Climate crisis ‘wreaking havoc’ on Earth’s water cycle, report finds 

Firefighters evacuate residents through a flooded street after deadly rainfall in Belford Roxo, Brazil, in January 2024. Picture: AP

The climate crisis is “wreaking havoc” on the planet’s water cycle, with ferocious floods and crippling droughts affecting billions of people, a report has found.

Water is people’s most vital natural resource but global heating is changing the way water moves around the Earth. The analysis of water disasters in 2024, which was the hottest year on record, found they had killed at least 8,700 people, driven 40 million from their homes and caused economic damage of more than $550bn.