The planet is being squeezed by an unprecedented wave of extreme weather events.
The combination of record heat, drought and intense storms, fueled by the intensifying phenomenon El Niño, causing humanitarian and environmental crises on several continents simultaneously.
Canada trapped in 900 fires, toxic smoke chokes the US
Canada is experiencing one of the most intense phases of the fire element for 2026. According to data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, the country is actively burning over 940 wildfires, with more than 70 out of control in the province of Ontario alone. The fire has already burned over 2.9 million hectares, and evacuees from local and indigenous communities are being transported to major urban centers. Currently, four fatalities and dozens of structures destroyed.
Huge clouds of toxic smoke have crossed the border and caused critical air quality declines across the United States. Millions of Americans in the Midwest and Northeast are under hazardous pollution codes, NPR reports. Cities including New York, Detroit and Washington have reported air levels deemed "hazardous to health." The situation has also strained political relations, after Washington called for stricter measures from Ottawa, and Canadian authorities reminded that climate change is a shared responsibility.
Europe: Southern regions are burning, World Health Organization warns of thousands of victims
Europe is the fastest warming continent in the world, with temperatures this summer exceeding historical norms by more than 4 degrees Celsius in a number of Western countries, Reuters reports.
Spain under fire: The situation is most severe in the province of Zaragoza (autonomous region of Aragon), where the fire has already devastated over 15,400 hectares of land with a perimeter of 60 kilometers. The disaster in Aragon and Guadalajara forced the evacuation of thousands of people. Earlier this month, a fire disaster in the province of Almeria claimed the lives of 13 people. Black statistics from the WHO: The Regional Director of the World Health Organization for Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge, has warned that this summer alone, five European countries have registered nearly 10,000 extraordinary deaths directly linked to extreme heat. Supercells and storms: While southern Europe battles the flames, powerful supercell storms with hail up to 5 cm hit central Europe. Three deaths were reported in France and Germany due to fallen trees and lightning.Tornadoes and catastrophic flooding in the US
In parallel with the smog, the US state of Texas was hit by catastrophic flash floods. Up to 60 cm of rain fell in the central and southern parts of the state in just a few days, which activated large-scale rescue operations with boats and helicopters of the National Guard. two people, and over 230 people were rescued from the rising waters.
The floods were also accompanied by An EF1 tornado in San Antonio, causing significant damage to infrastructure and the roofs of residential buildings. Meteorologists warn that over 90 million Americans on the East Coast remain under threat of severe storms, flash flooding and more localized tornadoes over the weekend.