Experts say more must be done to adapt to changing climate, after two trains derailed within 24 hours during a recent heatwave
Railway companies are racing to prepare for another brutal summer next year, as a developing El Niño could see 2027 break more heat-related records.
Britain’s railway system has already been under stress from extreme heat this summer, with several operators reducing timetables and train speeds.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
08/21/2026 - 13:07
08/21/2026 - 09:17
Researchers hope contest – similar to Fat Bear Week – starting Monday will be latest wildlife watching craze
Monday sees the start of what researchers hope will be the latest wildlife watching craze – Fat Marmot Week.
Last winter was tough for marmots living high in the Colorado mountains, where researchers say two-thirds of one population died while hibernating because of insufficient snow cover.
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08/21/2026 - 07:00
The Grand Carajás project has made the country a mining superpower, but communities living in its shadow face pollution, displacement and silenced histories
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08/21/2026 - 05:00
Exclusive: Planning documents show annual emissions from North Ockendon project would be equivalent to 8,480 flights to New York
A “hyperscale” datacentre in outer London would generate more than 1m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, equivalent to the carbon footprint of 8,480 flights from London to New York, planning documents show.
The East Havering Data Centre Campus (EHDCC) in North Ockendon would be one of the largest datacentres in Europe if approved by Havering council, using 218 hectares of green belt to run servers and data storage systems for AI and cloud computing. Its developer, Digital Reef, has described the scheme as “a unique opportunity to create a sustainable datacentre campus of the future”.
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08/21/2026 - 03:00
Report says ‘solar bonds’ could fund wider access to clean energy, reducing household bills
Solar panels could be cheaper for people on lower incomes if the government stepped in to reduce the cost of loans, a report argues.
Solar panel installations can save households hundreds of pounds a year in energy bills, but at an initial cost of about £5,000 to £10,000 they are beyond the reach of many households.
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08/21/2026 - 02:42
‘Unprecedented’ weather pattern over Pacific Ocean to be felt worldwide, with severe droughts expected in some areas
The El Niño event developing over the Pacific Ocean is likely to be the strongest for more than a century and make 2027 another record-breaking year for heat, the UK’s Met Office has said.
Increased rainfall and storms are forecast to hit the UK this autumn as a result of the “unprecedented” weather pattern, while the pulse in heat it generates means the global temperature will temporarily exceed 1.5C above the preindustrial average, according to the national weather service.
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08/21/2026 - 02:00
This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world
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08/21/2026 - 01:00
From a triple-glazed barn conversion in a Welsh valley to a thermally regulated home in a busy area of London
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08/21/2026 - 00:00
National Trust’s Holnicote estate says restored wetlands and rivers offer proof of resilience to drought, wildfires and flooding
Aerial footage of an estate in Somerset has revealed the benefits of rewilding land in the face of extreme weather brought about by the climate crisis.
The area of the National Trust’s Holnicote estate where rivers have been returned to their natural courses and wetlands have been restored have remained green and lush during the five heatwaves across the summer. In contrast, the surrounding countryside has become parched and brown.
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08/20/2026 - 15:13
State sought to stop system off coast of Santa Barbara from resuming operations after Trump ordered its reopening
An oil pipeline can continue to operate off the California coast after a judge gave it the green light this week, despite the opposition of state regulators and environmental groups.
The system off the coast of Santa Barbara resumed operations earlier this year for the first time in more than a decade after Donald Trump ordered Sable Offshore Corporation to reopen it, citing US energy needs during the war in Iran.
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