Heatwaves, drought and wildfires – green news roundup

Heat haze at a pedestrian crossing during a heatwave in Tokyo, Japan. Photograph: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images

Environment news

• Last year was warmest ever that didn’t feature an El Niño, report finds
  
• Unsurvivable heatwaves could strike heart of China by end of century
  
• UK farmers allowed to take more water from rivers as heatwave continues
  
• Extreme global weather is ‘the face of climate change’ says leading scientist
  
• Extreme weather could push UK food prices up this year, say farmers
  
• 2017 UK’s fifth warmest year on record, says Met Office
  
• Sweden’s highest point set to lose title as glacier melts
  
• Eight of 18 water firms fail to meet targets on tackling leaks
  
• Dizzying array of recycling symbols ‘is confusing consumers’
  
• Trump golf resort wrecked special nature site, reports reveal
  
• Deadly wildfires blaze across California mid fears that ‘the worst is yet to come’
  

In depth

• Was this the heatwave that finally ended climate denial?

Multimedia

Dead coral on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Photograph: Dean Miller/Climate Council

• Can you spot dead coral? – in pictures
• Fire and water: July’s global weather extremes – in pictures
• Guardian Virtual Reality: Songbird swoops in for last flight of our series
• The week in wildlife – in pictures

And finally ...

• Don’t call it a wholphin: first sighting of rare whale-dolphin hybrid
  
• Your old plastic bottle … reborn as a towel, bag or swimsuit