Umair Irfan
Correspondent
Umair Irfan is a correspondent at Vox writing about climate change, Covid-19, and energy policy. He has written about universal vaccines, the environmental paradox of air conditioning, and the mysterious rise of food allergies. He has reported on the ground from California’s deadliest wildfire, from the laboratory housing the world’s most powerful laser, and from the tallest structure in Latin America, deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
Irfan is also a regular contributor to and occasional host of the radio program Science Friday. Prior to Vox, he was a reporter for ClimateWire at E&E News in Washington, DC, where he covered environmental health, the Department of Energy, and climate research. His work has also been published in Scientific American and the New York Times. You can DM him on Twitter at @umairfan.
Latest articles by Umair Irfan
The factors fueling the storm’s strength — and the city’s widespread power outages — have been building for months.
Our attitudes about enduring extreme heat have to evolve.
Beryl is now the earliest storm to reach Category 5 on record. It’s a terrifying preview of what the season could bring.
AI is being tested against one of the most dangerous natural disasters.
What is the wet bulb temperature? And why is it so important?
Japan’s early-warning system shows a few extra seconds can save scores of lives.
The anatomy of a heat wave, from “heat domes” to megadroughts.
We’re in an era of compound natural disasters.
It’s getting harder to protect your home from climate risk. Here are some things you can do.
Scientists are getting better at predicting the sun’s antics.