In today’s newsletter: Flooding is predicted to become so bad that some towns may need to be abandoned, and it’s not even campaigners raising the alarm – but insurers
Good morning. For years, whenever I read about parts of Britain being wrecked by flooding, it always felt like something distant – because until your house is flooded, it’s hard to imagine it happening, isn’t it? Not any more.
According to a Guardian investigation, millions more homes across England, Scotland and Wales are at risk of devastating floods. In England alone, the number of properties exposed to flooding is expected to rise by more than a quarter, from 6.3m to 8m. The story gets worse for those in high-risk areas for flash flooding – which is harder to predict and protect against – where the frequency could surge by up to 66% by 2050. The picture is so bleak that, startlingly, some towns may one day have to be abandoned altogether.
Israel-Gaza war | The fragile ceasefire in Gaza faced its first test on Tuesday when Israel said the flow of aid into the devastated Palestinian territory would be cut by half and the crucial Rafah border crossing with Egypt would not open as planned, blaming Hamas for delays in the return of bodies of hostages.
UK child abuse inquiry | Keir Starmer’s national grooming gangs inquiry has stalled amid wrangles over its remit and difficulties in finding a senior legal figure willing to become its chair, the Guardian has been told.
Economics | The global economy has shown “unexpected resilience” to Donald Trump’s tariffs, but the full impact is yet to be felt, the IMF has warned. The forecast for economic growth in the UK has also been modestly increased, from 1.2% to 1.3% this year – though slightly downgraded next year, also to 1.3%.
Madagascar | Andry Rajoelina, the president of Madagascar, has said he fled the country in fear for his life after a military rebellion but did not announce his resignation in a speech broadcast on social media. They were Rajoelina’s first public comments since the a military unit called Capsat turned against his government in an apparent coup.
Music | D’Angelo, the Grammy-winning R&B singer who helped pioneer the sound of neo-soul, has died after a struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was 51.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
10/15/2025 - 00:22
10/15/2025 - 00:00
Botanist trying to conserve highly vulnerable rhizanthella that survives by feeding on nutrients from a fungus
Rhizanthella is an extraordinary orchid that lives its entire life underground. It flowers below ground, has no leaves and survives by feeding on nutrients from a fungus that gets its food from the soil and by connecting with roots of the broom bush, Melaleuca uncinata.
Rhizanthella was an international sensation when it was first discovered by a farmer ploughing a field in Western Australia in 1928. It still remains incredibly difficult to find, usually by searching areas with the right habitat and carefully scraping away soil searching for the blooms buried underneath – tiny reddish flowers wrapped in creamy-pink bracts. The blooms also have a heady scent of vanilla, and may be pollinated by termites or tiny flies.
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10/15/2025 - 00:00
Allegations related to flood control projects have sparked widespread anger and protests in the Philippines
Philippine health worker Christina Padora waded through July’s waist-high flood water to check on vaccines and vital medications stored in the village clinic, something she had regularly done during previous typhoons.
But this time she didn’t make it. Taking hold of a metal pole that she failed to see was connected to a live wire, the 49-year-old was fatally electrocuted in the water.
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10/14/2025 - 23:00
Climate advisers warn that current plans to protect against extreme weather are inadequate
Britain must prepare for global heating far in excess of the level scientists have pegged as the limit of safety, the government’s climate advisers have warned, as current plans to protect against extreme weather are inadequate.
Heatwaves will occur in at least four of every five years in England by 2050, and time spent in drought will double. The number of days of peak wildfire conditions in July will nearly treble for the UK, while floods will increase in frequency throughout the year, with some peak river flows increasing by 40%.
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10/14/2025 - 13:11
Governor says bill would cause sudden product shift, sparking debate among chefs, lawmakers and environmentalists
Gavin Newsom vetoed a California bill that was set to ban the sale of cookware and other consumer goods manufactured with Pfas, also known as “forever chemicals”, human-made compounds linked to a range of health issues.
The governor’s decision on Monday followed months of debate and advocacy, including from high-profile celebrity chefs such as Thomas Keller and Rachael Ray, who argued that nonstick cookware made with Pfas, when manufactured responsibly, can be safe and effective and urged lawmakers to vote against the proposal.
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10/14/2025 - 12:58
The bleak future faced by one small town offers a cautionary tale about the threat from global heating
The bleak prospect facing the market town of Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire, due to rising flood risks, is first and foremost a problem for locals. After seven floods in four years, and with plans for new flood defences around the town abandoned after costs rose to £30m, the town council announced this month that three buildings it owns, including a theatre and historic pump rooms, no longer have insurance. Independent retailers are in a similar situation, and some are packing up as a result. The number of empty properties is growing.
Tenbury is at higher risk than most places from floods, due to its low-lying position between the River Teme and Kyre Brook. But the threat it faces is not unique, and will become more common in future. Last year UK insurers paid out a record £585m for weather-related damage to homes and possessions, after unusually severe storms led to floods in several counties, with buildings left under water in towns including Henley, Wellingborough and Tewkesbury.
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10/14/2025 - 10:25
Tillbridge solar farm will be built in county where Reform UK’s anti-renewables agenda has rising support
Ed Miliband has approved the UK’s biggest solar farm, which will be built in a county where Reform UK’s anti-renewables agenda has won rising support.
The energy secretary on Tuesday gave the go-ahead for the Tillbridge solar farm to be developed near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire. Once built, it will generate enough electricity to power 300,000 UK homes.
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10/14/2025 - 08:01
One expert says a cyclist hit by a car travelling 50km/h has about a one-in-10 chance of surviving, while at 30km/h it is a nine-in-10 chance
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Reducing residential speed limits from 50km/h to 30 km/h would protect cyclists from danger and make riding less stressful while not causing traffic delays for cars, according to new research.
Researchers from RMIT University rated traffic stress levels for every road in greater Melbourne and modelled the effect of lower speed limits on bicycle and car travel.
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10/14/2025 - 07:00
For decades, the military treated the climate crisis as a threat. Now it’s backing away from plans to protect people and bases from extreme weather
This story is from Floodlight, a non-profit newsroom that investigates the powers stalling climate action.
Retired Marine Corps gunnery sergeant Vida Rivera knows heat can be as dangerous as any enemy.
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10/14/2025 - 01:42
Changes intended to reduce ‘burdensome bureaucracy’ and make it easier to build windfarms, reservoirs and housing
Ministers are making it easier to build windfarms, reservoirs and large housing developments as part of a series of changes to the government’s planning and infrastructure bill designed to bolster the confidence of developers.
The changes, which were first revealed by the Guardian, will be confirmed on Tuesday by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, as part of a pre-budget push to underline the government’s commitment to economic growth.
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