On the morning of 26 August, a section of glacier near the Tibet-Nepal border collapsed. It sent such a momentous seismic signal that it was initially mistaken for an earthquake. The catastrophic flooding that it caused ripped downstream and took out whole villages, roads, bridges and more.
Within two days, more than 1,400 people were reported missing and dozens more had been confirmed dead. Many of those were foreign travellers or workers visiting the region. Following this catastrophic event, many experts looked for an explanation as to why something like this had occurred. The answer, unfortunately, is not clear-cut. Scientists can't directly link climate change as a cause of a singular event, but it is clear that global warming is making high-altitude regions increasingly unstable.
The bigger picture
This is not all that climate change has had a role in. In June 2026, Europe experienced an extraordinary round of heatwaves, with France recording its hottest days ever. Alcohol was banned at outdoor festivals, schools and museums saw closures, and with the consecutive heatwaves, the excess death toll of heat-related deaths rose.
Extreme heat also increases wildfire risk. In Canada, in July 2026, there were hundreds of wildfires burning at once, and the smoke that crossed into the United States was so bad that New York and Washington DC recorded some of the worst air quality levels in the world.
Increased global warming also results in severe rainfall and flooding, and examples of this include the June 2026 Gulf of Guinea flooding that saw widespread flooding in Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo and Nigeria with 140 mm of rain falling within 24 hours.
So what does this mean for travel?
Global warming is actively changing the travel landscape, not only in how local tourist economies have to adapt to climate change but also in the discomfort travellers can experience.
The former has seen lower altitude ski resorts increasingly face unreliable snowfall and shorter operating seasons, European hotels having to invest in air conditioning, or drought-ridden tourist economies working around restricted water usage.
Travellers themselves are increasingly aware of these climate demands as real-time events unfold. The Louvre and other Paris attractions were forced to close early during the summer due to the extreme heat. And where travellers are choosing to go has made an impact. For example, visiting the Mediterranean has become less pleasant during the height of summer, and shoulder seasons are becoming more popular.
When a crisis occurs, travellers can find themselves particularly at risk simply because they are unfamiliar with their surroundings. They may not know which areas are safe, how to access emergency services, where to evacuate, or which local warnings to trust. Language barriers, disrupted transport and limited knowledge of local infrastructure can make an already dangerous situation significantly more difficult to navigate.
What can you, as a traveller, do?
Keep informed. Heatwaves, hurricanes (tropical storms) and wildfire risks are often forecast days ahead. Check national meteorological services, embassy and government travel advisories, and the fire and flood dashboards that many countries now publish.
Get insurance. Buy insurance early. Read the exclusions. If you're travelling at altitude or somewhere remote, specifically check evacuation and search-and-rescue cover.
Be flexible. Build flexibility into connections and don't make every part of an itinerary dependent on a single flight, road or train.
Climate change doesn't mean travel is becoming impossible, but it does mean that understanding risk is becoming part of travelling well.
To understand more about the risks you face and how to limit them: