Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Thousands without power in Florida and Alabama as Isaias moves north

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 13:45:27 +0000

At least four deaths linked to storm amid warnings of flash flooding that could stretch into Appalachians

As what was left of Hurricane Isaias moved north on Sunday, bringing moderate to heavy rainfall across the central Appalachians and the mid-Atlantic region, nearly 396,000 customers across the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama remained without power.

‘A living hell’: how Los Angeles got taken over by mosquitoes

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 11:00:25 +0000

Heat and humidity have led to one of the worst mosquito years in recent history, with West Nile virus at a decade high

Los Angeles might be best known for blue skies, beaches and film premiers — but for the last several years it’s held another, unenviable distinction: the most mosquito-infested city in America.

‘I didn’t want to write about this’: the man who first saw chimps waging civil war

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 11:00:24 +0000

John Mitani spent years studying a huge community of chimpanzees in Uganda. But then things took a dark turn – and his findings stunned the scientific world

John Mitani can still remember the first time he set foot in Uganda’s Kibale national park. The old-growth east African rainforest enveloped him, its canopy stretching to heights of 40 metres. Fruit trees bowed under the weight of African star apples and bountiful Ficus mucuso figs. And then there were the chimpanzees. Furry black blobs darted through the jungle, their raucous calls often deafening.

‘We need less point scoring’: What party conference season taught us about UK climate action

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 06:00:18 +0000

Tories plan to scrap low-carbon housebuilding, Greens back new nuclear reactors, and Labour put oil-drilling decisions on hold

New homes could be built without solar panels, heat pumps and high-grade insulation, leading to higher household bills if the Conservative party wins the next general election.

Blooming beautiful! The Tesselaar tulip festival – in pictures

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 23:00:10 +0000

The annual month-long festival takes place at a flower farm in the Victorian town of Silvan when tulips and other springs flowers are at their most vibrant

Despair after 200-year-old ‘grandmother’ tree toppled for Trump’s border wall: ‘It crushes your heart’

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 20:57:32 +0000

Protesters spent months occupying an ancient cottonwood. Then a tense standoff with US border patrol came to a head

A 200-year-old cottonwood tree near the US-Mexico border, known as the “grandmother”, has been destroyed to make way for the construction of Donald Trump’s border wall, despite a months-long effort by protesters trying to save it.

Hurricane Isaias updates: at least four people dead and hundreds of thousands without power – as it happened

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 17:39:46 +0000

This liveblog is now closed. Read the full story here

Key things to know about Hurricane Isaias

How a South African billionaire is turning a corner of Somerset into ‘one man’s estate’

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 13:00:58 +0000

Koos Bekker’s Newt estate encompasses luxury hotels, pubs and high street business, with local concerns including flooding

When South African billionaire Koos Bekker bought an old country estate in a sleepy corner of Somerset to turn it into a luxury hotel, residents thought it was a sign their area was on the up.

Walking through his peaceful manicured gardens, which feature a maze of apple trees twisted into perfect shapes using the espalier method, it’s easy to feel that all is well in this quiet, picturesque pocket of England.

Dozens injured and buildings damaged as tornadoes hit Sicily

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 11:00:31 +0000

Marsala on island’s west coast badly affected after powerful storm approached from Mediterranean

Two tornadoes have struck the coastal town of Marsala in western Sicily, injuring dozens of people, damaging buildings including a school, and overturning cars.

A series of videos began to circulate on Friday morning showing two waterspouts approaching the Sicilian town from the sea as people braced for their arrival.

Climate crisis is coming to crush many of world’s best surf breaks, study warns

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 03:00:45 +0000

Changing tide levels, shifting sands and hardened shorelines put waves at risk, affecting more than just surfers

The climate crisis is coming for some of the world’s greatest surf breaks, submerging some as sea level rises and wiping out others as classic breaks get crushed against coastal developments.

Analysis of dozens of famous waves in world surfing reserves (WSR) found more than three-quarters were at high risk because of changing tide levels, hardened shorelines and shifting sands.