshift accommodation during rainfall to avoid disaster.

He said people living on low level ground should move to a higher level ground for safety.

“Parents are enjoined not to send their children to errands during the rains.

“Follow instructions given by public safety officials.

“Be alert to changing weather conditions and be ready to move to higher ground.

“Consider postponing outdoor activities,” Farinloye said.

He advised parents to tie down or bring in outdoor objects (patio furniture, children’s toys, trash cans, etc.) that could be swept away or damaged during flooding.

“Consider unplugging sensitive electronic equipment before flooding occurs. But do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.

“Elevate items stored in your basement to prevent damage. If you have a sump pump, check that it is working,” Farinloye said.

He stressed that residents should consider clearing street catch basins to prevent or reduce street flooding.

He said motorists should void camping or parking along streams, rivers, creeks, or other areas prone to flooding during heavy rainfall.

“These areas can flood rapidly and with little warning,” Farinloye said.

NAN reports that most parts of Lagos has been experiencing downpour for about two consecutive days, leading to flash flooding and the destruction of the roofs of some buildings.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had issued warning that about 30 states, including Lagos were at high risk of severe flooding as the rainy season approaches, raising nationwide concern over the country’s level of preparedness. (NAN)

Environment

Time for climate action is now, not tomorrow- Tinubu to Global leaders

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged world leaders to demonstrate unity, courage, and sustained commitment in addressing the worsening global climate crisis.

Speaking on Wednesday during a high-level virtual dialogue on climate and the just transition, President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s dedication to forging a paradigm shift in which climate action and economic growth advance together, not in opposition.

“The global climate emergency demands our collective, courageous, and sustained leadership. For Nigeria, the urgency of this moment is clear: we view climate action not as a cost to development, but as a strategic imperative.”

The meeting, co-hosted by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inacia Lula da Silva, aimed to accelerate global climate ambition ahead of COP30, which Brazil will host.

Leaders from 17 countries, including China, the European Union, climate-vulnerable states, and key regional blocs such as the African Union, ASEAN, and the Alliance of Small Island States, participated in the meeting.

The leaders sent a clear message: climate action is moving forward, full speed ahead.

Addressing the session from Abuja, President Tinubu outlined Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP) as a bold, pragmatic roadmap for reaching net-zero emissions by 2060. The ETP targets five core sectors—power, cooking, transportation, oil and gas, and industry—and identifies a financing need of over $410 billion by 2060 to achieve these goals.

“We are, therefore, in the process of aligning our regulatory environment, fiscal incentives, and institutional frameworks to ensure that energy access, decarbonisation, and economic competitiveness proceed in lockstep. We are also taking leadership on Energy Access,” he said.

President Tinubu underscored Nigeria’s role as an anchor country in the Mission 300 initiative, implemented in partnership with the World Bank and the African Development Bank. The initiative aims to deliver electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.

He recalled his participation in the Dar es Salaam Declaration earlier this year and Nigeria’s presentation of its National Energy Compact, which outlines reform commitments, investment opportunities, and measurable targets to expand clean energy access and clean cooking solutions.

“This compact is among the first of its kind in Africa and lays out our policy reform commitments and specific investment opportunities in the energy sector. It sets quantifiable targets to grow electricity access and increase clean cooking penetration.

“We are working to build capacity and ensure that we meet these targets, reflecting not just our ambition but also our commitment to deliver on that ambition measurably,” he said.

As part of the broader energy reforms architecture, President Tinubu announced the finalisation of the Nigeria Carbon Market Activation Policy in March 2025. This policy will unlock up to $2.5 billion by 2030 in high-integrity carbon credits and related investments.

He disclosed that Nigeria is actively updating its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in line with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with plans to present a comprehensive revision by September 2025.

“Our climate strategy is not limited to planning and regulation — it is also rooted in market reform.

“We are working to position Nigeria as a premier destination for climate-smart investment through the development of a Global Climate Change Investment Fund, which will serve as a platform to blend public and private capital, de-risk green infrastructure, and finance clean energy solutions at scale,” he said.

The fund will support key national priorities such as green industrial hubs, e-mobility infrastructure, regenerative agriculture, and renewable energy mini-grids for underserved communities.

President Tinubu thanked international partners, particularly the United Nations and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), for their advisory and technical support.

“These partnerships are a shining example of the value of multilateral cooperation in climate delivery. We are prepared to collaborate, lead, and deliver — because we understand that the time for climate action is not tomorrow; it is now,” he said.

Environment

NiMet forecasts three-day thunderstorms from Sunday

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecasted thundery weather from Sunday to Tuesday across the country.

In its weather outlook released on Saturday in Abuja, NiMet noted the possibility of localized thunderstorms in parts of Taraba, Adamawa, and southern Kaduna States, primarily during the afternoon or evening on Sunday.

Additionally, NiMet anticipates partly cloudy skies over the North-Central region during the morning hours.

“Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Plateau, the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Kwara, Niger, and Kogi states.

“Over the southern region, cloudy morning is expected with chances of localised thunderstorms over parts of Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Delta States.

“Later in the day, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Anambra, Oyo, Ondo, Edo, Imo, Abia, Ekiti, Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Delta States,” it said.

The agency predicted sunny skies on Monday over the northern region throughout the forecast period, with the exception of some parts of Adamawa, Kaduna and Taraba States where isolated thunderstorms are expected during the afternoon/evening hours.

“Sunny skies with few clouds are expected across the North Central region during the morning period. Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Plateau, the Federal Capital Territory, Benue, Kogi, Kwara and Nasarawa states.

“In the southern region, cloudy skies with intervals of sunshine are anticipated with prospects of morning thunderstorms over parts of Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Cross River States.