Bolivia has seen widespread public protests in recent months against the interim government, led by Jeanine Añez, which has twice postponed elections due to coronavirus. Her government has repeatedly violated its mandate…Read More >
Environment
Heatwaves are an invisible killer – and the UK is woefully unprepared
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause suffering around the world, but another killer has silently struck in summer 2020. With relatively little by way of official warning or advice on…Read More >
Weathering the storm – masterclasses in Meteorology
European winter weather is dominated by the action of synoptic-scale systems, such as cyclonic “storms” and the anticyclonic “blocks” that can stop their progress. From cold-snaps such as 2018’s Beast…Read More >
Cold war nuclear tests changed rainfall thousands of miles away
It’s difficult to imagine quite how alarming it would have been for the world’s meteorologists monitoring the atmosphere during the nuclear tests in the 1950s and early 60s. The radioactivity…Read More >
Discovering evolution’s rules for sculpting the natural world
Look at a horse’s front leg – it has just one toe. A horse stands, like a ballerina, ‘en pointe’, but for its entire life, not just during moments of…Read More >
Heatwaves often end with spectacular thunderstorms and lethal floods – but where and when they’ll strike is hard to predict
If you’re in the UK, you may not have slept well this week. According to the weather gauges at the University of Reading, Tuesday 11 August was the third hottest…Read More >
Building on the positives – the Impact of housing design and placemaking during lockdown
When COVID struck, our homes became our offices, schools and gyms. But for many people living without gardens and sometimes even natural light, the conditions were grim. Here, Professor Flora…Read More >
How much do clouds weigh?
Torben, aged 10, from London wrote to The Conversation to ask ‘How much do clouds weigh? Dr Rob Thompson from the Meteorology Department responded, explaining how maths coupled with information…Read More >
Why do we need to meet the #BeesNeeds?
Bees and other pollinators are facing many challenges such as climate change, pests and diseases, habitat loss and misuse of pesticides. We can all help safeguard pollinators by ensuring our…Read More >
Renewable energy supply and demand during lockdown – and the best time to bake bread
Britain generated nearly half of its electricity from renewable sources in the first three months of 2020. And then the pandemic happened, and all of a sudden, energy demand dropped dramatically…Read More >