My new dark red climate stripe for 2024 shows it’s the hottest year yet
A new climate stripe has been added for 2024. Ed Hawkins. The data is in. 2024 was the warmest year on record, and probably in the whole of human history...Read More >
Environment
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme – showcase winners 2024
In November 2024, the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) held its final showcase event before it becomes part of the Reading Internship Scheme in 2025. The programme has provided students...Read More >
COP29: How fast is Earth warming?
In September 1933, American meteorologist Joseph Kincer asked a simple question: is the climate changing? So began the effort to understand the scope of humanity’s interference with the climate. By...Read More >
Cacti are surprisingly fragile – and five other intriguing facts about these spiky wonders
Few plant families are as iconic as the resilient, spiky cactus, thriving in the driest deserts and as well as decorating our offices and homes. Their success in both environments...Read More >
Will the Earth warm by 2°C or 5.5°C? Either way it’s bad, and trying to narrow it down may be a distraction
Climate change is usually discussed in terms of rising temperatures. But scientists often use a different measure, known as “equilibrium climate sensitivity”. This is defined as the global mean warming...Read More >
NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft will investigate whether an icy moon of Jupiter can support alien life
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Seti Institute Discovering extraterrestrial life would be one of the most profound scientific and philosophical revelations that our species has ever made. But such a big discovery won’t come easy....Read More >
South Sudan floods: the first example of a mass population permanently displaced by climate change?
Enormous floods have once again engulfed much of South Sudan, as record water-levels in Lake Victoria flow downstream through the Nile. More than 700,000 people have been affected. Hundreds of...Read More >
Victorian technology for measuring the weather is still remarkably accurate – new research
A small, white box with horizontal slats is a familiar sight at weather stations around the UK, and around the world. This louvred housing for thermometers measuring air temperature was...Read More >
Inspiring action on climate change through engaging science
Professor Richard Allan of the Department of Meteorology came runner up in the 2024 Research Awards in Public Engagement for Research, thanks to his efforts using storytelling to communicate climate...Read More >
Earth has just ended a 13-month streak of record heat – here’s what to expect next
A 13-month streak of record-breaking global warmth has ended. From June 2023 until June 2024, air and ocean surface water temperatures averaged a quarter of a degree Celsius higher than...Read More >
