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Key developments
NOAA says El Niño has begun
NOAA reported that El Niño has begun and is expected to intensify through the end of 2026, with a 63% chance of a very strong November-to-January event that could rank among the largest since 1950. Reported risks include drought in parts of the Amazon, Indonesia and Australia, monsoon disruption in India, and food-security pressures in Central America, where Guatemala said it had prepared 1.1 million rations.
Why it matters
A strong El Niño layered on fossil-fuel-driven warming could push global temperatures toward new records and intensify climate-linked food, water and disaster risks.
Sources & driving stories
PHYS · Charlotte Causit, Maggy Donaldson
Phys coverageJudge orders park exhibit restorations
U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Boston issued a preliminary injunction requiring the Trump administration to restore removed or altered National Park Service interpretive materials within 21 days. Reuters and The Washington Post reported that challenged removals included climate-threat signage at Fort Sumter and Glacier National Park, along with slavery-related historical exhibits; the Interior Department said it was reviewing appeal options.
Why it matters
The ruling directly affects public access to climate science and historical interpretation at federally managed sites.
Sources & driving stories
REUTERS
Reuters coverageWASHINGTON POST · Maegan Vazquez
Washington Post coverageCarbon removal limits sharpen in new reporting
Ajit Niranjan reported for Yahoo that researchers studying 137 U.S. forest sites found trees often stopped wood growth months before photosynthesis ended; about 36% of annual carbon uptake in the eastern U.S. and 26% in California occurred after growth had stopped. Separately, Vivian Tran reported for Yahoo that current deliberate CO2 removal is about 2.2 billion metric tons per year, roughly 5% of global emissions, with direct air capture contributing only about 0.1% of removals.
Why it matters
The findings challenge assumptions that higher photosynthesis or future carbon-removal deployment will reliably translate into durable climate-scale sequestration.
Sources & driving stories
YAHOO · Ajit Niranjan
Yahoo coverageYAHOO · Vivian Tran
Yahoo coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Lake Velence nears record low
Ynet Global reported Hungary’s third-largest lake was at 56 cm in Agárd, just 3 cm above its 2022 record low, with experts warning it could fall toward 30 cm by summer’s end without significant rain.
WORTH NOTING
Albania resort protests continue
Earth.Org reported continued protests against a $1.6 billion Jared Kushner-backed resort planned for protected wetlands, coastal habitats and Sazan Island, with WWF alleging forest, dune and habitat clearing without transparent permits.
WORTH NOTING
Brazil reports deforestation declines
Fortune reported Brazilian officials said May Amazon deforestation was 61.4% lower than in May 2025, while Cerrado deforestation fell 12%, though 370 square kilometers of rainforest were still cleared.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Will El Niño outpace preparedness?
The reported 63% chance of a very strong event raises near-term questions about whether food reserves, drought planning and early warning systems are adequate in vulnerable regions.
OPEN QUESTION
How should models treat forest growth limits?
If photosynthesis and durable wood growth are less tightly coupled under heat and aridity, carbon budgets, offsets and land-sink projections may need revision.