Story perspectives

150 M Hectares Burn, US Fires Decade-High, Snow Low

6/11/2026

Summary

Wildfires Surge

More than 150 million hectares burned Jan-May 2026, about double the average.
U.S. burned area in that span was the highest in a decade while March-May 2026 was the second-warmest spring on record, behind 2012.
Globally, May 2026 ranked as the second-warmest May since 1850, after May 2024.
May 2026 snow cover in the western United States fell to 49 % of average, a 26-year low.

Summary

El Niño Dominates

El Niño will dominate the Aug-Sep-Oct hurricane peak with a 98% chance, eliminating La Niña prospects.
NOAA assigns a 27% chance of El Niño during the peak and 50% for Oct-Dec, with Columbia University seeing a 2% ENSO-neutral chance.
May 2026 sea-surface temperatures reached highs while Arctic sea-ice was the second-lowest on record (1,150,000 km² below average).
Indian heat waves in May 2026 killed about 3,400 in one-day events and roughly 30,000 in five-day events.

Summary

Europe Weather Extremes

On May 26 2026 a woman cooled herself outside the Palace of Westminster as the heatwave peaked.
Spain and Italy experienced a May precipitation deficit that deepened drought in Southern and Western Europe.
Turkey, Bulgaria and Moldova reported flooding, highlighting an east-west rainfall contrast.
The Danube and Vistula rivers fell below their long-term average levels in May.
Rapid temperature rise left crops with little time to adjust, threatening seasonal yields.

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Wildfires Surge

More than 150 million hectares burned Jan-May 2026, about double the average.
U.S. burned area in that span was the highest in a decade while March-May 2026 was the second-warmest spring on record, behind 2012.
Globally, May 2026 ranked as the second-warmest May since 1850, after May 2024.
May 2026 snow cover in the western United States fell to 49 % of average, a 26-year low.

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