BBC News

BBC News - Science & Environment

How soon will the drought be over?

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:26:05 GMT

Rain has returned to parts of the UK this week but is it enough to end the drought some regions are facing?

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Researchers have announced synthetic viruses designed by artificial intelligence.

More hosepipe bans in force as drought declared - is your area affected?

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:27:01 GMT

Nearly 30 million people have been placed under hosepipe bans due to higher demand and low rainfall.

Consultation ending on controversial Rosebank oil field

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:25:59 GMT

Supporters and opponents of the controversial plans have been making their cases on the £8.7bn project.

Giant whales move into Greenland waters as ice disappears

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 02:05:20 GMT

Melting sea ice from climate change has opened up the region for giant whales to undertake "feeding frenzies".

Northern Ireland farm profits topped £1bn in 2025

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:25:04 GMT

The overall performance in 2025 was heavily influenced by developments in the beef sector which saw prices rise to record levels.

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

Belgian wildfire doubles in size on third day tearing through nature reserve

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 20:01:51 GMT

Hundreds of firefighters are trying to contain the flames consuming the major park.

Thunderstorm warnings expire but rain continues to bring risk of floods for UK

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 15:02:16 GMT

The prolonged dry spell has come to an end with heavy, thundery showers continuing to sweep across the UK, as Ben Rich explains.

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.

About 100 homes swept away after Hurricane Lala lashes Hawaii

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:20:51 GMT

The state's governor says there "amazingly" does not seem to have been any loss of life besides a car crash.

Giant whales move into Greenland waters as ice disappears

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 02:05:20 GMT

Melting sea ice from climate change has opened up the region for giant whales to undertake "feeding frenzies".

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.

Glass deposit operator confirmed after months of wrangling

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:31:04 GMT

Exchange for Change is running the new recycling programmes across the UK and will also run Wales's.

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

Work on £1.5m nature reserve to start next month

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:25:43 GMT

A charity says the nature reserve will be a "very special thing" for the town once complete.

Indian solar mission's new findings throw light on enduring Sun mysteries

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 02:13:27 GMT

Why is the Sun's corona millions of degrees hotter than its surface? And how does it maintain its inexplicably high temperature?

Draft dark skies guidance drawn up for the Highlands

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 08:32:34 GMT

The plan to reduce light pollution could be put out for public consultation at a later date.

Watch: Flash flood sweeps vehicle away in Hawaii after Hurricane Lala

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:35:47 GMT

Tropical storm warnings remain for some of the state's islands, as the storm is due to progress west.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Has a personalised cancer vaccine become reality?

More hosepipe bans in force as drought declared - is your area affected?

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:27:01 GMT

Nearly 30 million people have been placed under hosepipe bans due to higher demand and low rainfall.

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.

Flash flooding risk as heavy rain hits UK

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:54:55 GMT

Heavy showers and thunderstorms will continue to affect large parts of the UK.

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?

Solar eclipse inspires talk of Pac-man and Shinto myths

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 06:08:29 GMT

Thousands turned out to watch the solar eclipse in the South West; here's what they made of it.

You got hold of eclipse glasses just in time - here's what to do with them now

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 23:15:44 GMT

Solar specs are tricky to recycle because of their lenses, so here are three things to do instead.

'Days of the farmers' union dictating policy are over' - Muir

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 16:07:57 GMT

The Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir says he will continue to engage with the Ulster Farmers' Union.

'Incredible': SpaceX rocket spotted off Christmas Island coast

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:01:57 GMT

A SpaceX rocket that blasted off from Texas in July, and crashed into the Indian Ocean, made an unexpected appearance off Christmas Island.

Giant whales move into Greenland waters as ice disappears

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 02:05:20 GMT

Melting sea ice from climate change has opened up the region for giant whales to undertake "feeding frenzies".

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.

Muir resignation demand is 'not personal' says UFU

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:06:39 GMT

The Ulster Farmers' Union rejects a claim that it is trying to dictate policy after a cattle cull.

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.

Rare cows part of estate's rewilding project

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 06:13:27 GMT

White Park cattle arrive at the Castle Howard estate in North Yorkshire to support conservation.

How soon will the drought be over?

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:26:05 GMT

Rain has returned to parts of the UK this week but is it enough to end the drought some regions are facing?

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?

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.

Romania shuts only nuclear plant as heat causes huge drop in Danube River level

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 19:46:27 GMT

The Cernavoda plant, which produces 20% of Romania's electricity, is not expected to be restarted within the next 10 days.

Consultation ending on controversial Rosebank oil field

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:25:59 GMT

Supporters and opponents of the controversial plans have been making their cases on the £8.7bn project.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMT

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

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMT

What if the Goldilocks zone is for idiots?

How soon will the drought be over?

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:26:05 GMT

Rain has returned to parts of the UK this week but is it enough to end the drought some regions are facing?

Zoo boss calls pipeline plan on site 'unacceptable'

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 05:21:20 GMT

Proposals for a pipeline to transport carbon emissions to the coast would cut through the zoo.