This week’s flash flooding in Spain “could become Europe’s worst storm-related disaster in over five decades”, according to Reuters. More than 155 people are reported to have died in the floods and rescue teams are still searching for missing people, the newswire says. The Associated Press reports that, according to a “rapid but partial” attribution study by World Weather Attribution, climate change “made Spain’s rainfall about 12% heavier and doubled the likelihood of a storm as intense as this week’s deluge of Valencia”. The Financial Times reports that sea surface temperatures “far above normal levels” in the Mediterranean helped to fuel the storm. Separately, the Associated Press says: “Spain has been suffering from an almost two-year drought, meaning that when the deluge happened late Tuesday and early Wednesday, the ground was so hard that it could not absorb the rain, leading to flash floods.” The New York Times reports that some areas in eastern and southern Spain “received anywhere from a month’s to a year’s worth of rain in a single day, or even in eight hours”. The Guardian says that in the worst affected areas, more than 400 litres of rain fell per square metre of land. The Independent says that the floods have been linked to a “cold drop”, when cold air meets the warm, moist air over the Mediterranean Sea and the warm air rises rapidly, forming “vast rain clouds”. It continues: “Aemet, Spain’s meteorological agency, said Valencia had seen ‘the most adverse cold drop of the century’ prior to this week’s floods.” The Times reports that residents described the “destruction” as “biblical”. According to CNN, Prof Hannah Cloke, a professor of hydrology at the UK University of Reading, “said the high death toll suggests Spain’s regional emergency alerts system failed”. The Economist reports that Spain’s prime minister has declared three days of national mourning. Sky News says these are the “worst floods in Spain’s memory” and Reuters reports that farmers have seen their crops destroyed by the flooding. The Financial Times Europe Express newsletter says the floods “put spotlight on lack of climate preparedness”. Politico, RTE News, CBS News, ABC News, NBC News, the Financial Review, South China Morning Post, Le Monde, Independent and MailOnline all cover the flooding.

Typhoon Kong-rey has left a “path of destruction” across Taiwan, the Guardian reports. According to the newspaper, the typhoon is the largest to make landfall on the island since 1996, and struck later than any other typhoon on record. It adds: “Storm trackers measured Kong-rey as the equivalent of a category 3 to 4 hurricane. As it approached the coast, reports measured gusts of more than 225kph (140mph) and sustained winds of 183kph near its centre.” The Hong Kong Free Press reports that the storm drove 10-metre waves and forced thousands of people to “flee their homes”. Reuters reports that the typhoon caused two deaths and 515 injuries in Taiwan. BBC News says that “ocean scientists have reported near-record levels of global sea surface temperatures since July, which means there is more heat energy on the ocean surface to feed storm systems”. Nearly 35,000 soldiers were on standby to help with relief efforts, according to Al Jazeera. Focus Taiwan, the Taipei Times, CNN, Le Monde, NBC News and Time also cover the story. 

In China, state news agency Xinhua reports that an “emergency response” has been activated in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian as torrential rain and floods due to Typhoon Kong-rey are forecast to hit the country’s eastern coast. It adds that local governments were urged to “protect the reservoirs and reduce flood pressure on river basins” and “ensure people living in high risk areas are evacuated”. Reuters quotes local media saying that Kong-rey could bring “extreme wet weather not seen since 1981” in the city. State broadcaster CCTV also says typhoons “rarely” occur this late in the year, and that autumn typhoons can be “super powerful, take unusual routes, and join cold air to create more extreme storms”. In the southern Hainan province, Typhoon Trami also caused “extensive flooding and landslides [that claimed] seven lives”, state-run newspaper China Daily reports. None of the stories mentioned climate change. The National Climate Centre warned of a “warmer November”, mainly in the north and east, says Xinhua.

Hundreds of thousands of people in “vulnerable areas” face the threat of “severe food crises” over the next six months, according to a report covered by the Associated Press. The report by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme finds that conflicts, economic instability and climate shocks are all contributing to famine, the newswire says. It continues: “Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, Mali and the Palestinian territories remain at  the ‘highest concern level,’ the report said. Chad, Lebanon, Myanmar, Mozambique, Nigeria, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen are classified as ‘hotspots of very high concern,’ where large numbers of people are facing or are projected to face critical levels of acute food insecurity.” It adds: “Since the last report in May 2024, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia and the Niger have been added to the hunger hotspots list, partly due to the impact of climate extremes.” The Guardian explains that there are 22 “hunger hotspots” where acute food insecurity is projected to worsen between November 2024 and May 2025. It continues: “The report says that a La Niña event – the naturally occurring climate phenomenon that affects rainfall patterns and temperatures – is expected from November 2024 to March 2025. This is likely to increase flood risks in Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe, while causing drought in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.” 

The European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions dropped by 8% in 2023, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA), the Guardian reports. The newspaper says that, according to the report, the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions were now 37% below their levels in 1990. However, it adds that the EEA found there was still a gap to close for the EU to meet its target of cutting emissions 55% by 2030. The newspaper continues: “Current policies from member states are expected to reduce emissions by 43% by 2030 from their 1990 levels. Planned measures that have not yet been rolled out would bring this up to 49% – still leaving a gap of six percentage points.” The paper adds: “The biggest drop in pollution last year came from the energy sector, the EEA found, as a result of the rapid rollout of renewable energy, which has accelerated the shift away from fossil fuels. Industrial emissions fell 6%, as some factories grew more efficient and others cut production, while similar progress was observed in the building sector. Progress in other sectors was well below the levels needed to hit net zero emissions by 2050. Emissions from farms fell by just 2% last year, while the transport sector’s emissions fell by just 1%.” EuroNews reports that the EU’s climate commissioner “has seized on a sharp fall in emissions across the bloc as evidence that climate action is not incompatible with economic growth” ahead of COP29. Politico also covers the story.

Chinese electric vehicle (EVs) makers have “lost ground in Europe for a third straight month, [in a sign that] higher import tariffs [are] hurting sales”, Bloomberg reports. Xinhua quotes a commerce ministry spokesperson saying China “always supports mutually beneficial cooperation [with the EU] in the automotive industry”. Another Bloomberg report says the EU is sending officials to China to “explore an alternative to the tariffs”, citing anonymous sources, who suggested that “there is some momentum in the negotiations”. A China Daily editorial says the visit of the French minister Sophie Primas to Shanghai “is welcome…as it will also give Chinese officials an opportunity to better understand what motivated France to support the imposition of punitive tariffs on Chinese-made EVs”. The Chinese Academy of Sciences and the German National Academy of Sciences have called for “the strengthening of basic research and international cooperation to explore ways to achieve carbon neutrality”, China’s Science and Technology Daily newspaper reports.

Meanwhile, at a press conference, a representative of the National Energy Administration (NEA) said China has “continued to enhance the security of the energy supply”, “ensured energy prices remain stable”, and “achieved breakthroughs” in promoting “low-carbon transformation”, industry news outlet BJX News reports. The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reports on China’s plan to explore “the feasibility of integrating wave, wind and solar energy into the power systems” to curb electricity shortages at its outposts in the South China Sea. An analysis in the Washington Post says China is “[resisting] mounting pressure to do more on climate change” despite being “the world’s leading producer and installer of renewable energy”.

The German political parties CDU and CSU, collectively referred to as the Union, intend to reactivate the recently shut-down nuclear power plants, according to their draft position paper titled “New Energy Agenda for Germany”, Klimareporter highlights. The paper further emphasises that the Union aims to achieve Germany’s climate goals “through a market economy”, utilising “cost-efficient instruments” such as carbon pricing and emissions trading instead of “fragmented regulations, bans, and coercion”, the outlet notes. It adds that the strategy is scheduled for presentation on 5 November at the CDU/CSU energy summit and will serve as a foundation for their election platform. The article also mentions that, given current polling figures, “it’s likely that the Union will lead the next federal government”. In an interview with Die Welt, Fatih Birol, a head of the International Energy Agency, stated that Germany has made a “historic mistake” by phasing out nuclear energy.

However, RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland reports that an expert commission advising the German federal government has raised concerns about the potential failure to find a site for a nuclear waste repository, warning that the search may not conclude until at least 2074. Therefore, the commission suggests that the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE) should focus on regions that minimise the effort and duration of exploration rather than adhering strictly to scientific criteria for a site suitable for one million years, says the outlet.

In other news, Deutsche Welle reports that the EU and Germany plan to mine lithium in Serbia for electric vehicle batteries, but there is “significant opposition” within the country. Despite previous protests, the Serbian government is now determined to move forward, anticipating billions in revenue from lithium mining, explains DW. German energy expert Claudia Kemfert criticises the agreement, highlighting the need for Germany to “consider who it becomes dependent on”, especially given Serbia’s president Aleksandar Vucic’s “strong ties” with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

In continued reaction to the UK budget, Alistair Osborne, the chief business commentator of the Times, writes that chancellor Rachel Reeves “should have put up fuel duty” in Wednesday’s budget. He says that increasing fuel duty is a “no-brainer”, as it would raise at least £3bn next year while “enhancing her net-zero credentials”. He continues: “Reeves could have made a political virtue of a fuel duty rise, badging it a necessary hike not only for the public finances, but to cut vehicle emissions on the road to net-zero. It would nudge motorists into electric vehicles, while possibly cutting congestion – encouraging them to think twice about trips they could make instead by bus, train or bike…It’s true that with electric cars, fuel duty’s days are numbered anyway, but it’s what we’ve got for now.” 

Similarly, an editorial in the Times says that “relatively easy Treasury wins, such as unfreezing fuel duty or raising taxes on gambling firms, were ignored”. The Sun has published an editorial under the headline “we have plenty of criticisms of Rachel Reeves’ Budget but her fuel duty freeze was on the money”. An editorial in the Independent says: “Ms Reeves is even getting little thanks for the continuing ‘temporary’ freeze on fuel duty, her face being given the Halloween pumpkin treatment in Rupert Murdoch’s Sun. At least it wasn’t a turnip.” [The turnip is a reference to the Sun newspaper famously depicting Graham Taylor, then manager of the England national football team, as a turnip in the early 1990s.]

Elsewhere, Times columnist and senior political correspondent, Patrick Maguire, writes that “this old-school budget was Labour to the core”. He continues: “As much as anything else, that agenda is about showing voters that a Labour government can do stuff and build stuff. In that spirit, I hear Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, has set his sights on a huge expansion of solar energy in the coming years: ‘a clear and vibrant sign to the public’, a source close to him says, ‘of what we can do’.” And an editorial in the Daily Mail says that Labour’s budget is a “threat to farming”, noting that Reeves scrapped inheritance tax relief on agricultural land. It says: “But why would Labour be bothered? They calculate their voter base is predominantly urban, so it does little political harm. And if it means green fields can be sold off for solar farms or new housing, all the better.”  

Simon Kuper, life and arts columnist at the Financial Times, writes that the media is under-reporting climate change. He says: “The journalists setting global news agendas tend to have higher incomes, arts degrees and little personal experience of societal catastrophe. These characteristics underpin the media’s failures. Our complacency and lack of scientific training encourage us to underplay the biggest story of them all, climate change. For instance, the recent academic study showing the unsuspectedly fast melting of Greenland’s ice sheet received scant coverage. Climate only tends to lead the news when disasters hit westerners, especially wealthy ones. Climate has an additional handicap in the news agenda: it makes for an unsatisfying story. It’s a story with a dragon – global warming – but no human dragonslayer to cheer on. Every week, new reports repeat the depressing and increasingly tedious fact that the dragon has grown. But it won’t lead the homepage until it eats more rich people.”

Separately, an editorial in the Financial Times says that European carmakers are facing a “perfect storm”. The editorial says: “As well as making EVs more cheaply, Europe’s carmakers have to speed up model development, and find partners or outsource areas where they lack expertise…It needs a comprehensive approach to developing the entire supply chain, including raw materials and the battery technology that lies at the heart of EVs, and of China’s EV success. Investment in charging networks and financial incentives are needed to encourage consumers to switch, so higher volumes start to cut production costs. It is not yet too late for Europe’s auto industry to narrow the EV gap. But China has opened a substantial lead.” On the same topic, the Asia editor for the Financial Times, Robin Harding, writes that Chinese electric vehicles “will soon take over the world”. In response, he says that established carmakers have “a range of bad options”, including tariffs on Chinese imports and subsidies for local EVs. A better option is to “import batteries from China, keep final assembly at home and concentrate on engineering for comfort, performance, experience and safety”, he argues. 

In the Times “Thunderer” column, singer and WWF ambassador Ellie Goulding writes that the goal of COP16 in Cali, Colombia, was to set out how to reach the targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework and “we will soon find out whether the summit has been successful”. She says that “the rate at which we’re destroying the natural world is startling. It should keep us awake at night.” Discussing her recent visit to the Colombian Amazon with WWF, Goulding says: “The Amazon is suffering from record drought, which has led to unprecedented levels of fire this year – some caused by people deliberately setting the forest alight to clear the land. This has included tracts of land owned by indigenous people whose lives are interwoven with the forest. Because of the drought, the forest has been tinder dry, allowing fires to spread further, something that hints at an even bigger problem.” She adds: “In the case of the Amazon, it’s estimated that if 20 to 25% of the rainforest is lost, it could trigger an irreversible tipping point that would see it decay into savannah.”

Elsewhere, Leah Seligmann, CEO of non-profit The B team, writes in Reuters that “the COP16 to-do list for business is daunting, but we can get there by collaborating”. An Economist editorial on “how to avoid anarchy in Antarctica” says: “[M]uch like its ice sheet, the system governing Antarctica is in trouble as global warming opens up the possibility of mining virgin resources.” And Prof Jim Radford, from La Trobe University, writes in the Conversation that there are five steps that individuals can take to help end the biodiversity crisis, including cutting consumption where possible and “watch[ing] what you eat”.

A new study finds that plants on the Tibetan Plateau are both flowering and fruiting earlier in response to warming temperatures, with implications for their reproductive success. Researchers conducted a “warming and altered precipitation experiment” in an alpine meadow on the plateau and use the results to investigate changes in the timing and success of plant reproduction. They find that, for plants that flower in early spring, warming “reduced the reproductive output…but did not change their reproductive success”, while it caused earlier flowering and fruiting in plants that typically flower in mid-summer. They write that their results “imply that alpine plants may reduce their fitness by producing fewer flowers and fruits under climate warming, especially for later flowering plants”.