The Guardian view on climate change: see you in court

Recent days have seen Houston, Texas literally sunk under sheer weight of rain, Carribbean islands battered by powerful storms barrelling across the Gulf and now Florida homes blasted by Irma, the largest of three hurricanes churning in the Atlantic basin. It seems almost certain that man-made climate change has a role in such events. Scientists used to be circumspect at attributing any single extreme event to global warming. No longer. Now scientists make the link between climate change and droughts in Kenya, record winter sun in Britain and torrential downpours in south-west China.

Hurricanes Are Sweeping The Atlantic. What’s The Role Of Climate Change?

Hurricane Irma is hovering somewhere between being the most- and second-most powerful hurricane recorded in the Atlantic. It follows Harvey, which dumped trillions of gallons of water on South Texas. And now, Hurricane Jose is falling into step behind Irma, and gathering strength.

Is this what climate change scientists predicted?

In Harvey coverage, Trump emerges as a man of contradictions

The New York Times reports that President Trump “has seldom been more engaged in the details of any issue as he is with Harvey.” He “appears to be handling the federal response to Hurricane Harvey actively and aggressively,” according to U.S. News & World Report.

Global warming doubles growth rates of Antarctic seabed’s marine fauna – study

Marine life on the Antarctic seabed is likely to be far more affected by global warming than previously thought, say scientists who have conducted the most sophisticated study to date of heating impacts in the species-rich environment.

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‘We are not well prepared’: An expert’s view of climate change and the next big storm

How ready are we to cope with the impacts of climate change?

“Quite honestly, I believe we are not well prepared,” says Blair Feltmate, a professor at the University of Waterloo and the new chair of an expert panel struck by the federal government to consider what Canadians and their governments should do to prepare.

It was an interesting week for such a panel to be announced.