‘Remember his (the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s) words from the book “The Fall of America”; that God is going to use the Four Great Judgments of rain, hail, snow and earthquakes: ‘‘The four great judgments that Almighty Allah (God) is bringing upon America are rain, hail, snow and earthquakes. The forces of nature are great weapons as we see them in play upon America. … What can you do with a God like that?” This is taking place not only in America, but throughout the world!’
—The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, “God Will Send Saviours,” February 27, 2011
Exceptionally early heat wave shatters records and brings deaths in Europe
LONDON—The United Kingdom smashed a century-old temperature record for the second time in 24 hours on May 26 as a spring heat wave scorched parts of Western Europe, triggering government warnings about risks to life. Several drownings were reported in Britain and France as people tried to cool down.
A temperature of 95.2 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded at London’s Kew Gardens, Britain’s Met Office weather service said, breaking the 94.6F record set a day earlier at Kew. The provisional readings smashed the long-standing record of 91.4F set in 1922 and matched in 1944.
London also recorded a rare “tropical night,” defined as one in which the temperature does not fall below 68 F.
Records also fell in France, where temperatures reached 97F on May 25 in the country’s southwest and widely remained above 68F at night.
The National Weather Service, Météo-France, said a “heat dome,” with heat held in place by a high-pressure weather front, was producing temperatures more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit above what is usual for this time of year.
The UK Health Security Agency issued an amber health alert for large parts of the country through May 28, warning of a potential health risk, particularly among older people, at the hottest times of the day. The UK is used to moderate temperatures and many homes, schools and businesses do not have air conditioning.
The unseasonable heat extended to Spain, where weather service spokesperson Rubén del Campo said: “We find ourselves with temperatures we normally see in the middle of the summer now in the month of May.” He said Seville hit 100F over the weekend, while large parts of the Iberian Peninsula saw temperatures 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit higher than normal.
Teenager among 3 dead in Turkiye after floods and landslides hit southern province
ISTANBUL—Three people have died during flooding in southern Turkiye on May 21, officials said, as the Interior Ministry issued weather warnings for 15 of the country’s 81 provinces.
Heavy rainfall in Hatay, the province most affected by a devastating earthquake in 2023, caused the Asi river, also known as the Orontes, to break its banks, submerging fields and villages. Roads and bridges were also washed away.
Among the victims was a 15-year-old boy who died in a house that collapsed during a landslide in Antakya, the provincial capital, Hatay Gov. Mustafa Masatli said.
A 66-year-old man died when his car rolled into a ditch in Defne, while another man, aged 62, was swept away in floodwaters in the Samandag district.
Masatli said the flooding had caused significant damage to agriculture across 7,166 acres as disaster teams continued to assess the impact. Firefighters rescued many people by boat as residents bailed out their homes and tried to hold the waters at bay with makeshift barriers.
Torrential rain and floods batter China, killing at least 12 and forcing mass evacuations
BEIJING—Torrential rain and floods hit parts of China, killing at least 12 people and forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate, state media reported.
State broadcaster CCTV reported on May 20 five deaths and 11 people missing in Shimen County of Hunan province in central China after rain battered the region. By May 19 evening, more than 19,000 had been relocated, Chinese official news agency Xinhua reported.
Xinhua said the county recorded a cumulative rainfall of about 13 inches within a 24-hour period ending at 7 a.m. on May 18. One of its towns once received a rainfall of about nine inches within just a few hours, breaking historical records, it said.
In nearby Hubei province, some streets were turned into rivers and rescuers had to deploy inflatable boats to help stranded residents. Some houses were flooded or collapsed, Xinhua reported.
CCTV on May 19 also reported that heavy rain and floods have caused four deaths and left five others missing in Guizhou Province in southwestern China. In some areas, houses flooded, roads were damaged, and communications were disrupted, it said. One area had to relocate more than 3,700 people, Xinhua added.
Kansas farmers hit hard by weather extremes and growing costs, wheat crop could be worst since 1972
MONTEZUMA, Kan.—Record-setting drought and hotter-than-average temperatures mixed with sharp drops have impacted much of the U.S. early this year, including the Plains region.
Drought conditions have worsened the spread of the wheat streak mosaic virus and barley yellow dwarf virus, which impact the potential of the crop. Combined with climbing input costs related to fertilizer, diesel fuel and tariffs, longtime wheat farmers say they are feeling a lot of pain.
Crop estimates underscore just how bad the situation is. Growers will see their smallest wheat crop in terms of production since 1972, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture; 1.56 billion bushels this year, down 21% from 2025. That’s especially harmful to Kansas, one of the top overall producers of wheat in the U.S.
Only in five of the past 40 years has Kansas’ wheat crop been in such a bad state, an analysis of USDA data shows, with 58% of the crop rated as “poor” or “very poor” as of May 17. The last time the fields were in as bad a condition was during a severe drought in 2023.
“It’s very tough conditions that growers are faced with right now,” said Kansas State agronomist Romulo Lollato. And he said that affects consumers, “whether it is through going to a bakery and having higher bread prices, or whether it’s through losing some of the international market out there for the U.S.”
With this year so bad, many wheat growers have been forced to file for crop insurance or consider whether they can lean on other crops to withstand the uncertainties.
Compiled from Associated Press reports