https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. The summers of recent years have been hot, but not unusual from a meteorological perspective. According to researchers at Leipzig University, though, the next extreme summer would far exceed anything we have experienced so far. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-drier-soils-late-summer-prolonged.html Earth Sciences Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:20:01 EDT news706263241 Millions of people across Europe—particularly in France, Italy, Spain and Britain—baked through a new wave of extreme temperatures Thursday as the continent's latest heat wave picked up. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-millions-europeans-struggle-extreme.html Environment Thu, 13 Aug 2026 14:19:12 EDT news705849483 Hong Kong's weather observatory posted a record high temperature of 36.9°C (98°F) on Sunday as Typhoon Dolphin swept warm air over the city, the meteorological service said. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-hong-kong-weather-observatory-high.html Environment Sun, 09 Aug 2026 14:53:13 EDT news705505970 Plant biologists and engineers have extended their studies to the skies to track airborne pollen once it leaves a crop. In a new study, published in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, researchers established an accurate methodology for tracking, measuring and forecasting pollen dispersal of genetically engineered switchgrass at both ground and atmospheric levels. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-pollen-movement-tracked-ground-sky.html Ecology Mon, 03 Aug 2026 17:20:06 EDT news704988089 El Niño continues to intensify steadily and is expected to dominate global climate patterns in the August to October 2026 season, increasing the likelihood of above-normal temperatures across much of the world and driving significant shifts in rainfall patterns, according to the World Meteorological Organization. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-world-meteorological-strong-el-nio.html Earth Sciences Mon, 03 Aug 2026 16:00:05 EDT news704987041 South Korea registered its highest temperature since records began more than a century ago on Sunday, as authorities warned people to "immediately" stop all outdoor activities in affected areas. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-south-korea-highest-temperature.html Environment Mon, 03 Aug 2026 03:13:28 EDT news704945580 The UK is bouncing from one type of extreme weather to another this year. This is climate whiplash. Caused by changes in the fast-moving body of air high in the atmosphere called the jet stream, climate whiplash has become more likely with climate change. These constant shifts in extreme weather make it challenging to build resilience. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-rollercoaster-weather-extremes-drought-uk.html Environment Sat, 01 Aug 2026 06:00:01 EDT news704709405 Hungary's sole nuclear power plant will be shut down next week because of low water levels in the Danube, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said Friday as central Europe slogs through the latest in a series of heat waves. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-hungary-nuclear-heatwave-central-europe.html Environment Sat, 01 Aug 2026 02:47:14 EDT news704771208 California is once again confronting a rapidly escalating wildfire season fueled by extreme heat, drying vegetation, drought and strong winds. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-dangerous-climate-california-wildfires-australia.html Environment Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:20:07 EDT news704364662 Authorities have evacuated more than 340,000 people and suspended work and rail services as Typhoon Noul approaches southern China, with flight cancellations announced in Hong Kong. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-china-evacuates-people-typhoon-noul.html Environment Sat, 25 Jul 2026 13:50:01 EDT news704204745 In recent summers, wildfire smoke has been inescapable across Wisconsin, drifting south from Canada and leading to long stretches of poor air quality. Whether that smoke clears or lingers is often influenced in part by the atmospheric boundary layer—the lowest part of the atmosphere, where airborne particles mix and move. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-wildfire.html Earth Sciences Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:00:03 EDT news704006402 In a new study, researchers at Leipzig University have identified a major cause of the unusually severe summer soil drying and rising temperatures across Europe. They found that much of the trend can be attributed to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns—that is, shifts in the weather regimes that typically occur over Europe. These changes account for around 55% of the observed summer drought trend. Specifically, more frequent and persistent high-pressure systems have brought drier conditions and reduced rainfall. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-shifting-weather-patterns-europe-summer.html Earth Sciences Wed, 22 Jul 2026 17:00:05 EDT news703947721 A summer beach day in Oregon often involves a cool, gray blanket of fog that not only shapes the experience of beachgoers but also affects the coastal and inland environment. Now, commercially available surfing webcams are helping scientists measure Oregon's coastal fog, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-surfing-webcams-demystify-oregon-coastal.html Environment Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:40:03 EDT news703776427 Another week of blistering heat will bring even more health risks in the coming days, as overnight temperatures won't provide much relief. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-relief-cities-overnight-temperatures.html Environment Tue, 14 Jul 2026 04:05:05 EDT news703220679 Typhoon Bavi was downgraded to a severe tropical storm Sunday after making landfall in eastern China, where authorities had evacuated nearly 2 million people in its path. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-typhoon-landfall-china-downgraded-severe.html Environment Sun, 12 Jul 2026 04:10:02 EDT news703046822 What happens when weather forecasts do not match reality? How does the public emotionally respond when a disaster unfolds differently from what they expected? A research team led by Professor Jonghun Kam and Kiru Kim from the Department of Environmental Engineering at POSTECH investigated how forecast error types influenced public emotion during the landfall of Typhoon Khanun. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP), the researchers found that different types of forecast error (e.g., overestimation and underestimation) triggered distinct emotional responses among the public. The study has been published in GeoHealth. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-gap-reality-emotions-disasters.html Environment Sat, 11 Jul 2026 15:00:04 EDT news702737853 China and the southern United States were hit last year by some of their worst sand and dust storms in decades, the United Nations said Friday. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-intense-storms-struck-china.html Environment Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:20:02 EDT news702908402 Cities are often described as "heat islands," with media reports warning that some neighborhoods can be 20° F (7° C) hotter than others. But those temperatures are often based on satellite data rather than the conditions people actually experience, due to the dearth of near-surface urban observations. This data gap hinders understanding public health risks during heat waves, planning for energy demand, infrastructure resilience, and climate adaptation. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-block-ai-uncover-real-urban.html Environment Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:10:01 EDT news702746045 For 15 years, a Lufthansa Airbus A340-300 has been carrying not only passengers around the world but also a piece of research from Jülich. On July 8, 2011, the aircraft with the registration D-AIGT took off for the first time with an IAGOS measuring system on board. Since then, it has been collecting climate-relevant atmospheric data on regular scheduled flights—coordinated by Forschungszentrum Jülich. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-years-climate-lufthansa-flights.html Environment Tue, 07 Jul 2026 14:40:01 EDT news702639910 For U.S. coastal residents, storm surge is among the deadliest hurricane hazards, causing catastrophic property damage and loss of life, and scientists expect tropical storms to grow more intense. During Hurricane Ian in 2022, storm surge accounted for 41 of the 66 direct deaths. The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is now underway, and while NOAA expects below-normal activity, emergency managers caution that it only takes one storm to devastate a community. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-hurricane-response-coastal-residents.html Earth Sciences Tue, 07 Jul 2026 08:00:01 EDT news702538006 A "super typhoon" with the force of a Category 5 hurricane tore through the U.S. Pacific territories of the Northern Marianas and Guam on Monday, with authorities saying they had received reports of "major" damage on the small island of Rota. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-major-super-typhoon-islands.html Environment Mon, 06 Jul 2026 04:20:01 EDT news702529674 Howling winds and lashing rain battered Guam and the Northern Marianas late Sunday, hours before the projected arrival of a "super typhoon" with force equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane over the U.S. Pacific territories. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-dangerous-super-typhoon-nears-pacific.html Environment Sun, 05 Jul 2026 04:55:51 EDT news702446120 El Nino is here and will quickly develop into a strong event between July and September, fueling the likelihood of extreme weather, the United Nations' climate agency warned Friday. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-el-nino-strong.html Environment Sat, 04 Jul 2026 06:00:01 EDT news702266967 Europe is still taking stock of a powerful heat wave in late June, but experts are already confident it ranks among the worst ever recorded—even rivaling a freak 2003 episode. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-history-european.html Environment Sat, 04 Jul 2026 04:10:01 EDT news702355927 People in Guam and the Northern Marianas hunkered down on Saturday as the second "super typhoon" to hit the U.S. Pacific territories since April approached with the equivalent of Category 5 hurricane winds. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-super-typhoon-pacific-islands.html Environment Fri, 03 Jul 2026 07:48:10 EDT news702283660 Many parts of Australia have already broken early winter maximum and minimum temperature records. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-australia-warmest-winter.html Environment Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:20:12 EDT news702029282 In a Penn State lab, a small cylinder of soil sits wired with sensors, slowly cooling as it mimics conditions thousands of miles away. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ground-future-decoding-arctic-climate.html Earth Sciences Sat, 27 Jun 2026 06:20:01 EDT news701698728 Europe's heat wave has smashed several temperature records, the U.N.'s weather and climate agency said Friday, adding that it would determine the full impact once the phenomenon has ended. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-europe-shattering-temperature.html Environment Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:17:59 EDT news701691451 Heat is no longer a future climate risk. It is already here. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-summer-silent-killer-world-global.html Environment Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:20:01 EDT news701440299 The UK braced for a record-breaking heat wave Tuesday as hundreds of schools closed early for the next two days and train companies slashed services. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-hundreds-schools-uk-braces.html Environment Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:10:01 EDT news701440843