Latest News & Developments
el nino
Is Earth losing its natural cooling systems?
January’s record heat highlights how human-driven ocean warming is increasingly overwhelming natural climate cooling patterns
Rwanda donates grain to El Niño ravaged Zimbabwe
In April this year, President Emerson Mnangagwa declared a nationwide State of Disaster in Zimbabwe due to the severe drought caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon which has triggered a humanitarian crisis across southern Africa.
Strong winds and heavy downpours expected in Cape Town as forecaster issues weather warning
Cape Town authorities on high alert this weekend following heavy weather warning
SA is assessing severity of El Niño drought on crop yields and farmer finances
This was as Zimbabwe declared a state of disaster on Wednesday over a devastating drought that is sweeping across much of southern Africa.
Is the global cocoa industry in a meltdown?
Escalating cocoa prices have led to surging prices and a limited supply, according to Casey Sprake, am investment analyst at Anchor Capital.
The future is ‘water stressed’: A deep dive into South Africa’s water crisis
South Africans are currently grappling with a number of different water issues including the effects of climate change, an ongoing El Nino, and what it feels to be a long period of hot weather across the country.
El Niño 2023-24 peaks as one of the strongest on record, gradually weakening but continues to impact global climate
The 2023-24 El Niño event has reached its peak, standing among the five most potent occurrences in history.
Grocery shopping: 9 foods with the biggest price hikes
A basket of eight items, including fruit, vegetables, eggs, and hot beverages, cost R72. 62 more than it did a year ago.
Interest rates: Could a cut be on the cards tomorrow after all?
Lower inflation has lifted hopes that the repo rate could be cut tomorrow, or at least sooner than expected.
Himalayan katabatic winds a glacial guardian amid climate change
Katabatic winds, a natural phenomenon, are keeping glaciers cooler amid rising global temperatures. While not a cure, this unexpected discovery sheds light on nature's resilience.
EU’s Copernicus confirms 2023 as hottest year on record
The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has declared 2023 as the hottest year ever recorded, emphasising the urgent need for climate action.
How El Niño impacted us and what it means for 2024
Reflecting on the El Niño weather phenomenon as we approach the year's end, we take a comprehensive examination of how the El Niño weather phenomenon unfolded this year and what we can expect next year.
South Africa is experiencing hottest weather conditions since the mid-1800s
According to Stefaan Conradie from UCT, these results have been confirmed by analyses from various institutions around the world and do include some measurements taken in South Africa.
From hail storms to heat waves: This is why there are intense weather disparities in SA
As severe thunderstorms continue to wreak havoc in South Africa, we put our focus on why various parts of the country are experiencing such different and intense weather phenomena.
Panama Canal is experiencing one of its worst traffic jams as water level plummets
The traffic jam is a grim sign for a global economy that has been whipsawed by supply-chain challenges.
Western and southern parts of South Africa had a colder June and July this winter
The South African Weather Service said that observed maximum temperatures for June and July indicate that the western and southern parts of the country had a colder June and July than average.
El Niño to persist through summer. What does this mean for South Africa?
Summer months are expected to be drier and warmer. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation currently being in an El Niño state can also mean lower rainfall this coming summer.
Prepare for drought and extreme heat as El Niño event beckons
A new Update from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) forecasts that there is a 90% probability of the El Niño event continuing during the second half of 2023.
Eskom’s low load shedding stages might change with forecast of cold winter spells
Vally Padayachee said this while briefing the National Press Club in Pretoria on ‘the further risk mitigation of the possibility of going into an electricity blackout situation and collapsing the SA national electricity grid’.
Drier El Niño likely to have consequences for farmers, food security
South Africa’s grain and livestock farmers have been told they must adapt in the face of changing weather patterns, including a predicted drier El Niño expected in the 2023/24 summer season.