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The world is watching as the Taliban consolidates control of the Afghanistan government and economy, and the question on everyone’s mind is: how did this happen?

Climate change is one large yet often overlooked part of that question’s answer.

The impacts of climate change in…

We’re bringing you exclusive content from our newsletter, The Forecast, right here on Medium. Sign up here. This story is the newsletter’s Executive Brief from our August 25th, 2021, newsletter.

Drought. Floods. Freezing temperatures. Hurricanes. Wildfires. Winter storms. Every year, these weather and climate disasters claim countless lives and cause billions of dollars of damages across the world — and with climate change, they’re happening with greater severity and frequency.

So who’s paying for it? The costs fall on homeowners, business owners, federal, state, and local governments, and insurance and reinsurance companies. …

We’re bringing you exclusive content from our newsletter, The Forecast, right here on Medium. Sign up here. This story is from our feature called the Weather Corner, where we take a deep dive into weird weather around the world, from our August 25th, 2021, newsletter.

Last month was the hottest month in any of our lifetimes. The average global temperature in July 2021 was the highest of any of the previous 1,700 months, since record-keeping began in 1880, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

“In this case, first place is the worst place to be,” NOAA…

We’re bringing you exclusive content from our newsletter, The Forecast, right here on Medium. Sign up here. This story is from our feature called the Weather Corner, where we take a deep dive into weird weather around the world, from our August 10th, 2021, newsletter.

In China late last month, a 3-day-long deluge of rain brought the equivalent of an average year’s worth of water to the northern megacity Zhengzhou. In that time, the city saw a total of 24 inches, compared to an annual average of 24.5 inches.

Resulting flooding displaced one million people, caused 11 billion yuan (US$1.7…

We’re bringing you exclusive content from our newsletter, The Forecast, right here on Medium. Sign up here. This story is from our feature called the Weather Corner, where we take a deep dive into weird weather around the world, from our July 14th, 2021, newsletter.

As the heat in the Western U.S. and Canada that we covered last newsletter continues, we’re going to talk about another reason that heatwaves (and global warming at large) can be so dangerous to people: a measurement called the “wet-bulb temperature.”

It’s a measurement of more than just how warm the air is — it…

We’re bringing you exclusive content from our newsletter, The Forecast, right here on Medium. Sign up here. This story is from our feature called the Weather Corner, where we take a deep dive into weird weather around the world, from our June 30th, 2021, newsletter.

We’ve written about heatwaves in the past, but the most extreme heatwave ever recorded in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and Western Canada warrants another deep dive into the dangerous weather phenomena.

These record-breaking temperatures are caused by a sprawling, persistent weather phenomenon known as a “heat dome.” …

We’re bringing you exclusive content from our newsletter, The Forecast, right here on Medium. Sign up here. This story is from our feature called the Weather Corner, where we take a deep dive into weird weather around the world, from our June 7th, 2021, newsletter.

Nearly three-fourths of the Western U.S. has plunged into the most severe drought in the recorded history of the U.S. Drought Monitor. However, the ongoing drought is now poised to intersect with the region’s upcoming wildfire season, which threatens to exponentially intensify both of these weather phenomena's impacts.

In a year of virtual events, the one where we truly missed the in-person experience the most was the global fresh produce trade show, FRUIT LOGISTICA — you can’t beat the experience of tasting, smelling, and touching new fresh fruit and vegetables from around the world with 70,000 other agriculture professionals discussing the industry.

Luckily, we were still able to attend the virtual Fruitnet World of Fresh Ideas event last week to listen to the 60 different sessions full of lively discussion, informative presentations, and interesting perspectives. …