Weather & Science

More in Weather & Science

Yorkshire enters official drought status after driest spring and summer in decades

Yorkshire has been declared in drought following its fifth driest April-to-September period on record. The Environment Agency cited low reservoir and river levels despite recent rainfall. Yorkshire Water says no customer restrictions are planned yet.

2 min read

Orca found on Scottish island among oldest males ever recorded, scientists confirm

Scientists have determined that a killer whale found dead on South Uist in 2015 is among the oldest male orcas ever recorded, estimated at 65 years or older. Researchers used radioactive fallout from nuclear weapons tests as a biological marker to establish the animal's age.

5 min read

An ocra dives beneath the surface of a blue sea. The orca has black and white markings on its body.

Could El Niño and a weakened polar vortex bring UK snow this winter?

Speculation about UK snow linked to El Niño and a weakened polar vortex circulates widely, but the relationship is complex and uncertain. While El Niño may influence winter patterns, current forecasts show no imminent significant cold or snow.

5 min read

A road covered with snow and ice with snowy fields on either side, with a queue of cars and lorries in one direction and two lorries moving in the other.

Helicopter rescues residents as Mapocho River floods central Chile

Helicopter rescues saved residents trapped by the Mapocho River flooding in central Chile on 7 October 2026. The region experienced its rainiest October in 76 years, with one death reported and dozens isolated.

3 min read

A man on a horse takes a video of a helicopter hovering overhead. He is wearing wellington boots and his horse is standing in water. Another man stands nearby, with his back to the camera. The water reaches his knees. The photo was taken in Talagante, in the Metropolitan Region of Chile, on 7 October 2026.

Autumn mushroom boom expected as drought gives way to wet weather

Record mushroom sightings are predicted across the UK this autumn as drought followed by wet weather creates ideal growing conditions. Experts warn foragers to identify species carefully, as poisonous varieties closely resemble edible types.

5 min read

Colin Unsworth, wearing a dark outdoor hat, holds three olive amanita mushrooms, Amanita submembranacea, close to the camera with both hands. Two of the mushrooms have their pale gills visible beneath flat caps, while the smaller central mushroom has a rounded brownish cap. Woodland trees can be seen behind him.

Chinstrap penguin colony near Antarctica loses two-thirds of population

Chinstrap penguin numbers on Zavodovski Island have plummeted by 63% since 2011, while macaroni penguins thrive. Climate change and shifting krill populations drive the decline of the world's former largest penguin colony.

6 min read

Two black and white chinstrap penguins - that appear to be a nesting pair - face each other in the foreground, while a few others of the same species sit and stand in the background. The landscape is brown and rocky, with the birds sitting on nests made of piles of small rocks. The penguin in the right of the image has a tracking device - a small tracker with an antenna - on its back.

Drones and silver compounds: How startups are trying to make it rain

Rainmaker's cloud-seeding drones sparked controversy in Alaska after operating without public notice. The startup claims it produced 57 acre-feet of precipitation, but the technology's effectiveness remains limited and regulatory questions persist.

6 min read

A Rainmaker drone flies over forests and a lake in Alaska.

Lundy Island faces potential closure as water crisis deepens

Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel faces potential closure as water reserves hit record lows. The National Trust-owned island is pumping water from wildlife ponds and receiving emergency mainland shipments as drought conditions persist.

7 min read

An aerial view of Lundy Island's lighthouse on the coastline.

Necropsies underway on seabirds after major nurdle spill in River Tyne

Scientists are examining dead seabirds to assess the impact of a major microplastic spill in the River Tyne. Necropsies are underway at a marine laboratory, with researchers concerned that birds may have ingested nurdles and that the pellets could enter the wider food chain.

5 min read

Lots of white tiny plastic pellets are on the surface of a beach. The sand is a brown colour and has a shoe print in it.

Scotland installs first saltmarsh carbon tracking tower at Caerlaverock

Scotland's first saltmarsh carbon tracking tower has been installed at Caerlaverock on the Solway Firth to measure how much atmospheric carbon the ecosystem absorbs. The flux tower will provide real-time data to strengthen understanding of saltmarsh conservation value and support inclusion in UK ...

4 min read

A carbon tracking tower - a yellow framed tower - sitting on saltmarsh in the south of Scotland

Autumn chill arrives this week as UK temperatures plunge from summer highs

Temperatures will plunge this week across the UK, ending a run of summer-like warmth. Wednesday highs will range from 11°C in Scotland to 17°C in southern England. September was the joint-fourth warmest on record, and 2026 is on track to be one of the UK's warmest years ever.

4 min read

Two women walk along a path in a park in London surrounded by autumn leaves

Skye road closure forces 40-mile detour after hillside collapse

A landslide on the Isle of Skye has closed the A855 north of Uig, forcing drivers onto a 40-mile detour. Highland Council is clearing debris and conducting detailed surveying work, with the road potentially remaining shut for days.

2 min read

A bare area of soil after a landslip from the side of a higher road onto a smaller road below

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