Swiss village destroyed by glacier collapse

Climate Focus

By Sharon Kimathi, Energy and ESG Editor, Reuters Digital

Hello,

Today's newsletter focuses on extreme weather events, including a glacier collapse in a Swiss village and wildfires in Manitoba, Canada. These come as a U.N. report warns of rising global temperatures over the next five years, with Arctic warming predicted at more than three times the global average.

Let's start with the glacier collapse in the Swiss Alps and the deluge of ice, mud and rock that crashed down a mountain and engulfed some 90% of the village of Blatten.

Rescue teams with search dogs and thermal drone scans have been looking for a missing 64-year-old man. Local police suspended the search on Thursday afternoon, saying the mounds of debris were too unstable for now.

Blatten's 300 residents had already been evacuated earlier in May after part of the mountain behind the Birch Glacier began to crumble.

Water trapped behind a mass of glacial debris blocking a river in southern Switzerland has sparked warnings that further evacuations may be needed amid the risk of flooding in the Alpine valley.

Up to 1 million cubic meters of water are accumulating daily as a result of the debris damming up the river, said Christian Huggel, a professor of environment and climate at the University of Zurich.

Residents struggled to absorb the scale of devastation that buried most of their picturesque Swiss village, in what scientists suspect is a dramatic example of climate change's impact on the Alps.

Scientists have found that the world is expected to experience more record temperatures over the next five years, with Arctic warming predicted at more than three times the global average, according to the report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

There is an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will see record heat, with a high likelihood that average warming will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, according to the report.

Keep scrolling for more updates on this week's extreme weather events such as the wildfires in Manitoba and the drought in northwest England. And click here to let us know what you would like to read more about our Reuters climate tracker survey.

Manitoba declared a state of emergency and urged thousands of people in northern and eastern parts of the province to evacuate as wildfires spread in Central and Western Canada. "This is the largest evacuation in many Manitobans' living memory and this will require significant resources and co-operation from all levels of government," Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said in a statement.

Separately, wildfires in Alberta province have prompted a temporary shutdown of some oil and gas production and forced residents of at least one small town to evacuate.

A police patrol vehicle is parked as a water bomber flies over the plume of smoke from a wildfire near The Pas, Manitoba, Canada. Manitoba RCMP/Handout via REUTERS. 

A decade-long court battle between a Peruvian farmer and German energy giant RWE came to an end after a German court threw out the case without the possibility of an appeal. 

The case, brought by farmer Saul Luciano Lliuya, claimed that RWE's emissions contributed to the melting of Andean glaciers and to a higher flood risk for his home. Presiding judge Rolf Meyer, at the court in the western city of Hamm, said experts' estimate of the 30-year damage risk to the plaintiff's house of 1% was not enough to take the case further. Click here for an explainer on why the loss may be a win for climate justice.

China's National Meteorological Centre issued alerts for heavy rain and flooding in southern regions including in Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangxi, Guangdong and Guizhou, forecasting the most intense storms of the year so far. The NMC flagged a high risk of mountain floods, geological disasters and localised flooding in southern provinces and regions due to strong rainfall.

Severe floods in Romania are threatening to destroy the Praid salt mine — one of Europe's largest and a major tourist draw. Authorities have closed the site as the worst floods in 30 years in the central Romanian county of Harghita have swollen a nearby stream, further flooding part of the mine.

Britain's Environment Agency said the reservoir storage levels in northwest England – home to the picturesque Lake District as well as the cities of Manchester and Liverpool – were lower than during the same time in the 1984, 1995 and 2022 drought years.

Though Britain has basked in its sunniest spring on record, according to the Met Office weather forecaster, the lack of rainfall has raised concerns about conserving water supply.

Click here for an inspiring Reuters video on cutting down carbon emissions in the construction industry through a brick made entirely from recycled building waste. Unlike traditional clay bricks, the K-BRIQ produces 95% less CO2, according to its Scottish maker, Kenoteq.

The European Commission will set a new EU climate target to cut net greenhouse gas emissions 90% by 2040, compared with 1990 levels, diplomats familiar with the closed-door talks told Reuters.

The Commission has promised not to weaken Europe's ambitious climate aims, despite mounting criticism from governments and lawmakers concerned about the cost for European businesses, which are struggling with high energy prices and looming U.S. tariffs.

The number of countries demanding a delay and a weakening of the European Union's upcoming law to restrict deforestation, a document seen by Reuters showed. The world-first policy aims to end the 10% of global deforestation fuelled by EU consumption of imported soy, beef, palm oil and other products, but has become a politically contested part of Europe's green agenda.

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