The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology issued orange and yellow code warnings for heavy snowfall and blizzards across most of Bulgaria, effective February 1, 2026. Expected snowfall ranges from 10 to 30 cm, leading to challenging road conditions, travel restrictions for heavy vehicles, and deployment of over 1,200 snow-clearing machines.
A powerful winter storm swept across Atlantic Canada in late January and early February 2026, bringing heavy snowfall and strong winds. The storm led to extensive school closures, flight cancellations, and hazardous travel conditions across Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and parts of New Brunswick, with some areas receiving up to 50 cm of snow.
Argentina's crucial soybean and maize crops are under severe stress due to persistent dry weather and a recent heatwave, with January rainfall significantly below normal. This threatens to reduce yields for the 2025/2026 season, impacting a key global agricultural exporter. Farmers report visible damage, and meteorologists forecast continued dry conditions into February, raising concerns for global grain and oilseed markets.
The Indian government has increased the Tax Collected at Source (TCS) on the sale of coal and lignite from 1% to 2%. This change, announced as part of the Union Budget 2026, aims to simplify tax collection and will be effective from April 1, 2026.
Germany's natural gas reserves have fallen to 32.9% capacity as of February 1, 2026, due to severe winter temperatures. This sharp decline from previous years has ignited concerns over energy security, prompting a political debate despite government assurances.
A powerful weather system has brought heavy rain, gale-force winds, and snowfall across Greece, prompting Red Code alerts in seven regions. The Hellenic National Meteorological Service warned of intense and prolonged phenomena, leading to flooding, travel disruptions, and emergency responses.
Iceland is currently experiencing a period of cold weather and strong easterly winds, with temperatures ranging from near freezing in the north to 7°C in the south. The Icelandic Met Office forecasts winds up to 13 m/s, particularly along the south coast, with light precipitation in eastern regions. No severe disruptions are anticipated.
The Halemaʻumaʻu eruption of Kīlauea volcano has paused, as reported by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on February 1, 2026. While lava fountaining has ceased, intermittent glow from the south vent and continued summit inflation suggest a potential resumption of activity, with Episode 42 forecast between February 11 and 16.
Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power, in collaboration with Germany's EnBW, Rostock Port, and VNG AG, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a green ammonia export corridor. This initiative aims to supply 200,000 tons of green hydrogen annually to Germany by 2030, utilizing Rostock as a crucial import and conversion hub to support Germany's energy transition.
Brazil has announced it will permit the import of used cooking oil (UCO) exclusively for the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), marking a significant policy shift. This move aims to bolster domestic SAF output, which is projected to reach 1.7 billion liters by 2030, and support the nation's ambitious decarbonization targets for its aviation sector.
Australia's National Electricity Market (NEM) saw renewable energy sources, including storage, supply over 51% of its power for the first time in the December 2025 quarter. This milestone, detailed by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), marks a significant shift in the nation's energy landscape, with solar power playing a crucial role and coal generation reaching an all-time quarterly low.
Brazilian courts have recently determined that the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam in the Amazon failed to meet its requirements for protecting ecosystems and indigenous communities. Operating since 2016 on the Xingu River, the dam's environmental and social impacts were found to be far greater than initially forecast.
The European Commission has approved nearly 104 million euro in funding from its Connecting Europe Facility for a cross-border smart energy networks project between Romania and Bulgaria. Named 'CARMEN', the initiative aims to modernize and digitalize electricity transmission and distribution networks, enhancing efficiency and enabling secure flows of renewable energy across the region.
Storm Kristin battered Spain on January 28, 2026, bringing hurricane-force winds up to 130 km/h, heavy snowfall, and torrential rain. The storm caused significant disruption, including flipped trucks, widespread power outages, road and rail closures, and evacuations, with red alerts issued across multiple regions.
Fujitsu and Tokai National Higher Education and Research System (THERS) have successfully developed new AI technology to predict solar radiation events. Utilizing Fujitsu's Wide Learning explainable AI, this innovation aims to enhance the safety of space exploration and protect critical infrastructure from space weather impacts.
Antalya Province, Turkey, was struck by multiple powerful tornadoes and severe storms overnight on January 26, 2026. The extreme weather caused extensive damage to over 200 hectares of greenhouses, critical infrastructure, and exacerbated ongoing flooding across several districts, prompting significant emergency response efforts.
Multiple tornadoes, accompanied by heavy rainfall and large hail, struck Antalya Province, Turkey, between January 24-26, 2019. The severe weather caused extensive damage to over 200 hectares of greenhouses, critical infrastructure including Antalya Airport, and resulted in at least three fatalities and numerous injuries.
Cuba's vital tourism industry has experienced a significant downturn, with visitor numbers plummeting from over 4 million in 2019 to 2.2 million in 2024. This decline is largely attributed to tightened U.S. sanctions, including travel restrictions and Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, coupled with a severe energy crisis resulting from reduced oil supplies from Venezuela.
Egypt is set to significantly increase its upstream oil and gas exploration, planning to drill over 100 exploratory wells in 2026. This initiative aims to boost domestic production, reduce reliance on imports, and secure energy supply, forming part of a broader five-year development plan.
Pope Leo XIV met with senior mining and energy executives at the Vatican on January 26, 2026, under the 'Building Bridges Initiative'. He advocated for ethical resource extraction, emphasizing human rights, decent work, and 'integral ecology', echoing themes from 'Laudato Si''. The meeting included CEOs from BHP, Vale, Ivanhoe Mines, and Sigma Lithium.
