#Climate

Two per cent of the smoke: Australia's top court tells coal it can no longer look away

Australia's High Court has backed Hunter Valley residents who challenged a plan to double coal output at Mount Pleasant until 2048, ruling that planners ignored 98 per cent of the mine's emissions because the coal would burn overseas.

7 October 2026 · 2 min read

Environment

Hottest monsoon in nine years: Tamil Nadu baked through June to September

Tamil Nadu recorded its warmest Southwest monsoon season in nine years, with a June to September mean of 29.45 degrees Celsius, about 1.21 degrees above the 2018-25 average, the Regional Meteorological Centre said.

7 October 2026 · 2 min read

A car drives through flash-floodwaters on a flooded street

International

Cars piled on cars, a 102-year-old dead in her home: Spain's DANA deluge turns deadly

A slow-moving Mediterranean storm dumped 140 litres of rain in three hours on Madrigueras, turning streets into rivers. A 102-year-old woman died in her flooded home and 90 people were rescued, as red alerts stretched along Spain's east coast.

3 October 2026 · 2 min read

The front of the Morteratsch Glacier in south-east Switzerland, attacked this summer by warm air and meltwater.

International

Switzerland loses 5.5% of its glacier ice in one year, and nearly a fifth since 2021

A summer of heatwaves after a snow-poor winter stripped glaciers bare even at 3,500 metres. Scientists say melting that once counted as extreme at 2% a year is now routinely exceeded.

1 October 2026 · 3 min read

Chennai's Marina coast from the air. The northeast monsoon brings the State most of its rain between October and December.

Environment

After India's driest monsoon in 11 years, Tamil Nadu pins its hopes on a 'normal' northeast monsoon

The southwest monsoon ended 13% short nationally and 20% short in Tamil Nadu. The IMD expects a normal northeast monsoon from the third week of October, but warns north interior districts may get less.

1 October 2026 · 3 min read