World News for Students of English

17-03-2026 15:00

A new report reveals that nearly all glaciers in Austria are shrinking due to climate change. According to the Austrian Alpine Club, 94 of the country’s 96 glaciers retreated during the last two years.

Some glaciers lost more than 100 metres in length, while the average retreat was over 20 metres. One of the most affected is the Pasterze Glacier, where the glacier tongue is breaking apart.

Scientists say higher temperatures and low snowfall are the main reasons for the loss of ice. For example, June last year was almost 5°C warmer than usual. Similar changes are happening in nearby Switzerland, where glaciers have already lost about a quarter of their size since 2015.

Experts warn that melting glaciers could affect drinking water, energy production, farming, tourism, and the Alpine landscape. They say these changes should be a wake-up call for governments and the public to take climate change more seriously.

Difficult words: retreat (to move back or become smaller), average (the usual or typical amount when you combine numbers and divide them), wake-up call (an event that warns people that a serious problem needs attention).

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