Heatwaves, hurricanes, floods: 2017 costliest year ever for extreme weather and climate events, says UN

Floods, extreme rainfall, droughts and melting glaciers…many of the major signs of climate change involve water. On this year’s World Meteorological Day, the UN weather agency (WMO) is reinforcing the message of World Water Day, by focusing on the links between climate and water, and calling for better water-related data.

Water stress and hazards like withering droughts and devastating floods are hitting African communities, economies and ecosystems hard, according to a new report launched on Thursday by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). 

A crowded field of threats that includes drought, floods, animal disease outbreaks and chemical spills are among the disasters costing farmers in the developing world billions of dollars each year, according to a new report from the United Nations agriculture agency.