Science & Earth

Storm Goretti brought high winds, rain and snow to the UK and northwestern France; more than 57,000 customers in the UK and about 380,000 homes in France lost power, and rail and airport services were disrupted.

Government figures say solar panels will cover up to 100,800 hectares of farmland by 2030, a land area similar to Bedfordshire, as Energy Secretary Ed Miliband pushes to meet net zero targets.

Bushfires in Victoria have destroyed homes and burned large areas as a heatwave pushed temperatures above 40C; authorities urged evacuations and reported ongoing firefighting efforts.

New Zealand's critically endangered kakapo started breeding last week for the first time in four years, the Department of Conservation said. There are 236 kakapo remaining across three remote island populations, including 83 breeding-age females.

Scientists report 2025 set a new record for global ocean heat, and the oceans absorbed more than 90% of the heat trapped by human-caused emissions.

City Hall deactivated the pan‑London Severe Weather Emergency Protocol because temperatures were above 0°C, while outreach groups said the decision is life‑threatening as snow and icy conditions were reported.

The White House announced President Trump is withdrawing the United States from the world's foundational treaty on climate change and exiting dozens of UN climate schemes, and the article reports critics called the move "short-sighted" and "foolish".

WXCharts maps depict a 739-mile band of snow that could reach as far south as Folkestone; the Met Office says a change to milder, unsettled conditions is likely and that snow is possible in parts of the UK between January 11 and 20.

NASA says it is monitoring a medical concern affecting a crew member on the International Space Station and has postponed a planned spacewalk; the agency is evaluating options, including an early end to Crew-11's mission.

Researcher Judah Cohen links Arctic conditions to winter patterns and is combining those diagnostics with new AI tools to improve subseasonal (two-to-six-week) forecasts; a team he worked with won the 2025 AI WeatherQuest fall subseasonal competition.

Researchers found tree bark hosts microbial communities that consume methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and their scaling suggests bark microbes could remove about 55 million tonnes of hydrogen from the atmosphere each year.

Derbyshire is under a Met Office amber warning for Storm Goretti, and the county council said several high routes — including the A57 Snake Pass, A54/A537 Cat and Fiddle and A6024 Holme Moss — will close from 18:00 GMT, with the A628 Woodhead Pass closing from 20:00 and some branch railways also shut.

NASA canceled a scheduled ISS spacewalk after an unnamed astronaut experienced a medical issue; the crew member is reported stable and the agency is evaluating options, including an earlier end to Crew-11's mission.

The Royal Commission for AlUla announced a peer-reviewed publication reporting rare horseshoe crab fossils from the Middle Ordovician, about 465 million years old, found at AlGharameel Nature Reserve; a follow-up research phase is planned for the first half of 2026.

Researchers, assisted by citizen scientists, report the Rhine carries up to 4,700 tonnes of macrolitter a year into the North Sea and that many items contain heavy metals, microplastics or chemical additives; the team says further research is needed.

The Met Office issued a rare red wind warning for Cornwall for 4pm–11pm as Storm Goretti brings very strong winds and widespread wintry conditions; transport and school closures were announced and officials warned of possible power cuts.

Consumers and manufacturers are increasingly using recycled-content or alternative materials for toilet paper, and third-party groups and labels evaluate products based on bleaching methods, recycled content and forestry practices.

The U.S. Climate Prediction Center (CPC) says there is a 75% chance La Nina will shift to ENSO‑neutral between January and March, while atmospheric patterns remain consistent with a weak La Nina. Forecasters and meteorologists noted possible regional effects on rainfall and crops and said El Nino could be possible later in the Northern Hemisphere summer.

The Met Office issued a rare red wind warning for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly from 4pm to 11pm, citing gusts up to 100mph and a risk to life; Storm Goretti is described as a multi-hazard event with snow possible in parts of the UK.

Nature Reviews Cancer reports that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is an extracellular signalling lipid produced by autotaxin (ATX/lysoPLD) that affects cell proliferation, migration and survival, and that LPA levels are elevated in malignant effusions such as ovarian cancer ascites.

An unusually warm atmospheric river in December 2025 brought heavy rain that melted much mountain snow, deepening a snow drought in parts of the western U.S.; some snow has since returned but key basins remained below historical norms in early January 2026.

Officials say recent outbreaks in Indore and Gujarat were linked to sewage-contaminated water, and Delhi has ordered infrastructure audits after residents reported dirty tap water.

Schools in parts of the UK are closed as Storm Goretti brings significant snowfall and near -12C temperatures, and the Met Office and UK Health Security Agency have extended an amber cold-health alert until 12pm on January 11.

Conservationists at Virunga National Park discovered on January 3 that Mafuko, a 22-year-old mountain gorilla, had given birth to twins who appeared healthy at the time of observation.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow and ice covering 40 areas in much of Scotland and northern England from 8pm tonight until noon tomorrow, and an amber snow warning covers parts of central England from 8pm until 9am tomorrow.

Archaeologists recovered more than 800 whetstones and 11 stone anchors at an Offerton site on the River Wear, which researchers say points to Roman-era whetstone production and river-based trade.

Authorities captured a 4.9-metre saltwater crocodile from a creek feeding Wangi Falls on January 5, and Litchfield National Park remains closed until crocodile surveys after the wet season, expected around May 2026.

Researchers from Queen's University Belfast report that Brusselstown Ring near Baltinglass contains hundreds of potential roundhouse footprints, and radiocarbon dating indicates primary occupation in the Late Bronze Age (c. 1210–780 BC).

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and partners named 125 new plant species in 2025 and highlighted 10 notable discoveries, including a fly‑attracting orchid, a spider‑infecting 'zombie' fungus, an overlooked snowdrop in UK gardens, and a banana‑and‑guava‑tasting fruit from Papua New Guinea.

Transport minister Lillian Greenwood said studies from Scotland and UK universities found no significant impact on pubs after a lower drink-drive limit, and the government is proposing to reduce England and Wales' limit from 35 to 22 micrograms as part of a road safety strategy that will be subject to consultation.