Umair Irfan

Washington, D.C.

Correspondent at Vox

Staff writer at @Voxdotcom covering climate, energy, and other stuff. DMs open. Yes, I read your email.

Articles

Your weather forecasts are about to get a lot less accurate

1 day ago | motherjones.com | Umair Irfan

This story was originally published by Vox.com and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Did you check the weather forecast today? Whether it was on your phone, the five-day outlook in your newspaper, or your friendly TV meteorologist, that forecast was built on a massive government-run network of sensors and computers that get the weather right more often than not while rarely getting the attention they deserve. And now that system is being taken apart, piece by piece.
NOAA cuts: The National Weather Service faces major cuts under Trump.

2 days ago | vox.com | Umair Irfan

Did you check the weather forecast today? Whether it was on your phone, the five-day outlook in your newspaper, or your friendly TV meteorologist, that forecast was built on a massive government-run network of sensors and computers that get the weather right more often than not while rarely getting the attention they deserve. And now that system is being taken apart, piece by piece.
Your weather forecast is about to get a lot worse

2 days ago | yahoo.com | Umair Irfan

Did you check the weather forecast today? Whether it was on your phone, the five-day outlook in your newspaper, or your friendly TV meteorologist, that forecast was built on a massive government-run network of sensors and computers that get the weather right more often than not while rarely getting the attention they deserve. And now that system is being taken apart, piece by piece.
Trump boots climate scientists from climate science report

2 weeks ago | vox.com | Umair Irfan |Patrick Reis

Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesWelcome to The Logoff: The Trump administration dismissed hundreds of scientists this week who were working on a major report on climate change, part of an effort to obscure a scientific reality that’s at odds with the administration’s agenda. What’s the report?
Trump boots climate scientists from climate science report

2 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Umair Irfan

1 hour agoUS: Trump jokes about becoming Pope as Catholic Church looks to new leadershipWASHINGTON, US - APRIL 29, 2025: US President Donald Trump appeared to joke Tuesday that he would like to be the next pope as the Catholic Church prepares to select its next leader following the death of Pope Francis. "I would like to be Pope. That would be my number one choice," Trump replied about his preference on Francis' successor. "I don't know. I have no preference.
These 10 Charts Prove Clean Energy Is Winning Despite Donald Trump’s Efforts

2 weeks ago | motherjones.com | Umair Irfan |Benji Jones

This story was originally published by Vox.com and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. At every light switch, power socket, and on the road, an unstoppable revolution is already underway. Technologies that can power our lives and jobs while doing less harm to the global climate—wind, solar, batteries, etc.—are getting cheaper, more efficient, and more abundant.
10 charts prove that clean energy is winning - even in the Trump era

2 weeks ago | grist.org | Umair Irfan

This story was originally published by Vox and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. At every light switch, power socket, and on the road, an unstoppable revolution is already underway. Technologies that can power our lives and jobs while doing less harm to the global climate — wind, solar, batteries, etc. — are getting cheaper, more efficient, and more abundant.
10 charts prove that clean energy is winning - even in the Trump era

2 weeks ago | ecotopical.com | Umair Irfan

Welcome to EcoTopical Your daily eco-friendly green news aggregator. Leaf through planet Earths environmental headlines in one convenient place. Read, share and discover the latest on ecology, science and green living from the web's most popular sites.
Grid-Scale Battery Storage Is Quietly Revolutionizing the Energy System

2 weeks ago | wired.com | Umair Irfan

This story originally appeared on Vox and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The tricky thing about generating electricity is that for the most part, you pretty much have to use it or lose it. This fundamental fact has governed and constrained the development of the world’s largest machine: the $2 trillion US power grid.
A heat wave hitting Pakistan is a window into a future of extreme heat.

2 weeks ago | vox.com | Umair Irfan

We’re only midway through spring, yet searing summer temperatures have already started baking some parts of the world. Cities like Phoenix and Palm Springs, California, closed in on triple digits in March; Phoenix usually doesn’t reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit until May. This month, hundreds of millions of people across India and Pakistan experienced temperatures as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit, triggering power outages and protests.