Environment news

• Storm Austen brings power cuts and travel disruption as more wind and rain forecast

  23-10-2026 23:10 via BBC News
  
  A second storm, Storm Boelo, is expected to hit Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England on Saturday bringing more wild weather.
  
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• Scotland to be hit with 80mph wind gusts as Storm Boelo warning upgraded to amber

  23-10-2026 18:13 via BBC News
  
  It is due to be the second of two storms to hit Scotland over the weekend, with Storm Austen bringing heavy rain on Friday.
  
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• Tinned mackerel, hand-crank radios and bags for poo: crisis-prepping guides around the world

  23-10-2026 17:52 via Environment | The Guardian
  
  UK allies have long urged people to stockpile supplies for a crisis. How are people from France to Australia being advised to prepare?The UK has told people to fill their pantries with food for three days in case of catastrophe, joining a host of countries urging citizens to ready themselves for core systems failing.Such advice, once dismissed as the preserve of preppers, has become more common in government circles as climate breakdown worsens weather extremes and geopolitical tensions turn cyb
  
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• Oil spill washes up on UAE beaches after tanker strike

  23-10-2026 17:30 via BBC News
  
  Satellite images show oil spreading for miles along the coastline, threatening local marine wildlife
  
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• UK government to make unprecedented intervention in setting of water bills

  23-10-2026 15:51 via Environment | The Guardian
  Exclusive: Angela Eagle tells utility bosses next price review ‘must focus on value for money for customers’UK politics live – latest updatesMinisters will make an unprecedented intervention in water bills and how companies prioritise investment, directing bosses to bring down costs and stop leaks and sewage overflows.Angela Eagle, the environment secretary, has told suppliers in England and Wales she plans to intervene in the next price review – conducted by the water regulator, Ofwat.
  
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• Why should I stockpile and what will I need?

  23-10-2026 15:30 via BBC News
  
  The UK government has warned households to have three days of essential supplies on hand.
  
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• October's full Hunter's Moon to light up night sky this weekend

  23-10-2026 14:24 via BBC News
  
  October's full Moon, known as the Hunter's Moon, will rise on Sunday night. Will the weather be in your favour?
  
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• The US west has lost nearly 300 glaciers since the 1960s. Climate crisis is drastically shrinking what’s left

  23-10-2026 14:00 via Environment | The Guardian
  At the midpoint of the last century the region had 1,450 glaciers and a new study reveals the extent of losses Continue reading...
  
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• Denmark nurdles may be from Tyne spill, agency says

  23-10-2026 13:56 via BBC News
  
  The Danish Environment Protection Agency says nurdles it has tested are similar to the Tyne pellets.
  
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• ‘This is a lethal threat’: Indigenous groups fear Bolsonaro’s hold on voters in Brazil’s Amazon towns

  23-10-2026 12:00 via Environment | The Guardian
  Far-right presidential candidate is popular among those who believe more mining can help revitalise local economiesIt was the night before the first round of Brazil’s presidential election and Rosimari Monteiro was so excited she couldn’t sleep. The 38-year-old spent hours tossing and turning at her home in the Amazon town of Mucajaí before rising at dawn to cast her vote.“I was the first person to vote at my polling station … I voted 22, so we got off to a positive start,” recalls Mo
  
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• Storm Austen hits UK as yellow wind warnings in effect

  23-10-2026 11:30 via BBC News
  
  Disruption to travel is likely as the season's first named storm brings a swathe of powerful winds to south-west England on Friday.
  
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• BBC presenter battles strong winds as Storm Austen hits Newquay

  23-10-2026 10:26 via BBC News
  
  BBC lead weather presenter Simon King is in Newquay as the "full force" of the storm arrives.
  
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• Week in wildlife: a bookworm bear, an angelic spider and a bald hedgehog

  23-10-2026 09:00 via Environment | The Guardian
  This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...
  
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• Lights will stay on this winter, grid operator says after concerns

  23-10-2026 08:47 via BBC News
  
  The assurance from the National Energy System Operator comes amid concern from its engineers about their ability to ensure adequate supply.
  
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• At Cop17, the pressure is on to rescue a deal that could end the destruction of nature

  23-10-2026 08:00 via Environment | The Guardian
  ​As world leaders struggle to meet deadlines to halt nature loss set four years ago, a rare leopard in host country Armenia offers a symbol of what is at stakeDon’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereThe Armenian capital Yerevan is chock-a-block right now with officials, scientists and environmentalists from all over the world gathering for Cop17. Everyone is here to try to rescue a historic deal to end the destruction of nature.The pressure is on. Targets set for 2030 ar
  
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• How citizen science is tracking changes in shorelines around the world

  23-10-2026 07:00 via Environment | The Guardian
  
  An app and a camera phone are all that’s needed at more than 200 spots to help researchers monitor coastal areasThe shoreline changes with the weather. Tracking these changes over time is a labour-intensive task, and an army of citizen scientists with camera phones is a great asset.The CoastSnap project started in Australia in 2017 and has spread to beaches worldwide. You may have spotted the setup while out walking along the coast: a cradle to rest your phone on while taking a picture and a s
  
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• Country diary: Slugs? Dull? This one is pure showbiz | Charlie Elder

  23-10-2026 06:30 via Environment | The Guardian
  
  Falmouth, Cornwall: The rainbow sea slug is a bizarre and breathtaking animal, and with warming seas it’s gaining a toehold in the south-westI have never seen a species quite so flamboyant in appearance. A couple of centimetres in length, it was curled beneath the submerged rock like a piece of gaudy costume jewellery.When the cry went up that one had been found, I had to prevent myself from breaking into a run as I navigated the slippery seaweed-covered boulders to catch my first glimpse of
  
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• Heat killed ‘staggering’ 50,000 people in Europe’s cities this summer, scientists warn

  23-10-2026 06:01 via Environment | The Guardian
  People succumbed to heat at highest rates in Malta, Italy and Hungary, with health issues, loneliness and poverty exacerbating tollHeat killed a record 50,000 people in European cities this summer, new research suggests, with scientists blaming climate breakdown for two in every three of the deaths.Morgues and funeral homes filled with bodies from June to August as the heat added by planet-baking pollution cut short an extra 32,000 lives in urban areas, the researchers found. Hot days pushed vul
  
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• In allowing coal expansion in the Hunter, Chris Minns is pouring fuel on the climate fire. His decision will come back to hurt us all | Jack Egan

  23-10-2026 03:08 via Environment | The Guardian
  The high court found NSW is responsible for emissions from burning exported coal. What message does it send when the government can step in and bypass the law?Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereAs someone who lost their home in the black summer bushfires, I was buoyed by the high court finding in favour of a small community group in the Hunter Valley earlier this month.Led by two retired science teachers, Wendy Wales and Tony Lonergan, the De
  
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• Amber warning in place as Storm Austen hits parts of UK

  23-10-2026 02:08 via BBC News
  
  Disruption to travel is likely as the season's first named storm brings a swathe of powerful winds to south-west England on Friday.
  
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• Grid operator says lights will stay on this winter after concerns

  23-10-2026 01:04 via BBC News
  
  The assurance from the National Energy System Operator comes amid concern from its engineers about their ability to ensure adequate supply.
  
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