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The risk of wildfires in a changing climate
Fires can be a natural and positive part of the healthy functioning of many ecosystems. However, the pattern of large or unusual fires – known as wildfires – is changing, and there is scientific consensus that climate change is promoting the conditions on which they depend, such as the frequency and intensity of fire weather.
A precautionary approach required to avoid large-scale collapse of the Amazon forest
The Amazon is a complex dynamical system with extraordinarily diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems which are home to more than 10% of Earth’s biodiversity, as well as 40 million people.
Our changing weather patterns: a tale of abrupt transitions
Our weather is notoriously changeable – that is partly what makes it one of the nation’s talking points. But peering through the statistics a striking pattern emerges: one where the weather oscillates abruptly between different and contrasting phases lasting for a while before the next phase in the sequence begins to dominate.
A month of contrasts for January’s weather
January 2024 brought a month of contrasts to the UK weather, with three named storms, a significant spell of cold, wintry weather and finally a new UK daily maximum temperature record for January.
Solar maximum in sight – but when will it be?
Throughout autumn and winter there have been a number of sightings of the Northern Lights, or the aurora borealis, in the UK. As 2024 continues, the question for many space weather experts is when we’ll see a peak in the Sun’s activity as part of this solar cycle.
Is the UK winter going as forecast?
There has been much coverage of the weather in recent weeks with what has so far felt like an unusually stormy autumn and winter, followed by a spell of extremely cold weather with impacts from snow and ice for many, and then on Sunday (28/01/24) a new provisional maximum temperature record for the UK for January was recorded in northwest Scotland.
Why have there been so many storms in the UK this year?
Storm name number ten was given when Jocelyn was named hot on the heels of Isha in what has felt like an unusually stormy autumn and winter for the UK. But why have there been so many named storms, and are there underlying factors at play?
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