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Google WeatherNext AI model has achieved a major improvement in cyclone forecasting, providing more than 24 hours of additional predictive lead time for cyclone tracks intensity and wind structure, according to research published in Nature. The model’s three day forecasts are reportedly as accurate as earlier forecasting systems were for only two days. Researchers say the improvement is roughly equivalent to a decade of progress in cyclone forecasting. WeatherNext Cyclones was tested against historical storms from 2023 and 2024 and trained using nearly 20 terabytes of atmospheric data and records of almost 5,000 historical storms. It can generate a 15 day forecast in less than a minute and produce 1,000 possible scenarios for each cyclone to capture uncertainty and rare high impact e...

  Hotter, drier and windier conditions driven by climate change could dramatically increase the area affected by wildfires across Europe, according to a study led by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Researchers estimate that under a low emissions scenario around 39% more land could burn annually by the end of the century compared with the current average. Under a high emissions scenario, the increase could reach about 192%. The study compared projected fire activity for 2070–2100 with the 2000–2030 reference period. Even with warming limited to around 1.8°C, researchers expect widespread increases in burned areas. At around 3.6°C of warming, fire activity could rise sharply, particularly around the Mediterranean and across Western and Central Europe. Bett...

  A major environmental restoration project at Minnesota’s Spirit Lake has transformed a heavily contaminated waterway into a recovering aquatic ecosystem, following decades of industrial pollution. The $186 million cleanup project began in 2020 under the Great Lakes Legacy Act, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) partnering with U.S. Steel. By 2024, the project had remediated around 1.3 million cubic yards of contaminated material and restored important aquatic habitat. Spirit Lake, part of the St. Louis River system upstream from Lake Superior, had been severely affected by pollution from the former U.S. Steel Duluth Works plant. Industrial activity left sediments contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals including lead zinc ...

  India’s battery recycling market is projected to grow from $603.9 million in 2025 to $1.32 billion by 2034, driven by the rapid adoption of electric vehicles, stricter battery waste regulations and the growing need to recover critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel. The market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 8.65% between 2026 and 2034. Lead acid batteries currently dominate India’s recycling market, accounting for 46.8% of the sector in 2025. However, lithium-ion batteries, which held a 32.4% share, are expected to witness faster growth due to rising EV sales, increasing e-waste and expanding energy storage systems. The automotive sector accounted for the largest share of battery recycling demand, followed by industrial and electro...

  Scientists used radioactive carbon-14 released during Cold War nuclear tests to determine whether the adult human heart can produce new muscle cells. Above ground nuclear tests conducted between 1955 and 1963 nearly doubled the amount of carbon-14 in the atmosphere. The isotope entered the food chain and eventually became incorporated into human DNA, creating a unique timestamp that researchers could use to estimate when cells were formed. For decades, scientists believed that heart muscle cells, known as cardiomyocytes, were created early in life and remained largely unchanged throughout adulthood. However, researchers later analysed carbon-14 levels in the DNA of heart cells and found evidence that adult hearts can generate new cardiomyocytes. A 2009 study estimated...

  São Paulo: Scientists have found that using small amounts of caustic soda can significantly improve biogas production from banana waste, offering a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to convert agricultural waste into renewable energy. The study, conducted by researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP), examined banana peels and other parts of the fruit unsuitable for sale. These wastes contain high amounts of organic material, but their energy potential is difficult to access because plant compounds such as cellulose and lignin restrict microorganisms from reaching fermentable sugars. Researchers used a thermo-alkaline pretreatment method, heating the banana waste with different concentrations of sodium hydroxide, commonly known as caustic soda. The...

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to expedite the recovery of ₹10 lakh in compensation related to environmental non-compliance at the Kondli sewage treatment plants (STPs) in East Delhi. In an order passed on 14 August and released on 18 August 2026 the NGT also directed authorities to continue monitoring the functioning of the Kondli STPs to ensure compliance with environmental standards and prevent foul odour or untreated wastewater from affecting nearby residential areas. The case originated from a 2023 application filed by Nature Foundation India, which alleged that the STPs in Kondli and Mayur Vihar had failed to comply with environmental norms and were releasing foul smelling and potentially harmful emissions. The Kon...

Singapore effort to expand renewable energy into the sea has encountered an unexpected challenge marine organisms such as barnacles, algae and sea squirts attaching themselves to floating solar infrastructure. The Woodlands Sea Based Floating Photovoltaic System, located in the Strait of Johor, consists of more than 13,000 solar panels spread across about 12 acres of water. The project was developed to overcome Singapore’s limited availability of land for large scale solar farms. The five megawatt floating solar facility uses more than 30,000 pontoons and generates around six million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. According to the Singapore Economic Development Board, the installation can help avoid more than 4,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year. Engineers initially...

  Parts of northern Scandinavia are continuing to rise nearly 1 centimetre every year thousands of years after the enormous glaciers of the last Ice Age disappeared gradually transforming coastlines around the Gulf of Bothnia. The phenomenon known as glacial isostatic adjustment, occurs because Earth crust is still recovering from the immense weight of the Scandinavian ice sheet that once covered the region. At its maximum around 20,000 years ago the ice sheet was up to about 3 kilometres thick in some areas and pushed the land downward. Although the glaciers disappeared roughly 10,000 years ago the crust continues to rebound as the pressure beneath it readjusts. The uplift is strongest around the Gulf of Bothnia particularly near northern Sweden. According to the NKG2016L...

  The ocean, rather than rainforests alone, plays a major role in producing the oxygen generated on Earth each year, with microscopic phytoplankton responsible for roughly half of global photosynthetic oxygen production. Phytoplankton, including tiny algae and photosynthetic bacteria, live in the sunlit upper layers of oceans. Despite being mostly invisible to the naked eye, these organisms use sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce organic matter and release oxygen through photosynthesis. Scientists estimate that marine and land ecosystems contribute broadly similar amounts to Earth’s total annual oxygen production, although the exact share varies depending on observations, time periods and scientific models. Researchers caution that this does not mean the ocean adds half...