Cyclones and floods in south-east Asia this autumn killed more than 1,750 people and caused more than $25bn (£19bn) in damage, while the death toll from California wildfires topped 400 people, with $60bn in damage, according to research on the costliest climate-related disasters of the year. The 10 worst climate-related disasters of 2025 amounted to more than $120bn in insured losses, according to an annual report from the charity Christian Aid. Devastating events such as these are often grouped together as “natural disasters”, as if they were simply the consequences of normal weather variation. These disasters are not ‘natural’ – they are the inevitable result of continued fossil fuel expansion and political delay,” she said. “These climate disasters are a warning of what lies ahead if we do not accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels,” he said.

Source: The Guardian December 27, 2025 10:31 UTC