Instead, with heat-trapping emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation continuing to rise, the world is on track to warm by roughly 2.8 degrees Celsius. Scientists have said that every additional fraction of a degree of warming brings greater risks from heat waves, wildfires, drought, storms and species extinction.

Since 1980, overall damages throughout the U.S have reached or exceeded $3.1 trillion. As of June 2025, the U.S. has sustained 417 extreme weather events with a total cost exceeding $1 billion, according to Climate Central.

Host Brazil will preside and set the agenda. For the talks to be a success, world leaders need to beef up efforts and money for adapting to climate change and fund billion-dollar efforts to prevent deforestation and land degradation, said Suely Vaz, who used to run Brazil’s environment agency.

A 74% median across nine middle-income countries say global climate change is affecting their area, with droughts or water shortages a top concern.

"Winter in Colorado is pretty complicated," Schumacher said. "It's by far the most variable season out of the year, naturally. In contrast, when we look at summer, it's just a strong warming trend. The data shows winters may actually be becoming less variable, but it doesn't always feel that way."

As the frequency and ferocity of extreme weather events from wildfires to floods grows, the U.S. public is becoming more concerned and ready to act on climate threats, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore said.

Although the Greeks and Romans linked environmental harm with climate change to a more limited extent than we do today, they nevertheless knew harming the environment could change the climate. This, they understood, can ultimately bring harm to ourselves personally and to our societies as a whole.

Grist reports that 1 in 4 U.S. homes face severe climate risk, driving up insurance costs and impacting affordability amid extreme weather events.

Billionaire Bill Gates' foundation will spend at least $1.4 billion over the next four years to help farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia access technologies for adapting to extreme weather, the organization's CEO told Reuters.

Graupel is soft, pelletlike precipitation that forms when supercooled water droplets freeze onto falling snowflakes, creating icy “snow pellets” that resemble small, fragile hailstones.