Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Worst ever outbreak of bluetongue hits British farms

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 05:00:52 +0000

Climate crisis blamed as virus that originated in Africa spreads to livestock as far north as Aberdeenshire

British farmers are experiencing the worst bluetongue season on record, with the number of cases surpassing the past three years combined.

The viral disease, which affects sheep and cattle among other animals, can cause fevers, ulcers, a swollen head and lameness. The tongue may go blue and even protrude from the mouth. In the most severe cases, the animal can die.

Comedy wildlife photography award finalists 2026 – in pictures

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 05:00:49 +0000

A caiman wearing a wig, two brown bears laughing and a leopard doing a handstand feature in the selection of finalists from this year’s Nikon Comedy Wildlife awards. Winners will be announced on 8 December

Bangkok at breaking point as floods turn streets into stagnant lakes

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 02:00:46 +0000

With 40 dead and a disaster declared across all 50 city districts, experts warn extreme flooding will only worsen across south-east Asia

Bangkok is used to absorbing the sudden afternoon downpours that inundate the city during the rainy season. Even streets in many central high-rise districts can briefly turn into rivers, with rats and cockroaches racing out of sewers and taking temporary refuge on trees and buildings as the subterranean world is flushed out.

There is a way to look after people, the planet – and Britain’s growth. It’s what we call the ‘wellbeing economy’ | Jamie Driscoll

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 13:01:29 +0000

Imagine the UK with a 20-year investment plan, with green homes and fast transport. We already have the tools to make it happen

You’ve just left school. What’s your future?

Eastern Spain braces for torrential rain and flooding

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 08:58:10 +0000

Up to 300mm of rain could fall in places, while extreme downpours bring landslides and deaths in Nepal

Torrential rain and potentially damaging flooding are forecast in eastern Spain over the coming days, as cold upper air moves over the warm, humid surface air of the Mediterranean Sea, fuelling violent, slow-moving thunderstorms near Spain’s east coast. The weather pattern, known as a Dana, occurs most often in autumn.

The week in wildlife: a rescued orangutan, the chonkiest bear and a barn owl’s triumph

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 07:00:13 +0000

This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world

Increased air pollution linked to more night-time coughing, UK-led study finds

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 05:00:11 +0000

‘Day-to-day’ symptom of harmful emissions, which in turn can disrupt sleep, can be overlooked, say researchers

New research has found that increased air pollution is associated with more night-time coughing, leading to disturbed sleep.

May heatwaves, deaths, ruined harvests: study of Europe’s summer paints grim picture for the future

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 02:00:07 +0000

EU Copernicus report shows surface air temperatures from June to August were 2.5C above decadal average

The scorching heat that persistently baked western Europe this summer was the worst on record, a report has found, with more than half the continent seared by “very strong” heat stress that felt hotter than 38C.

US states and cities sue over Trump EPA’s repeal of emissions rules

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 22:24:25 +0000

Democratic-led coalition says gutting key protections will set US back decades and worsen climate crisis

States and cities sued the Trump administration on Thursday for repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas.

The Colorado River is shrinking. What happens next?

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 15:55:58 +0000

Lake Mead is at its lowest level since it was filled nearly 90 years ago, Lake Powell also at a historic low

It was 42C (108F) degrees as we motored across Nevada’s Lake Mead in our rented pontoon boat. Colby Pellegrino with the Southern Nevada Water Authority wanted to show us something we shouldn’t have been able to see. She pointed toward a rock island where a large metal pipe was sticking out of the water.

“That is the first intake that was built to bring municipal water into the valley in 1970,” Pellegrino said.