BBC News

BBC News - Science & Environment

Summer 2026 expected to be declared UK's hottest on record

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 23:42:55 GMT

Met Office figures due on Tuesday are likely to show that the previous record, set in 2025, has been broken after an unprecedented summer of persistent heat.

Watch: Stargazers around the world glimpse 'Blood Moon' lunar eclipse

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 12:49:55 GMT

Some parts of the globe had a chance to see the rare event when the Sun, Earth and Moon line up in the night sky.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Researchers have announced synthetic viruses designed by artificial intelligence.

France links sharp rise in drownings to heatwaves

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 17:39:33 GMT

A government minister says people have been taking risks by going into the water, with 301 deaths since 19 June.

World's oceans hit highest temperature on record as El Niño grows

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:27:28 GMT

The record "is another clear signal of an ocean under growing stress", according to Dr Samantha Burgess from the European Copernicus climate change service.

France relaxes strict cheese-making rules after prolonged drought

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:29:38 GMT

Makers of some of France's most famous cheeses get waivers on where herds graze due to the lack of grass.

The race to stop England running out of water

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 14:50:35 GMT

Who is to blame for the summer drought, and can England future-proof its water supplies?

How the weather in space can affect us on Earth - and the team trying to protect us

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 06:05:15 GMT

The weather in space has the potential to impact our lives here on Earth in a fundamental way.

Fossil identified as first dinosaur ever found in Antarctica

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 17:58:10 GMT

Argentinian geologist Eduardo Olivero became the first scientist to find the remains of a dinosaur in Antarctica in 1986.

Bank holiday weekend to see more thunderstorms and rain

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:42:47 GMT

The weather will remain unsettled across the next few days with showers, longer spells of rain and thunderstorms all likely at times across the weekend.

Thunderstorms and gusty winds set to continue into Bank Holiday Monday

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 10:51:21 GMT

Cooler and showery conditions will continue across the weekend and into Monday, bringing a record-breaking summer to a rather damp close as Matt Taylor explains.

How to watch the partial lunar eclipse from Northern Ireland

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:15:52 GMT

Skygazers may see a partial lunar eclipse early on Friday, as the Moon enters Earth's shadow.

'A giant leap forward': Nasa launches powerful new space telescope

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 18:53:53 GMT

The US space agency's telescope is starting a multi-year mission to create a new map of the universe and learn more about dark energy and dark matter.

France relaxes strict cheese-making rules after prolonged drought

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:29:38 GMT

Makers of some of France's most famous cheeses get waivers on where herds graze due to the lack of grass.

Clean-up of illegal waste supersite costs taxpayers £6m

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 21:00:48 GMT

The bill for clearing the dump in Oxfordshire has been covered by taxpayers.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMT

The surprising science of how drought affects the health of our soils.

Simpler, older version of Stonehenge found three miles from famous site

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 23:11:29 GMT

The structure consisted of two posts that lined up with the solstices 5,000 years ago.

UK's rarest bird of prey rears new chicks in secret location

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 08:31:48 GMT

The Montagu Harrier successfully nested for the second year running in the same secret location.

From blast off to splashdown: My days following Nasa's historic mission to the Moon

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 23:17:07 GMT

BBC Science Editor Rebecca Morelle reflects on how it felt to watch history being made.

Australia usually hosts the world's biggest cuttlefish mating event - not this year

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 18:30:32 GMT

According to official figures only 1,811 cuttlefish turned up to mate this year, down 97% on last year.

Why cheap power could matter more than clean power in the push for net zero

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 23:20:22 GMT

The question of how important making our electricity clean is to going green is coming under increasing scrutiny

Nature reserves spot rare species during heatwaves

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 05:08:05 GMT

A wildlife trust says unusually hot weather and increased monitoring has led to interesting finds.

'The flood took everything': Nepal survivors describe horror of loved ones being swept away

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 03:23:21 GMT

One woman says her father, mother, sister and sister's children were carried away before her eyes.

The race to stop England running out of water

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 14:50:35 GMT

Who is to blame for the summer drought, and can England future-proof its water supplies?

How catastrophic flash flood unfolded at remote Nepal-China border point

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 06:02:27 GMT

More than 100 Indians are missing at a vital Nepal-China trade crossing after devastating Himalayan floods.

After record heat, could the Atlantic make Britain's weather even more extreme?

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 23:08:13 GMT

As temperatures rise, scientists are investigating whether a changing Atlantic could bring more volatile weather to the UK

New storm names for 2026-2027 released by Met Office

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 05:00:13 GMT

Tuesday 1 September marks the start of the UK storm season and a new list of storm names have been released including Austen, Chloe and Evelyn.

Heathland plan to support two rare species of ant

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 05:27:03 GMT

Devon Wildlife Trust says it will improve the heathland homes of the narrow-headed and erratic ants.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Has a personalised cancer vaccine become reality?

How can you see Friday's 'Magical' Blood Moon?

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:23:21 GMT

A blood red moon may be visible in the early hours of Friday during a partial lunar eclipse.

The hidden cost of the night shift and how to sleep it off

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:01:55 GMT

More than three million people in the UK work night shifts, which can greatly impact their health. What can be done to help them?

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMT

The datacentres are coming, potentially in the hundreds.

Higgs boson breakthrough was UK triumph, but British physics faces 'catastrophic' cuts

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:40:16 GMT

Britain is preparing to cancel its contribution to one of the Large Hadron Collider's next major upgrades.

What caused the flooding in Nepal?

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:20:45 GMT

Experts point to 'glacial collapse' as the trigger for deadly floods that have swept through parts of Nepal and Tibet.

How the weather in space can affect us on Earth - and the team trying to protect us

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 06:05:15 GMT

The weather in space has the potential to impact our lives here on Earth in a fundamental way.

Fires still burn in charred landscape as focus turns to wildfire prevention

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:25:20 GMT

The RSPB is considering measures it can take to improve resilience in the wake of a five-week long fire in the Cairngorms.

'Our parents were crossing the border an hour before the flood hit'

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:59:31 GMT

Authorities say nearly 2,000 people are missing, including more than 100 Americans and Canadians, as families await word on loved ones after the Nepal flash floods.

The 40 minutes when the Artemis crew loses contact with the Earth

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 23:02:53 GMT

As the astronauts pass behind the Moon they will experience a moment of silence and solitude as communication with the Earth is blocked.

How the UK's extreme heat is shifting the conversation about air-con

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 23:33:01 GMT

Should we embrace air conditioning despite its costs and consequences?

'A giant leap forward': Nasa launches powerful new space telescope

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 18:53:53 GMT

The US space agency's telescope is starting a multi-year mission to create a new map of the universe and learn more about dark energy and dark matter.

First dinosaur bone from Antarctica found in a drawer

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 05:10:46 GMT

The fossil, collected in Antarctica in 1985, is part of the tail of a beast called a Titanosaur.

Charity thanks inmates for work to save hedgehogs

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 06:12:56 GMT

Prisoners in HMP La Moye make feeding and nesting boxes for Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group.