The Latest Breaking News from Daniel Swain

First survey of season shows snow at 25% of historical average, with brown patches of vegetation across Sierra Nevada

Torrents of rain on Wednesday night submerged streets and prompted rescues of people and pets

Hurricane Hilary continues her march to Baja California, and people on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border are getting ready for projected heavy rains and flooding.

Record high temperatures, strong winds and thunderstorms are prompting warnings for high wildfire danger across the Pacific Northwest.

Severe blazes, once a rarity in Hawaii, are increasing in strength and scale, complicating rescue efforts for the small local fire crews

It’s no coincidence that extreme heat is engulfing huge swaths of Asia, Europe and North America all at the same time. Powerful weather forces are combining to create the planet-wide conditions, and there’s unlikely to be relief from the scorching temperatures anytime soon.

WASHINGTON: Summer has just begun in the Northern Hemisphere but a brutal heat wave is already gripping parts of Europe, China and the United States, where record temperatures expected this weekend are a stark illustration of the dangers of a warming climate.

Scientists say worsening heat waves have a clear link to climate change. This year, a seasonal El Niño pattern will also be adding fuel to the fire.

Much of California is expected to bake this weekend as the first major heat wave of the summer will send temperatures into the triple digits in several regions, stoking fears of wildfires sparked by Fourth of July festivities.