UK's national polar science institution, studying climate, polar ecosystems and Antarctic presence
Forecasters have confirmed a very strong El Niño that has pushed Pacific sea-surface temperatures well beyond historical thresholds and is already altering global weather. The Met Office says the event is unprecedented in modern records; governments in Central and South America have declared alerts as droughts and extreme heat are damaging crops and water supplies now and into 2027.
An ice and rock mass collapsed on Langtang Lirung, sending floods downstream and triggering a wider crisis. Death tolls rise, tens of thousands affected, while scientists link warming Himalaya conditions to increased risk.
A long-forgotten tail vertebra from James Ross Island has been confirmed as belonging to a Titanosaur, dating from about 82 million years ago. The bone had been stored in a BAS drawer since 1985 and is the first dinosaur fossil identified on Antarctica. Scientists say the find reshapes understanding of the continent’s prehistoric ecosystems and suggests a forested, hospitable Antarctica.
A massive glacier detachment has generated a 5.2-magnitude quake-equivalent event, unleashing an ice-rock avalanche that caused a deadly flood along the Lhende Khola and Bhotekoshi rivers. Death toll and missing persons rise as rescue efforts continue amid heat-driven glacial melt.