Environment news

• A new Queensland bill aims to ‘streamline’ major projects. Matt and Caitlin fear it could hand their farm to developers

  02-08-2026 17:00 via theguardian.com
  Experts say new power to bypass conservation and planning regulations are incredibly broad and could let the state effectively fast-track any project it wantsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMatt Wood gives Neville a pat behind his ear – as if the one-tonne Droughtmaster bull were an oversized labrador puppy – while his wife, Caitlin, watches hundreds of pasture-fed hens scratch beneath old macadamia trees her dad planted.Their talk is of building their rege
  
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• A mystery virus started killing horses. Then humans. Was this the moment our coronavirus era began?

  02-08-2026 17:00 via theguardian.com
  In the 1990s, scientists in Australia began searching for the origins of a new disease showing up in places hundreds of kilometres apart. They discovered the origin: bats. And found a way to reduce the risk of bat disease spilloversThe virus could have appeared in many places on the east coast, but it is a strange coincidence, in the light of later scientific discoveries, that it first became known in the Brisbane suburb of Hendra. The high school is named Aviation High, and the streets are bord
  
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• ‘There’s no nurdle fairy’: thousands mobilise to clean up plastic spillage in north-east England

  02-08-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  Volunteers painstakingly gather plastic pellets washing up on beaches after ship collision on 19 July“You’ve got a local community that really cares about the coastline,” said Alice Laverty, reflecting on the huge army of volunteers who had taken to crisis-hit beaches in north-east England with passion and only the most basic tools. “They’ve all got a dustpan, a brush, a bucket, a kitchen sieve.”On beaches from Cambois in Northumberland to Seaburn on Wearside,
  
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• Struggling to get through summer? Treat yourself like a beloved dog – and six other survival tips | Emma Beddington

  02-08-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  August usually sends me into an anxious funk, but I think I’ve worked out how to handle 2026’s terrifying heat and apocalyptic imagesUnfortunately for hairdressers, “How’s your summer going?” is a loaded question this year. Even basking lizards and barbecue obsessives are wavering in their sun worship as cataclysmic wildfires engulf our nearest neighbours (and threaten the UK), Wales and parts of England experience drought, and farmers issue dire warnings about our
  
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• Relentless UK heatwaves turn ‘green and pleasant land’ brown

  02-08-2026 12:12 via theguardian.com
  Visible impact of warming climate is impossible to ignore across landscapes that have been starved of rainfallHalf of England and the whole of Wales are officially in drought and July is set to be the driest month on record as extreme heat intensified by the climate crisis continues to grip the UK and Europe this summer.The announcements this week by England’s Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales mark the third such event over the past five years, and come in the wake of four rec
  
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• Relentless UK heatwaves turn ‘green and pleasant’ land brown

  02-08-2026 12:12 via theguardian.com
  Visible impact of warming climate is impossible to ignore across landscapes that have been starved of rainfallHalf of England and the whole of Wales are officially in drought and July is set to be the driest month on record as extreme heat intensified by the climate crisis continues to grip the UK and Europe this summer.The announcements this week by England’s Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales mark the third such event over the past five years, and come in the wake of four rec
  
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• July set to be driest on record for England and Wales after relentless heatwaves

  02-08-2026 12:12 via theguardian.com
  Climate scientist urges better planning as southern England had just 1% of long-term average rainfall last monthHalf of England and the whole of Wales are officially in drought and July is set to be the driest month on record as extreme heat intensified by the climate crisis continues to grip the UK and Europe this summer.The announcements this week by England’s Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales mark the third such event over the past five years, and come in the wake of four r
  
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• ‘I have an understanding housemate’: the student who makes videos of fungus on faeces

  02-08-2026 10:00 via theguardian.com
  Alfred Drummond-Herdman’s extraordinary timelapses have been viewed by millions – and led him to identify new speciesAlfred Drummond-Herdman is possibly the only person in the UK who is sent animal faeces in the post out of goodwill. His bedroom in Edinburgh is full of the stuff: clothes have been removed from his wardrobe and cupboards, replaced with terrariums and plastic containers housing sections of cowpats, grouse droppings and rabbit pellets.“I have a very understanding
  
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• ‘We cannot magic up more water’: the supply problems putting housing targets in England at risk

  02-08-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Council leaders say crumbling infrastructure and lack of water are jeopardising government’s plans for new homesThe government’s housebuilding agenda is hitting the stark reality of a lack of water and crumbling infrastructure across the east and south-east of England.Half the country was declared to be in serious drought this week, for the second consecutive year, with the Environment Agency warning of dire consequences for the economy, environment and wildlife. Continue reading...
  
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• ‘Climate change kills’: Pedro Sánchez speaks plain truth to Spain’s deniers

  02-08-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  PM has long history of speaking out on realities of global heating but political opponents remain unnmovedJust over four years ago, Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, visited a small town in the south-western region of Extremadura that had been affected by one of the wildfires devouring tens of thousands of hectares of land across the country.That summer’s blazes had left two people dead in the northern region of Castilla y León and another man there fatally burned
  
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• The case for a blatantly discriminatory Australian voting system

  01-08-2026 22:00 via theguardian.com
  Older Australians are overrepresented in every sphere of life, from politics to the economy and media … and they’re living longer. It’s time we stack the deck in favour of young people. Here’s howAs someone nearing 60, I can confidently say my generation, and older generations, have been very good at tilting the policy playing field in our favour. Our political and economic system is very good at prioritising the views of older people. So maybe it’s time to tilt th
  
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• ‘Worst we’ve known’: UK turns to imports as drought and heat hit vegetable crops

  01-08-2026 13:00 via theguardian.com
  Growers in dismay after scorching weather and lack of rain affect yields, sending wholesale prices rocketingPubs, restaurants and supermarkets are having to buy lettuce and broccoli from Spain at what should be the height of UK growing season, as drought and extreme heat hit crops.The wholesale price of tomatoes is up by more than 60%, iceberg lettuce by 90% and potatoes by more than 40% as a number of farmers struggle to grow in consistently high temperatures. Even those with irrigation systems
  
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• Lost income, energy fears and a woolly mammoth: what Europe’s dried-up rivers have yielded

  01-08-2026 13:00 via theguardian.com
  Heat and drought have affected shipping, power plants and tourism across eastern Europe – as well as unearthing some surprisesBaking temperatures and drought across large swathes of central and eastern Europe have driven water levels on the Danube and Rhine rivers to record lows in some areas, hitting shipping, energy production and tourism hard.Extreme conditions aggravated by the climate emergency left Europe’s waterways from the Netherlands to the Black Sea parched, triggering com
  
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• Country diary: Pity the poor limpets – must the summer holidays mean they get smashed by a child? | Sara Hudston

  01-08-2026 06:30 via theguardian.com
  Lyme Regis, Dorset: Busy beaches can be bad news for shellfish. If curious children don’t know they are live creatures, then let’s educate themMy favourite beach at Lyme Regis is the capricious East Cliff, visible only at low tide. The best way to reach it is down a 114-step walkway.The path drops through rough scrub, a feral mix of wild plants and garden escapes, sizzling with grasshoppers. Buddleia flourishes next to sallow bushes, hazel and gorse. Sour blackberries are already red
  
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• ‘We stared into an abyss’: the men and women battling to tame France’s megafire

  01-08-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  Exhausted firefighters, foresters and volunteers wage ‘war of attrition’ against blaze that forced 200,000 people from their homesBy noon it is time for a break. The temperature is about 35C, the smell of ash, cinders and burnt wood hang acrid in the air. At tables laid out in the shrinking shade on the desiccated grass and sand outside the sports centre in Le Porge, 200 men and a handful of women have gathered. Firefighters, soldiers, police, gendarmes, officials, first aid teams, f
  
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• ‘We stared into an abyss’: the men and women battling France’s megafire

  01-08-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  Exhausted firefighters, foresters and volunteers wage ‘war of attrition’ against blaze that forced 200,000 people from their homesBy noon it is time for a break. The temperature is about 35C, the smell of ash, cinders and burnt wood hang acrid in the air. At tables laid out in the shrinking shade on the desiccated grass and sand outside the sports centre in Le Porge, 200 men and a handful of women have gathered. Firefighters, soldiers, police, gendarmes, officials, first aid teams, f
  
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• ‘We stared into an abyss’: the heroes battling to tame France’s ‘megafire’

  01-08-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  Exhausted firefighters wage ‘war of attrition’ against blaze that forced 200,000 people from their homesBy noon it is time for a break. The temperature is about 35C, the smell of ash, cinders and burnt wood hang acrid in the air. At tables laid out in the shrinking shade on the desiccated grass and sand outside the sports centre in Le Porge, 200 men and a handful of women have gathered. Firefighters, soldiers, police, gendarmes, officials, first aid teams, foresters and volunteers si
  
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• Household chemicals end up as pollutants if not disposed of correctly. What shouldn’t go down the drain?

  01-08-2026 02:00 via theguardian.com
  To safely get rid of your detergents, paints, pesticides and bleaches without harming the environment, keep in mind handy rules such as the ‘three Ps’Change by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprintGot a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at [email protected] bleaches, disinfectants and detergents to pest sprays and paints, many kitchen cabinets and laundry sh
  
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• Pine marten babies born on Exmoor for first time in 100 years

  31-07-2026 19:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Nine females and 10 males were introduced to the area by the Two Moors Pine Marten Project last year.
  
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• England and Wales on course for driest July on record

  31-07-2026 17:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Met Office records indicate England and Wales are likely to have had their driest July since records began 190 years ago.
  
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• Wildfire near Sizewell nuclear plant causes ‘total devastation’ to Suffolk landscape

  31-07-2026 14:23 via theguardian.com
  Situation ‘stabilising’ as more than 100 firefighters continue to battle blaze that broke out on Dunwich HeathA wildfire near Britain’s biggest nuclear power station has caused “total devastation” to one of the UK’s most important landscapes, experts have warned, as fire crews said the situation was “stabilising”.More than 100 firefighters have been battling the blaze on Dunwich Heath, near Leiston, on the Suffolk coast since Wednesday evening. The
  
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• ‘It’s too fast, too big’: speed of climate crisis is devastating crops, say farmers

  31-07-2026 13:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Drought and extreme heat are killing plants, driving up prices while also making some farms economically unviable“It’s a constant battle,” says Tim Young. He and his family have been tracking the rainfall on their Norfolk farm since 1976, and the data shows the last six years have seen two-thirds the amount of rain compared with previous years. The lack of water has become the number one risk to Young’s business.This summer has seen record-breaking climate induced heatwav
  
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• Week in wildlife: snub-nosed monkeys, amorous cobras and a milk-snatching fox

  31-07-2026 11:13 via theguardian.com
  This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...
  
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• New solar panels in Great Britain at 15-year high as fossil fuel costs soar

  31-07-2026 11:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Boom in solar farms and home installations in first half of 2026 began shortly after start of US-Israel war against IranGreat Britain has recorded more new solar power installations in the first half of this year than in any six-month period since 2011, as households turn to rooftop panels to help cut their energy bills.An analysis of the government’s official figures shows that Great Britain added 142,536 solar installations in the first six months of the year, putting it on track to top
  
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• Suffolk wildfire near Sizewell nuclear plant ‘stabilising’ after 24 hours

  31-07-2026 10:22 via theguardian.com
  
  More than 100 firefighters remain at scene after Dunwich Heath blaze spread across 150 hectares and forced evacuationsFire crews tackling a large wildfire burning for more than 24 hours near Britain’s biggest nuclear power station have said the situation is “stabilising”.More than 100 firefighters have been battling the blaze in Dunwich Heath, near Leiston, on the Suffolk coast since Wednesday evening. Continue reading...
  
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• ‘Extremely scary findings’ show climate crisis is supercharging Europe’s wildfire weather

  31-07-2026 09:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Latest study says global heating has made hot, dry and windy conditions in Spain at least 20 times more likelyThe extreme heat and drought stoking huge wildfires in Spain and France were made far more likely by the climate crisis, a scientific analysis has found.Global heating made hot, dry and windy weather at least 20 times more likely in Spain and twice as likely in France, experts from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) consortium calculated. The finding is the latest to pin the blame for t
  
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• ‘We can’t make it better again’: what Europe’s wildfires tell us about the climate crisis

  31-07-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  In this week’s newsletter: As France and Spain battle huge fires in this summer of relentless heat, will it be enough to spur us to take action? • Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereWhen Stefan Rahmstorf walked through the ruined streets of Dresden after the river Elbe flooded in 2002, and again when severe heat killed 70,000 people in Europe the following summer, the German climatologist wondered if worsening weather would make the political world &ldq
  
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• Hedgehog road deaths 'devastating' populations

  31-07-2026 07:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A study finds road traffic kills have an exaggerated impact on the viability of small groups.
  
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• Where to see the biggest solar eclipse since 1999

  31-07-2026 07:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The UK's biggest solar eclipse since 1999 arrives on 12 August. Here's where to see it safely.
  
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• 'Upsetting' that camp fire likely led to rare habitat blaze

  31-07-2026 07:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The area's National Trust countryside manager says nesting birds, reptiles, small mammals and amphibians will have died.
  
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• ‘It’s all right for them’: private schools and golf courses stay green despite England’s hosepipe bans

  31-07-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  As parks turn brown and paddling pools go unfilled, exemptions mean sports pitches can stay lush – even in school holidaysAfter multiple punishing heatwaves, and no rain in parts for over a month, it seems the whole of the south of England is golden brown.But by Hammersmith Bridge in Barnes, south-west London, there is the unmistakable scent of damp soil. The playing fields of St Paul’s school, where fees are up to £57,000 a year, are a bright, lush green. Continue reading...
  
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• Soy sauce refills and reused jars: can Philippines’ tingi culture hold back deluge of plastic waste?

  31-07-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  A zero-waste shop set up by a district council provides plastic-free products at affordable prices in a country that gets through 164m sachets a dayJust after classes finish for the day in Malabon City, in the Philippines, a corner shop begins to fill. Mothers arrive with their children, handing over empty bottles to be refilled with soy sauce and cooking oil. Plastic tubs that previously held ice-cream or biscuits are weighed and filled with flour or sugar. The kids get some sweets and banana c
  
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• ‘It makes your heart sing’: can a pioneering project show that rewilding really works? – podcast

  31-07-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  Intensive farming has all but destroyed England’s ancient woodlands and freshwater wetlands. On a farm in Lincolnshire a radical aristocrat hopes to show there’s money in protecting natureBy Patrick Barkham. Read by Dermot DalyRead the text version hereSupport the Guardian today: theguardian.com/longreadpodThe summer issue of the Long Read magazine is out now. Click here to order Continue reading...
  
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• Drought conditions may worsen before improving as little rain in sight

  31-07-2026 03:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Conditions in the most parched areas of the United Kingdom could worsen before they improve, according to the latest forecasts.
  
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• India wants to join the strawberry superpowers

  31-07-2026 00:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Indian strawberry farmers rely on varieties imported from the US and Europe, but that could change.
  
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• Hundreds evacuated after ‘apocalyptic’ wildfire near Suffolk nuclear power station

  30-07-2026 20:08 via theguardian.com
  Major incident declared, Sizewell B power station monitoring blaze and RSPB nature reserve badly hitHundreds of people have been evacuated and a major incident declared after a wildfire spread over more than 200 acres on the coast of Suffolk, just a few miles from the Sizewell B nuclear power station.The fire – described by one witness as ‘apocalyptic’ – was still not completely under control as of late Thursday afternoon, according to Jon Lacey, chief fire officer at Suf
  
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• Danube's record low levels force shutdown of Hungary's only nuclear plant

  30-07-2026 19:55 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia are also grappling with the effects of a series of prolonged heatwaves and low rainfall.
  
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• Hosepipe bans in force as drought declared - is your area affected?

  30-07-2026 16:50 via bbc.co.uk
  
  More than 20 million households have been placed under hosepipe bans due to higher demand and low rainfall.
  
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• Drought declared across whole of Wales as conditions 'deteriorate'

  30-07-2026 16:15 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Wales is on course for its driest July on record in almost 190 years.
  
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• Dashcam captures tornado toppling power lines onto car

  30-07-2026 15:44 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Video obtained by the BBC provides a firsthand look at the powerful storm system that ripped through parts of eastern Wisconsin on 27 July.
  
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• Holiday park evacuated as 90 firefighters tackle Suffolk heath wildfire

  30-07-2026 15:28 via theguardian.com
  Major incident declared, Sizewell B power station closely monitoring blaze and RSPB nature reserve closed to visitorsA holiday park with about 200 caravans has been evacuated after a wildfire broke out on the Suffolk coast, and the nearby Sizewell B nuclear power station has said it is closely monitoring the blaze.A major incident has been declared as firefighters battle a large heathland fire at Dunwich Heath near Leiston, about 3 miles from Sizewell B. Continue reading...
  
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• Europe burns: a visual guide to the wildfires

  30-07-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  Ferocious flames continue to rage in parts of France and Spain, with no sign of abating. We chart the destruction in graphics and picturesThe hellish infernos that have torn through parts of France and Spain have caused deaths, the evacuation of 330,000 people from their homes, widespread destruction and clouds of toxic smoke. Records have already been smashed and with the fourth heatwave of the European summer setting in, there are few signs of the waves of wildfires ending.France has already s
  
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• Fifteen elephant deaths at Kenya park may be due to cyanide poisoning

  30-07-2026 14:46 via theguardian.com
  Analysis of samples collected from carcasses found traces of toxic chemical compound, says Kenya Wildlife ServiceThe recent deaths of 15 elephants near a park in southern Kenya in the past month were most likely caused by the animals ingesting pesticides used on nearby tomato farms, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has said.Erustus Kanga, the agency’s director general, told Citizen TV that analysis of samples collected from the carcasses had found traces of cyanide, a chemical compound use
  
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• Families to be moved out of billionaire-owned tower after suffering without air con

  30-07-2026 14:39 via theguardian.com
  Several councils to stop housing tenants in glass-fronted Britannia Point in London, where tenants were earlier told they could not use air conAs the fourth heatwave of the year hit the UK on Wednesday, Benice Bodah and her three teenage sons braced for more scorching temperatures inside their south-west London home. The two-bedroom flat has a built-in air-conditioning unit, but it has worked only intermittently in the almost three years since the family were placed in temporary accommodation at
  
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• Vow to tackle city problem of nitrous oxide misuse

  30-07-2026 14:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The city agrees to crack down on the Class C drug with public education and enforcement measures.
  
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• Cyanide in tomato pesticide killed 15 elephants, Kenyan officials suspect

  30-07-2026 14:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Foul play is ruled out in the record number of elephant deaths for decades in this area of southern Kenya.
  
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• Europe is burning – and if Trump’s war on the climate is not met with sanctions, things will only get worse | Alexander Hurst

  30-07-2026 13:00 via theguardian.com
  The White House seems committed to ecocide. The EU should harness the power of the single market to force it to change courseAre we understanding it yet? As Europe burns in the west, the south and the north, are we grasping the fact that our economies, food systems, political stability and even our ability to plan for the future, will all be charred in a world on fire?Paris got a taste of what is in store for us Europeans when, weeks ago, fire ripped through Fontainebleau forest, a bouldering pa
  
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• UK on track for record heat-related deaths this summer, official data shows

  30-07-2026 12:33 via theguardian.com
  UKHSA estimates 2,877 fatalities during heatwaves in May and June, almost twice same period for 2025The UK is on track to suffer its highest ever number of heat-related deaths this summer after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced that an estimated 2,877 people had died in the May and June heatwaves.The record was set in 2022 with 2,985 deaths and August, traditionally the hottest month is yet to arrive. The health secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “My thoughts are with all those
  
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• England on track for record heat-related deaths this summer, official data shows

  30-07-2026 12:33 via theguardian.com
  UKHSA estimates 2,877 fatalities during heatwaves in May and June, almost twice that recorded in 2025 seasonEngland is on track to record its highest ever number of heat-related deaths this summer after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced that an estimated 2,877 people had died in the May and June heatwaves.The record was set in 2022 with 2,985 deaths, and August, traditionally the hottest month, is yet to arrive. The health secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “My thoughts are with
  
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• Bagpipes - the first defence against alien invaders?

  30-07-2026 12:15 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Oxfordshire piper's tunes could soon make it to the moon under the plans of an space entrepreneur.
  
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