A super El Niño helped fuel a global famine. What the next may bring A developing El Niño is stirring memories of the 1870s global famine, but scientists say today’s risks, forecasts and food systems make a repeat catastrophe far less likely. #ElNino #famine www.usatoday.com/story/news/w...

Electric companies don’t need to black out customers to prevent wildfires – here are 3 relatively fast, affordable solutions Electric utilities face a dilemma: how to deliver power through dry, windy regions without accidentally starting a catastrophic fire. theconversation.com/electric-com...

The Vegetation Drought Response Index shows intense drought stress in the Carolinas, and milder stress in parts of the lower Mississippi River Valley and the West. #VegDRI #drought 🧪 vegdri.unl.edu

Drought in the US shrank for a sixth straight week as conditions improved in many areas, but only worsened in a few pockets in the Southwest and on the East Coast. Drought covers 47.84% of the contiguous US, a drop of 4.49 points from last week. #drought 🧪 droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap.a...

From fields to space farming, new tool detects crop drought stress before it’s visible Hyperspectral imaging was used to detect stress in lettuce plants shortly after watering was reduced, revealing drought stress before it was visible. #drought #research 🧪 blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2026/06...

In the first half of 2026, precipitation was below normal for much of the US as shown in shades of orange and red, while areas of green, blue and purple had above normal precipitation. Much of the West, Northern Plains and East Coast got 70% or less of normal precip. 🧪 hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?map...

The US Monthly Drought Outlook shows that drought will likely persist/develop (brown/yellow) in the West, Great Plains, and on the East Coast. Drought may improve/be (tan/green) removed in the Southwest, Southeast and Northeast. #drought 🧪 www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/exp...

Brewing Drought Mexico’s booming alcohol sector is reshaping the environments that local and Indigenous communities depend on for survival. As the industry grows, so do tensions over water, land, and supply chains. #Mexico #drought #water #alcohol www.earthisland.org/journal/inde...

Return of the Dust Bowl? What a strong El Niño may bring to US A strengthening El Niño developing in the Pacific could reshape US drought patterns over the next year and lead to a potential for persistent, multi-year dryness across the Plains already in drought. 🧪 www.usatoday.com/story/news/w...

Time to retire? A study of 12.5 million scientists’ careers suggests that older scientists are less likely to produce disruptive work and instead build on existing theories. Younger researchers are more likely to overturn established ideas or open entirely new lines of inquiry. 🧪

Rare Utah weather warning portends ‘very rapid fire spread’ as massive Cottonwood Fire burns near Beaver The National Weather Service issued Utah’s first-ever formal “PDS” red flag warning, which an official called “extremely concerning.” #Utah #fire #PDS www.sltrib.com/news/2026/06...

Lake Powell hits lowest summer level ever, raising risk of 'dead pool' Lake Powell will next spring fall to "minimum power pool," per a newly released federal projection. If the water levels fall below that, the Glen Canyon Dam would stop generating electricity. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

In the Rocky Mountains, spring-fed streams and ponds have vanished, leaving patches of cracked mud. This year has been so extremely warm and arid that the mountains have remained largely snowless. The source of the Colorado River is drying up. @rgauth999.bsky.social www.latimes.com/environment/...

Drought eased across the US for a fifth week with rain continuing to ease drought largely from the Plains eastward, while drought worsened in parts of the West. Drought covered 52.33% of the contiguous US, a decrease of 2.69 points from last week. #drought 🧪 droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap.a...

Droughts are transforming the Turkish landscape with massive sinkholes Konya in Türkiye is plagued by sinkholes. In central Anatolia, with its expanse of agricultural fields, the ground looks like it has been attacked by a cosmic hole punch. #drought #sinkhole #Türkiye www.bbc.com/future/artic...

Drought Soil Cracks Affect Water Loss and Crop Conditions Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are studying how drought-induced soil cracking affects water movement and storage in agricultural soils. #drought #research www.farms.com/ag-industry-...

Utah officials warn of ‘totally unprecedented’ water shortages as towns run dry Utah’s farmers and ranchers, as well as some rural towns, like Emery and Apple Valley, are grappling with drastic water shortages from the ongoing drought. #drought #Utah #WaterShortage www.sltrib.com/news/environ...

A drying and heating up Europe is deepening poverty and inequality: Study Combined heat-and-drought events have already reduced average household incomes by almost 3% across Europe, with much larger losses in the hardest-hit regions. #drought #Europe #income 🧪 www.downtoearth.org.in/climate-chan...

Eastern Colorado farmers brace for worst wheat harvest since 1965 This year’s wheat crop is barely more than ankle-high, sparse and projected to yield a fraction of previous crops. #drought #Colorado #wheat coloradosun.com/2026/06/23/w...

Over the past 90 days, precipitation has been above normal in the South in green/blue/purple and the Midwest. Precip was below normal in the rest of the US in shades of orange/red/burgundy. Red or darker indicates 50% or less of normal precipitation. #precipitation 🧪 hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?map...

Heat, wind and drought conditions spark wildfires in US West Extreme heat and dry, windy weather fueled several wildfires in the West on Sunday, including an uncontained blaze in Utah that forced the evacuation of a small town southwest of Salt Lake City. #fire #drought apnews.com/article/wild...

The US Seasonal Drought Outlook, valid through September, shows that drought may persist or develop (yellow or brown) in the Northwest, Great Plains and the Mid-Atlantic. Drought may improve or be removed in the Southwest, Southeast and Northeast. #drought 🧪 www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/exp...

Drought relief and expansion were mixed across the US this week, with areas of improvement in the Southeast, Midwest and South. Drought eased for the fourth consecutive week, falling 1.14 points to cover 55.02% of the contiguous US. #drought #DroughtMonitor 🧪 droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/S...

Good morning. Rain in the area gave us a beautiful glowing pink sunrise.

USDA cut US winter wheat harvest outlook after Plains drought The US Department of Agriculture cut its US winter wheat crop outlook by 2% from a month earlier as a harsh #drought in the Plains cut its hard red winter wheat production view to the lowest since 1957. www.reuters.com/world/us/usd...

Drought Defined: A Deep Dive into the U.S. Drought Monitor The USDM is a public resource used by policymakers, researchers, and the public to monitor drought. It helps with drought mitigation efforts and determines eligibility for disaster assistance. #drought 🧪 www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/drought...

The area of the US in drought shrank for a third week as rain washed over large swaths of the nation. Drought expanded in Minnesota and along the East Coast. Drought covers 56.16% of the contiguous US, a drop of 2.22 points. #drought #USDroughtMonitor 🧪 droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/S...

El Nino forms, expected to strengthen, say NOAA forecasters El Niño conditions are present and expected to strengthen into the Northern Hemisphere winter 2026-27. #ElNino #ENSO 🧪 www.noaa.gov/news-release...

The last time Lake Powell was this low in early June was in 1967. Lyndon Johnson was president. Glen Canyon Dam had been commissioned just the year before. We hadn't even been to the moon yet.

Unease trickles into the Grand Canyon rafting community as water levels dwindle The Colorado River is unusually low, affecting river recreation. It leaves many who rely on the river feeling uncertain and wondering about the future. #ColoradoRiver #drought www.knau.org/knau-and-ari...

The Vegetation Drought Response Index (VegDRI) shows intense vegetation stress due to drought in the Southeast, parts of the High Plains, and to a lesser extent in other parts of the US. #VegDRI #drought #vegetation 🧪 vegdri.unl.edu/Home.aspx

What happens when the world’s breadbaskets start failing simultaneously? Multiple breadbasket failures are becoming more likely as climate change increases the chance of simultaneous stress across major producing regions. #ClimateChange #food #drought theconversation.com/what-happens...

Majority of US’s new AI datacenters to be built on drought-hit land About two-thirds of upcoming datacenters, which typically require a large amount of water to operate, are to be built in places that have been among the driest in the country over the past year. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Popular eastern Arizona lake closes after all the fish die San Carlos Lake is closed until further notice due to #drought and water releases from a nearby dam that resulted in a “major fish kill affecting approximately 100% of the fish population within the lake." www.azfamily.com/2026/06/05/p...

The US Drought Monitor showed considerable improvement in the Southeast, South and High Plains, and Southeast and some development in the Midwest and intensification in the West. Drought covers 58.38% of the contiguous US, a drop of 2.39 points. #drought 🧪 droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/S...

Drought watch issued for region by COG. Despite some May rain, deficits remain: -4.3" YTD, -12"+ over 12 months. 10 of last 12 months below avg. Potomac hit record low this spring. DC still in severe drought. No current issues but water conservation urged. www.mwcog.org/newsroom/202...

Drought Leads to Long Recovery for Bumble Bees Researchers at North Dakota State University evaluated how populations of bumble bees in the Prairie Pothole Region bottomed out during an extreme drought in 2021 and had not fully recovered in 2024. #drought #bee 🧪 entomologytoday.org/2026/06/03/r...

‘Super’ El Nino could trigger a global food price shock. Here’s how companies can prevent the next crisis Compounded by fertilizer shortages, inflation and rising oil prices, these shocks threaten to push an already fragile food industry to the brink. #ElNino #food www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

The Federal Govt’s Insect-Defense Agency Is Infested With Bed Bugs The bugs were found in the building that houses the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the agency responsible for containing and mitigating the spread of invasive pests in the US. #BedBug www.notus.org/policy/usda-...

Dismay as Trump officials to dismantle key ocean monitoring system Ocean Observatories Initiative, $368m network that has provided crucial climate data, latest victim of Trump cuts #ocean #science #climate www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Research shows plants such as canola, tomatoes and rice reduce iron uptake when stressed by drought New research has found that plants actively shut down their own ability to take up iron when they experience drought. #drought #iron #agriculture 🧪 ucalgary.ca/news/researc...

Drought linked to 46% increase in sexual violence among adolescents in Southern Africa In Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho, girls and young women, older adolescents and those living in rural areas face the highest risk of violence during drought. #drought www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/news/drought...

UN urges the world to ready for extreme heat risk from El Nino The World Meteorological Organization forecast on Tuesday a moderate or possibly a strong El Nino that could drive up global ‌temperatures and increase the risk of extreme weather in coming months. 🧪 www.reuters.com/business/env...

Early morning light after a stormy night.

May precipitation was 75% of normal or less in much of the West, High Plains, and Midwest. Rainfall was 200% of normal in pockets from Arizona to South Carolina, which were areas that really needed it. The Northeast was a mixed bag. #precipitation 🧪 hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?map...

The U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook shows that drought may persist/develop (brown/yellow) across large parts of the northern and western US and the Mid-Atlantic. Drought may improve/be removed in the Southern US and along the East Coast. #drought #outlook 🧪 www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/exp...

Deadly fungal storms are now sweeping the US – and spreading a disease few doctors recognise Dust-related health problems, like the pneumoconiosis that took lives on Black Sunday, continue. Hospitalisations can increase fivefold after a Texas dust storm. #dust www.sciencefocus.com/news/dust-st...

Low Arkansas River flows have #Colorado rafting outfitters, communities bracing for a rocky summer A recreational flow program usually funnels 10,000 acre-feet of water through the most rafted stretch of whitewater in the country. This year: zero. #drought #rafting coloradosun.com/2026/05/22/a...

US Forest Service officials are warning that some Colorado campgrounds may not have water in their wells or be low on water as widespread drought persists. Visitors to national forests are asked to conserve water or even bring their own. #drought #Colorado #water www.summitdaily.com/news/u-s-for...

'Am I out?' Drought and rising costs from Iran war deepen pain for US farmers Soaring costs of fuel and commercial fertilizer in ‌the wake of the Iran war are making hard times worse for farmers across the U.S. Plains states from South Dakota to Texas. #drought www.reuters.com/business/env...