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Thermometer displaying a high temperature in degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit with a radiant sun on a background of blue sky. Concepts of summer, hot weather, excessive temperatures and heat waves

This year ‘virtually certain’ to exceed 1.5°C, Copernicus warns

ByVictoria HeathNov 10, 2026
October 2026 was the warmest October on record globally, with average global surface air temperature 1.75°C above pre-industrial levels
Planet Earth, view from space. Our planet with world ocean and clouds on a starry sky. Earth Observation. England, France, La Manche or English Channel and sun glint. Elements of furnished by NASA.

A hole in Earth’s ozone layer is officially the largest recorded in a decade

ByVictoria HeathNov 10, 2026

Average extent of the hole covered an area more than twice the size of the US, but long-term recovery is…

Two team members looking across Komarnica Canyon

How RGS grants are supporting a new generation of women explorers

Five women supported by RGS grants reveal the experiences, ambitions and personal connections that have shaped their journeys into exploration
Attendees gather at the RGS Explore Weekend in 2024

RGS Explore celebrates 50 years of expeditions

For five decades, the RGS Explore Weekend has helped turn ambitious ideas into viable expeditions. Diana Maclean traces the event's evolution and asks what exploration is for today
The UN General Assembly

The troubled state of conflict resolution

As global conflicts multiply and international institutions weaken, renewed diplomacy, mediation and cooperation offer a vital path towards lasting peace
Rainwater flooded the streets and tents of displaced Palestinians, who are suffering from the bitter cold and torrential rain in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip ,on Nov 25, 2025 .Rainwater flooded the streets and tents of displaced Palestinians, who are suffering from the bitter cold and torrential rain in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip ,on Nov 25, 2025 .

Nearly 90 million displaced people face severe climate risks, UN report finds

ByVictoria HeathNov 6, 2026

By mid-2026, three in four forcibly displaced people worldwide were living in countries facing high to extreme exposure to climate-related…

Antarctica iceberg

CCAMLR fails to establish a new marine protected area in Antarctica for the tenth consecutive year

ByVictoria HeathNov 5, 2026
Despite strong leadership from many members, the conservation body has failed to agree on protections for the western Antarctic Peninsula
A family from Samre, in south-western Tigray, walked for two days to reach a camp for displaced people in Mekelle (file photo).

Conflict in northern Ethiopia pushing health systems to brink, WHO chief warns

ByVictoria HeathNov 5, 2026

Fighting between Ethiopian government forces and rebel groups has renewed, almost four years after a peace deal The head of…

Somalia on map

Ugandan troops to withdraw from Somalia by end of 2027

ByVictoria HeathNov 5, 2026
Ugandan military have not confirmed why troops are leaving immediately, but some cite funding shortages as possible reason
Powerful ocean wave breaking along the coast of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Dramatic seascape showing raw energy of the Pacific Ocean.

Australia approves seabed site for Japanese carbon capture project

ByVictoria HeathNov 5, 2026
Environmental groups remain concerned over the project which overlaps with habitats used by many species from turtles to seabirds
Mount Timpanogos in Utah with mountain meadows in the foreground

Research roundup: pollinators, plastic waste and permafrost

ByBryony CottamNov 4, 2026
From a mountain of ice to new ways of recycling plastic, we round up some of the latest geographical research
Met Office warning on computer

New Met Office supercomputing service can process more than 50 billion weather observations each day

ByVictoria HeathNov 4, 2026
The programme is set to deliver £11.3billion in socioeconomic benefits to the UK and will transform the UK's national weather and climate capabilities
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