Camila Lange, seven months pregnant, found herself sitting in the ruins of her former home in Vina del Mar, Chile, alongside her husband and dog. The fiery inferno that consumed their town has destroyed hundreds of homes and claimed at least 112 lives.
This is a stark reminder of the escalating weather and climate extremes gripping our planet. From raging wildfires in Chile to record-breaking floods and relentless droughts elsewhere, communities worldwide are bearing the brunt of nature's fury.
In Chile, firefighters are battling some of the most intense forest fires in recent history, driven by scorching temperatures and dry conditions. The city of Vina del Mar saw its beloved botanical garden, established in 1931, reduced to ashes. Neighborhoods on the eastern fringes of this 300,000-strong beach resort have been engulfed by flames and choking smoke, trapping residents in their homes.
Meanwhile, in California, Southern California is bracing for the second of consecutive moisture-heavy atmospheric rivers. This relentless downpour is causing mudslides, flooding roads, and leaving approximately 1.4 million people in the Los Angeles area without power. The National Weather Service reported up to 23 centimeters of rain had fallen by Monday, with more expected.
Northern California is also reeling from the storm, with streets submerged and trees and electrical lines toppled across the San Francisco Bay Area. Winds in some areas have reached speeds of 96 kph.
Across the Atlantic, Spain is grappling with a historic drought. The northeast region of Catalonia has declared a drought emergency, with reservoirs serving 6 million people, including Barcelona's residents, holding less than 16 percent of their capacity—the lowest on record.
Adding to these dire scenarios, scientists studying Caribbean sea sponges, which can live for centuries, suggest that global temperatures have risen more significantly than previously thought since the pre-Industrial era. This new evidence underscores the urgent need for comprehensive climate action to mitigate these extreme weather events and their devastating impacts.
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Wildfire, drought, flooding spread pain of weather extremes globally
cgtn.com
