In today’s newsletter: As heatwaves intensify, Britain’s ecosystems are being pushed beyond their evolutionary limits
Our green and pleasant land is sizzling. This week, millions of us across the UK are baking in unprecedented heat. The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning from 9am today in parts of southern Wales, and central and southern England. The temperature record for June of 35.6C is almost certain to be broken; Bristol is forecast to hit an alarming 39C tomorrow.
In the heat, the country’s infrastructure is straining: millions of homes are overheating, rail operators have warned against all but essential travel, and hospital admissions are set to surge. The Climate Change Committee concluded last month the UK is built for a climate that no longer exists – and warned today on the country’s policies towards achieving net zero.
UK news | Searing heat has swept the UK with schools, hospitals, transport networks and water companies struggling to cope with the extreme temperatures caused by climate breakdown.
UK politics | Keir Starmer has met Andy Burnham for the first time since the Makerfield byelection in what sources said was a “frosty” meeting to thrash out a transition of power.
US news | Marco Rubio is to meet Gulf allies in an attempt to reassure them that the US remains committed to their security and the 60-day ceasefire deal struck with Iran last week will not embolden Tehran.
Europe news | Forty people have drowned while swimming in unsupervised areas across France in recent days, as people across the country sought respite from a record-breaking heatwave.
UK politics | Nigel Farage has said his £5m gift from a crypto billionaire is “not any of your business” as it was given unconditionally to be spent on anything from Ferraris to gambling on horses.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
06/24/2026 - 00:47
06/24/2026 - 00:16
Temperatures expected to hit 40C in parts of the UK, as extreme heatwave spreads slowly eastwards, sparking warnings in Italy and the Netherlands
France records hottest day ever as 40 people drown across country
Tell us: how is the heatwave in the UK and across Europe affecting you?
London mayor Sadiq Khan has triggered a “high” air pollution alert for the capital on advice from forecasters at Imperial College, the third one this year.
The heat has forced the army to cancel ceremonial operations in London and Windsor, to protect the “wellbeing” of its soldiers and horses.
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06/23/2026 - 23:00
Matriarchal groups in east and west exhibit distinct click patterns, used to form social structures
From “Howdy” to “G’day”, English – like other languages – is rich in dialects. Now researchers have found sperm whales on different sides of the Mediterranean show similar variations in their vocalisations.
Sperm whales communicate vocally using sequences of short clicks called codas. However, the rhythmic pattern of these clicks, known as the dialect, can differ between different matriarchal groups.
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06/23/2026 - 19:28
‘I love you,’ Leah Stewart told her mother and partner after being extubated on Tuesday
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A woman attacked by a shark at Sydney’s Coogee beach has uttered her first words after waking from a coma 10 days after sustaining her injuries.
“I love you,” Leah Stewart told her mother and partner after being extubated on Tuesday. She was bitten by a great white shark on 13 June.
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06/23/2026 - 18:01
Climate Change Committee chair Nigel Topping says U-turns damage investor confidence and disrupt businesses
Weakening the UK’s net zero policy would disrupt business and damage the economy, the UK’s chief climate adviser has warned.
Nigel Topping, chair of the Climate Change Committee (CCC), said: “The U-turns are really damaging to inward investor confidence. If we really want to grow the economy, then investing and getting good at building stuff is essential.”
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06/23/2026 - 18:01
UK regulator has increased its scrutiny of fashion retailers over potentially misleading environmental statements
Ads for Calvin Klein, Adidas and Uniqlo promoting “recycled” clothing and shoes have been banned by the UK watchdog after the advertisers were unable to prove their green claims.
Each of the fashion companies ran paid-for Google ads, with Adidas promoting “recycled running shoes”, Calvin Klein “recycled” tops for women, and Uniqlo advertised fleece coats and jackets made from “recycled materials”.
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06/23/2026 - 13:45
Kemi Badenoch, who joined US anti-abortion activists and European far-right parties at ARC, described energy secretary as a ‘villain’
Britain’s net zero policies and the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, have come under fire at a conference of conservatives, rightwing populists and wealthy US backers linked to Donald Trump.
The energy policies pursued by the British government were described as a “tragic mistake” by Trump’s energy secretary, one of a number of officials from the US administration attending the event.
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06/23/2026 - 13:18
Temperature on Tuesday hits high of 34.6C in Surrey, England, with heatwave forecast to get more intense on Wednesday and Thursday
Europe heatwave live – latest updates
Searing heat has swept the UK with schools, hospitals, transport networks and water companies struggling to cope with the extreme temperatures caused by climate breakdown.
Temperatures hit highs of 34.6C in Wisley in Surrey, the Met Office said, with the UN chief warning that London was “cooking”.
Reduced rail speeds and services.
Hospital patient appointments cancelled.
School closures across southern England and Wales.
Hosepipe bans in south-east England.
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06/23/2026 - 12:30
Record-breaking temperatures should focus minds on the UK’s lack of preparedness for the climate dangers ahead
As western Europe bakes under what scientists describe as a heat dome, or “atmospheric lid”, reports of dozens of drownings, and heat-linked deaths of children and elderly people in France, are a stark reminder of the threat to life from extreme heat – and the fact that some people face higher risks than others. The red alert covering most of southern England and Wales for Wednesday and Thursday is only the second such warning to be issued.
With the UK’s June record of 35.6C expected to be broken, hundreds of schools are closed. Network Rail has advised against non-essential travel. Temperatures in France and Spain are expected to be even higher, before the heat moves eastwards. But since the UK is less used to intense heat than its Mediterranean neighbours, it faces distinct challenges.
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06/23/2026 - 10:39
Europe is dealing with a debilitating heatwave, with schools closed, trains cancelled and France holding an emergency meeting after heat-related deaths.
António Guterres, the UN chief, is urging the world to act on fossil fuels as the continent braces for record-breaking heat.
Lucy Hough speaks to Europe environment correspondent Ajit Niranjan
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