Extreme weather news and discussion

[firestar464]

Japan's record rains strand thousands at Narita airport; kill eight

https://periscope.corsfix.com/?https:// ... 026-08-14/

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

Translation:

As of August 14, the intensity of the 2026 drought continues to widen the gap compared to 1976, 2003, and 2022. Nationwide, soil moisture levels have dropped to just 10% of capacity. There is literally not a single drop of water left in the soil across the stretch from La Roche-sur-Yon to Mâcon.
[1/2]

[wjfox]

[weatheriscool]

[firestar464]

[weatheriscool]

[weatheriscool]

[wjfox]

Something similar happened to my house recently, although I can't be 100% sure it's heat-related.

Basically the lower part of my front door is now jutting inwards slightly, and the seal is broken. Plus there's a large crack in the bottom panel, as though it shrank inwardly.

-----

Londoners Find ‘Horrendous’ Cracks in Their Homes After Successive Heat Waves

August 23, 2026

Londoners are facing historic levels of subsidence risk after five successive heat waves dried out the clay soil on which much of the city is built.

Insurance claims tied to subsidence — a phenomenon associated with bouts of hot, dry weather that shrink the soil and destabilize the foundations on which buildings stand — hit a record last quarter, according to data provided by the Association of British Insurers. On average, households claimed £20,000 ($27,200) for the risk, more than in any previous quarter and a 15% jump from the same period in 2025, the ABI said.

Laura Hughes, head of general insurance at the ABI, says the upward trend is likely to continue. “We expect to see more subsidence cases because of the hot weather,” she said in an interview.

Londoners have taken to social media to express their dismay. On Reddit, people offered personal accounts telling of “horrendous cracking” in their homes, and “doors sticking” due to subsidence. One said it was “genuinely scary” to discover that their kitchen had moved as the foundations of the home shifted.

Another Reddit user described the response of a structural engineer they contacted for help. “Before I could finish explaining he laughed and said, ‘You and 20,000 other people in southeast London’,” the person wrote.

https://archive.is/20260823082750/https ... 0-1575.217

[Yuli Ban]

As someone from the hot and bothered American south, that absolutely sounds like heat-related material distortion.

[firestar464]

One dead and around 15 missing as flash flood strikes Grand Canyon National Park

https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20 ... od-missing

[caltrek]

One dead and around 15 missing as flash flood strikes Grand Canyon National Park

https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20 ... od-missing

More on that from The Guardian:

How Intense Rains in the Grand Canyon Turned into a Deadly Disaster
By Gabrielle Canon
September 5, 2026

Introduction:

(The Guardian) A deadly flash flood in the Grand Canyon over the weekend (August 29 -August 30) was probably driven by a confluence of climate factors, including drought, wildfire scarring and warming temperatures in the Pacific Ocean that can supercharge storms.

At least two people have died, nearly 80 people were rescued and one remained unaccounted for after a surge of water and debris swept through the immensely popular tourist destination on Saturday, fueled by torrents of rain that hit the national park’s Bright Angel Creek area.

Flash floods are not uncommon in the region, especially during the monsoon season from June to September, when strong rains pummel the arid landscapes and can quickly fill narrow rock formations. Visiting the Grand Canyon – a crown jewel of the US national park system – can be particularly dangerous in the summer because of the risk of flash flooding, when clear days can give way quickly to thunderstorms and downpours.

The steep, rocky nature of the canyon itself funnels water rapidly, transforming downpours into a charging wall of water.

But Saturday’s strong storm also hit part of the burn scar of the Dragon Bravo wildfire, a destructive and fast-moving blaze that swept across nearly 150,000 acres (60,700 hectares) and consumed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge in July 2025.

Read more here: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng ... e_btn_url