WMO’s 2026 heat estimate, COP31 agenda, England’s winter care plans

World weather agency puts 2026's nine-month heat 1.47°C above preindustrial

The World Meteorological Organization estimates that the first nine months of 2026 were 1.47°C warmer than the pre-industrial average. It expects the developing El Niño to raise the annual figure and continue into early 2027.

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Gaza embankment collapse kills 5 after heavy rain

A rain-triggered sand embankment collapse killed 5 people at a camp south of Deir al-Balah. Aid workers are seeking shelter supplies and better drainage as winter approaches.

UN climate conference COP31 opens in Turkey as warming overshoot looms

COP31 delegates adopted their negotiating agenda in Antalya after disputes at previous summits over what would be discussed. Finance and efforts to limit temperature overshoot are among the issues facing negotiators.

Study estimates up to 94% of assessed regions exceed 1.5°C warming

A study estimates that up to 94% of assessed regions have warmed more than 1.5°C since preindustrial times. Under a high-emissions scenario, its researchers project that global warming would reach that level in 2029.

Earth’s energy imbalance rises faster, UN weather agency says

Earth is accumulating heat at an accelerating rate, the UN weather agency says, as greenhouse gases trap energy. It expects 2026 to rank among the four warmest years on record and will publish its final annual assessment in March 2027.

Copernicus confirms October was the hottest on record

Copernicus confirmed a record-hot October, while forecasts differ on where 2026 will rank. The UN’s weather agency expects the year to be among the four warmest and El Niño to push temperatures higher into 2027.

England’s GPs plan £40 million (about $53.6 million) winter care

England’s GP practices plan a winter care program funded from existing budgets, allowing doctors to identify patients they consider most at risk and offer them extra support at home.

Conservation work uncovers Etruscan burial chambers in Italy

Emergency work at an ancient burial ground in Cerveteri uncovered previously undocumented chambers after tomb collapses prompted stabilization. Researchers will study the recovered materials, and authorities plan to display a preserved jar after restoration.

LHCb finds first single-experiment evidence of rare B⁰ decay

LHCb has found evidence that a B⁰ meson can decay into a muon and its antiparticle, using data from its upgraded detector and earlier runs. The result narrows the range of possible new-physics models, while the signal still awaits confirmation.

NASA opens $500,000 spacecraft thruster challenge

NASA has opened a competition for mid-power spacecraft thrusters, offering winning teams cash and access to testing and technology.

NASA sends two ESCAPADE spacecraft toward Mars with Earth flybys

NASA’s ESCAPADE spacecraft have left their Earth-proximity route for Mars after using gravity and engine burns to change course. The mission plans to study how the solar wind contributes to the loss of Mars’s atmosphere.