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Hurricane Isaias intensifies to major storm ahead of US landfall

Isaias strengthens to a major category three hurricane with 120mph winds as it approaches the US Gulf Coast for a late Friday landfall, bringing dangerous winds, rain and storm surge.

1 min read

Powerful waves crash against a pier and lighthouse under dark stormy skies.

Climate spending must far exceed defence budgets, says Cop31 host

Turkey's Cop31 president-designate calls for wealthy nations to spend far more on climate than defence, framing climate action as a security imperative. However, he hedges on renewing commitments to phase out fossil fuels at the November summit.

7 min read

Lynda Tabuya, Murat Kurum, Chris Bowen and Simon Stiell smile as they stand in a row clasping hands

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.

£15m cleanup of illegal waste supersite in Kent woodland completed

The clearance of an illegal waste supersite at Hoads Wood in Kent has been completed after 15 months at a cost of £15m. Nearly 40,000 tonnes of waste dumped by criminal gangs in 2023 have been removed, with three arrests made. Authorities have implemented measures to prevent future dumping.

5 min read

Two aerial images side by side. In the left picture there is a forest with a clearing which contains piles of rubbish, and some areas of flooding. The foliage on the trees suggests the picture was taken during winter. On the right hand image is the same clearing but there are no longer piles of rubbish, there appears to be cut down trees and more extensive areas of water. The forest on the outside is green suggesting the picture was taken during summer.

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.

Over 800,000 hours of sewage released into Welsh waters in 2025

Welsh water companies released sewage into rivers, lakes and coastal waters for over 800,000 hours in 2025, with more than 100,000 individual discharges recorded. The figures represent a decrease from 2024 but reveal ongoing concerns about underinvestment and enforcement.

5 min read

A large pipe, partially covered with some green moss-like plant, on an empty sandy beach. There is liquid pouring from the pipe into the sea in the horizon.

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.

Bolsonaro's First-Round Victory Signals Peril for Amazon and Global Climate

Flávio Bolsonaro's first-round victory in Brazil's presidential election has alarmed climate campaigners, signalling potential acceleration of Amazon deforestation and a broader rightward shift across Latin America.

6 min read

Flavio Bolsonaro raises a microphone, hand on chest, flanked by applauding men at a rally

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.

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