Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Repeated use of saunas could help people cope better in heatwaves, scientists say

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:00:33 +0000

Growing number of studies assessing whether heat training can help people prepare for scorching temperatures

Half of England officially in ‘exceptionally serious’ drought

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 12:00:50 +0000

Environment Agency names seven regions affected by unusually hot and dry weather and shortage of water

Half of England is officially in drought, with July set to be the driest on record after winter floods, the Environment Agency has said.

The “flash drought” developed quickly because of unusually low rainfall and high temperatures.

Hotter summers may force RHS to move hydrangeas to north of England

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:22:05 +0000

Exclusive: British garden staple becomes plant most frequently reported as suffering in heat, charity reports

With their lush foliage and blooms that turn pink, purple or blue depending on the soil, hydrangeas are a firm favourite in Britain.

The shrubs bloom throughout summer and have historically thrived in the mild, damp British climate. But hotter summers and heatwaves such as the one hitting parts of England this week are putting the flower at risk in the south of the country, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has said.

Caribbean bears brunt of £43bn climate-fuelled damage to developing islands

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:00:30 +0000

Findings can inform conversations about global climate reparations and financing for mitigations, researchers say

Caribbean nations suffered $53.2bn (£40bn) of damage from climate-fuelled disasters between 2000 and 2024, research into the cost of the climate crisis to developing small islands has found.

‘I’m super proud of him’: father of teen lifeguard recounts dramatic ocean rescue

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:00:31 +0000

Ryder Williams, 16, saved a boy from drowning in Santa Cruz, California – the first rescue of his career

A rookie, teenage California lifeguard who saved a young boy from drowning amid massive waves – while a bystander recorded dramatic video – has spent his whole life preparing for such a moment, according to his father.

Wildfires are raging – and the world has junked 45 climate pledges. Disaster looms, and little wonder | Bill McGuire

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:00:29 +0000

Five years ago, I wrote an open letter asking climate scientists to speak out against fossil fuels. Now governments are in retreat, it is surely time to act

France and Spain race to contain huge wildfires before fresh heatwave begins

Spain faces ‘complex’ three days with risks of heatwave and strong winds reigniting some fires – Europe live

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:39:21 +0000

Authorities fear progress in containing the fires in the Gironde and Madrid regions may be set back by temperatures expected to hit the low 40s

in Brussels

The European Union’s crisis-management team is expecting difficult weeks ahead, fearing a further outbreak of wildfires in Italy and Greece as the summer goes on.

Ships stuck in strait of Hormuz pose ‘super-spreader’ biodiversity threat, scientists warn

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 05:00:23 +0000

Biologists say cargo ships stranded in Gulf may carry highly potent invasive species around the world as trade resumes

The closure of the strait of Hormuz has created conditions for an extreme global biodiversity threat, with scientists warning that thousands of stranded ships could spread invasive marine species across the world’s oceans once they begin sailing again.

Organic eggs have worse impact on climate than eggs from caged chickens

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 04:00:24 +0000

Adopting organic free-range model in UK could lead to greenhouse emissions equivalent to 2,316,000 tonnes of CO2, study suggests

Organic eggs are twice as bad for the climate as eggs from chickens living in cages, research suggests.

According to the study, switching the UK’s entire egg production to an organic free-range model would lead to greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 2,316,000 tonnes of CO2 (tCO2e), while production through a fully caged system would emit 1,184,000 tCO2e.

Queensland and NT reject Labor’s push to ensure that power-hungry AI datacentres use renewable energy

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 03:19:17 +0000

Federal-state stoush comes as rating agency warns that electricity bills could skyrocket

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