Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Forecasters warn of record-breaking US summer heat amid intense El Niño

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:30:11 +0000

More than 100 million people could be affected in week leading to 4 July, with increased risks of droughts and wildfires

Meteorologists are anticipating a tumultuous summer that could rank as one of the US’s hottest ever.

New data released on Tuesday showed the first six months of the year were the hottest ever measured for parts of eight western states.

Côte d’Ivoire floods kill 59 as west Africa endures torrential rains

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:01:32 +0000

Authorities say rainy season getting deadlier, with Ghana reporting 13 dead and floods hitting Benin, Togo and Nigeria

Floods in Côte d’Ivoire have killed 59 people since May, the communication minister told a cabinet meeting in Abidjan.

There are fears the toll could further rise as rescue teams continue to search for victims during the rainy season, which runs from May until July, the minister, Amadou Coulibaly, added.

Voyage to the end of the world: floating lab to explore life in Arctic adrift in ice

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:00:12 +0000

An eight-month expedition will set off soon from Norway on a mission to find new species before the climate crisis and pollution changes the northern ocean for ever

Six scientists and six crew will travel next month to Kirkenes, a remote Arctic town in Norway near the Russian border, to begin an odyssey to one of the most inhospitable, inaccessible and least-studied regions on Earth. There, they will climb onboard a futuristic, floating laboratory – the French-built Tara polar station.

Fans in short supply as next UK heatwave approaches, says Currys

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 10:28:16 +0000

Retailer says sharp rise in fan sales over the latest heatwave weekend left stores scrambling to source stock

Business live – latest updates

The boss of Currys has said supplies of air conditioning and fans are “tight” ahead of another UK heatwave, expected next week, after a boom in sales sent retailers scrambling to source new stock.

‘Exploratory and curious animals’: mysterious rise in orca sightings off Northumberland coast

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 05:00:05 +0000

Reasons for increase not clear but experts say it could be welcome sign marine ecosystem is becoming healthier

The Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast have long drawn fans of the natural world keen to catch sight of the resident guillemots and puffins.

But as recently as last week, another much bigger black-and-white animal has been delighting wildlife spotters. Orcas have been appearing more regularly than ever before.

Global boom in livestock farming since 2006 is piling pressure on nature, report finds

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 05:00:04 +0000

Wildlife at risk as demand for cropland and water grows to feed 50% rise in farmed animals, campaign alliance says

The number of mammals and poultry farmed worldwide has increased by half in the last two decades, research shows, and the amount of cropland used for feeding livestock has increased by about a quarter.

These increases are putting rising pressure on natural systems, threatening wildlife and plant species and adding to the climate crisis.

Can Bolivia’s historic big cat release help change jaguar conservation in the country?

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 05:00:03 +0000

Poaching and wildfires have driven the country’s jaguar population to a critical level, and until now even rescued animals faced life in captivity

A tentative paw emerged from a steel cage on to the sandy riverbed deep in the Bolivian rainforest. Then, another. Slowly, the female jaguar looked right, left and right again, as if waiting to cross a busy road. Then, muscles stiff from the long journey, it strolled away and disappeared into the undergrowth.

Scientists fear seabird die-off as El Niño looms: ‘We don’t know how bad this will get’

admin — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 19:37:09 +0000

Many seabirds are starving to death as a marine heat wave lingers off California and fish seek deeper, cooler waters

Within minutes of walking on a San Diego beach, marine ornithologist Tammy Russell found the feathered carcasses – one after another.

Some were mixed in with washed up kelp. Others were under rocks.

‘The silence was the worst part’: after culling his entire flock, US poultry farmer now fears bird flu

admin — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:31:24 +0000

As bird flu reshapes agriculture, small farms operate under strict rules. Just a single case could tank their business

Joshua Beebe often starts his day by cleaning the tires of trucks and cars entering his poultry farm.

“We spray them off and scrub them with a brush. It’s a precaution; the goal is to eliminate as many potential avenues for a pathogen to enter as possible,” said the owner of Tardif Poultry Farm, located in the Connecticut countryside east of Hartford.

England has just had its hottest June on record, Met Office data shows

admin — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:47:45 +0000

Chief scientist says dangerous heatwaves, which are getting more likely, ‘bring home the implications of climate change’

The month of June was the hottest in England on record, driven by a searing heatwave in the final days of the month, which for the first time had red heat alerts for three days, according to Met Office data.

The Met Office said provisional statistics showed Wales and the UK as a whole had recorded their second-warmest June since 1884.