Science & Earth

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.

Trinity Hall at Cambridge has approved a policy to approach a small number of elite private schools to encourage applications in certain subjects, and the move has prompted objections from some college academics and social mobility experts.

Fauna and Flora International published its 2026 Species to Watch list naming ten highly threatened species, with examples ranging from wild tulips to gibbons. The list highlights conservation actions and the partners working to protect these plants and animals.

Researchers at the Schmidt Ocean Institute recorded a roughly 10‑metre-long giant phantom jellyfish about 830 feet below the surface off the Argentinian coast, and the species has been documented only around 100 times.

Researchers observed four young planets around the star V1298 Tau and report they appear to be evolving into super-Earths and sub-Neptunes, the most common planet types; the work is published in Nature.

Researchers compiled a catalogue of more than 2,000 K dwarf stars within about 130 light years, using observations from observatories in Chile and Arizona.

The article outlines five practical rules for planting trees, noting winter is a suitable time to plant dormant whips and that a roughly 6‑foot cleared area around the trunk should be kept for the first three years.

Met Office warnings remain in force until Friday lunchtime while Storm Goretti is expected Thursday evening, and forecasters say the cold snap should begin to moderate from this weekend.

A Nature Communications study models Europa’s rocky seafloor and finds it is likely too mechanically strong for widespread faulting, tectonics or hydrothermal activity that on Earth supports long-term rock–water chemical reactions; NASA’s Europa Clipper will make close flybys beginning in 2031 to assess the moon’s interior and any plume chemistry.

Using city-level data from China (2004–2020) and textual analysis of 297 government work reports, the study finds that greater government environmental attention is associated with increased green technology innovation, with stronger effects in coastal, economically advanced, and highly industrialised areas.