Science & Earth

A National Weather Service alert in Mississippi gave residents only minutes to take cover as severe storms and several tornadoes were reported across parts of the United States; forecasts show continued strong winds and thunderstorms into the weekend.

Weather models and forecasters report a potential three-day spell of heavy snow across parts of the UK around January 18–20, with up to 40 cm (about 16 inches) possible in parts of northern Scotland; the Met Office has issued local warnings including an amber alert for the Highlands.

On Jan. 7, 2026, President Trump announced the United States would leave the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, saying it ran "contrary to the interests of the United States." The article notes the decision follows a series of late-2025 and early-2026 policy moves that reduced U.S. participation in international climate reporting and research.

Reporting notes a 54C reading at Mitribah and multiple recent summers with days above 50C, and says authorities have allowed funerals at night in response to extreme heat.

A man in his 50s was found dead in a caravan after a tree fell during Storm Goretti near Helston; police say the death is not being treated as suspicious and next of kin have been informed.

The NHS is preparing to test an experimental anti‑ageing drug developed by British start‑up LinkGevity, and the company has begun talks with officials about starting clinical trials.

Devon and Cornwall Police reported a man in his 50s was found dead after a tree fell on a caravan during Storm Goretti, and the Met Office has issued warnings of freezing fog, ice and further wintry conditions across much of the UK.

A man in his 50s died after a tree fell onto a caravan in the Mawgan area of Helston during hurricane‑force winds from Storm Goretti; Devon and Cornwall Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.

A collapse at the Binaliw Landfill in Cebu buried dozens of workers; officials say at least four have died and 34 remain missing, while rescue teams continue operations amid risks of further slides.

Jupiter reaches opposition this evening and will appear at its biggest and brightest in the eastern sky; binoculars can reveal its four largest moons and the Great Red Spot.

The review examines BAFF's role in systemic lupus erythematosus and notes that belimumab, a BAFF-neutralizing antibody, showed efficacy in a randomized clinical trial in 2011; it also reports that APRIL's role in SLE is less well understood.

Aoibheann Daly, 15, from County Kerry won the 2026 Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition for GlioScope, a project that uses MRI and AI to predict genetic mutations in brain tumours; she received €7,500 and will represent Ireland at the EU contest in Kiel in September 2026.

A new study found gut bacteria, including Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, can ferment sugars into ethanol in people with auto-brewery syndrome, and stool samples from 22 patients produced significantly more ethanol than samples from 21 household controls.

Heavy snow began on 1 January and has fallen daily in parts of north‑east Scotland, prompting school closures and road disruptions.

A red wind warning covers the Channel Islands as Storm Goretti approaches; officials advise staying at home from 6pm and Channel Island airports will close from 6pm with the storm expected to peak around 9pm–midnight.

The US Drought Monitor reports no part of California is experiencing drought or abnormal dryness, the first time since 2000. Recent heavy rains and several wet years refilled major reservoirs, though Sierra Nevada snowpack is around 70% of average.

Snow from Storm Goretti led to some school closures and train suspensions, while much of South Yorkshire experienced only light snowfall.

A study reports chemical traces of gifbol plant toxins on 60,000-year-old arrowheads from Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter in KwaZulu-Natal, which researchers describe as the oldest direct evidence of arrow poison; similar compounds were also found on 250-year-old arrowheads held in Swedish collections.

Researchers reported that adding the protein Shugoshin 1 to older human eggs reduced a common chromosome-separation defect in laboratory tests, and the team says the method will need years of safety testing and clinical trials before it could be used in treatment.

U.S. officials have pressed for Greenland to become part of the United States, citing national security, and the Arctic Council was suspended after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, reducing circumpolar cooperation.

The article reports that federal grant cancellations and proposed budget cuts have reduced funding intended for sewer and septic repairs in historically underserved U.S. communities, leaving many projects and needed upgrades uncertain.

Guides at Mount Etna have staged a strike and demonstration after Catania authorities restricted excursions to view lava flows; Italy's volcanology institute said the eruption is ongoing but lava fronts are cooling and not advancing.

Authorities evacuated clifftop homes in Hemsby, Norfolk after significant coastal erosion left sections of cliff at risk of collapse as Storm Goretti brought amber weather warnings across parts of the UK.

From 31 March 2026 local authorities in England must start consistent collections into four streams including paper/card, dry recycling and weekly food waste, and the article reports enforcement action that could include fines up to £400.

The Met Office issued a red weather warning for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and the Cabinet Office sent Emergency Alerts to compatible mobile phones in the affected areas.

Scientists operating the EAST tokamak report plasma densities 30%–65% above the long‑accepted Greenwald limit, using high‑power microwaves and increased neutral‑gas injection to reduce impurities; the results were published in Science Advances on 1 January.

An endangered fin whale was found deceased on the bow of a container ship at Gloucester Marine Terminal in New Jersey; NOAA's enforcement office has opened an investigation.

Storm Goretti brought heavy snow and ice across parts of the UK, and the Met Office has extended yellow warnings into Saturday with further snowfall expected across parts of northern England and much of Scotland on Sunday morning.

Storm Goretti has brought heavy snow and blizzard conditions across Germany, with long-distance rail services in the north halted and flights and roads disrupted; meteorologists say temperatures could drop to around -20C and further snow is expected.

Dozens of pilot whales stranded at Farewell Spit, leaving six dead and 15 alive, and volunteers with Project Jonah and the Department of Conservation are working to re-float the remaining animals when the tide allows.