Breaking Waves: Ocean News https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-waves en California is completely drought-free for the first time in 25 years https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/california-completely-drought-free-first-time-25-years <p>Some wet years and recent winter storms have helped bring the state out of drought after years of insufficient rainfall</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/california">California</a> is completely drought-free for the first time in a quarter of a century, a significant development in a state that endured grueling years with insufficient rainfall.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/california-completely-drought-free-first-time-25-years" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Fri, 09 Jan 2026 19:15:39 +0000 admin 102344 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Princess of Wales says nature ‘helped me heal’ in 44th birthday video https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/princess-wales-says-nature-helped-me-heal-44th-birthday-video <p>Catherine says she feels deeply grateful in final instalment of Mother Nature series a year on from cancer treatment</p> <p>The power of nature has been a huge theme for the Princess of Wales in the year since <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/14/princess-of-wales-visits-london-hospital-treated-cancer-royal-marsden">her announcement that she was in remission from cancer</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/princess-wales-says-nature-helped-me-heal-44th-birthday-video" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Fri, 09 Jan 2026 13:15:06 +0000 admin 102343 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Public urged to grow unusual plants to safeguard diversity of UK blooms https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/public-urged-grow-unusual-plants-safeguard-diversity-uk-blooms <p>Plant Heritage says gardening trends mean many species in danger of disappearing as they are no longer offered for sale</p> <p>More than half of garden plants previously grown in the UK are no longer offered for sale as flower fashions and modern gardening trends have reduced the diversity of blooms.</p> <p>Plant Heritage is asking the public to choose unusual plants for their gardens, and maybe even start their own national collections of rare blooms, in order to stop some cultivated plants from dying out.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/public-urged-grow-unusual-plants-safeguard-diversity-uk-blooms" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Fri, 09 Jan 2026 13:00:38 +0000 admin 102342 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Some want to ban geoengineering research. This would be a catastrophic mistake for our planet | Craig Segall and Baroness Bryony Worthington https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/some-want-ban-geoengineering-research-would-be-catastrophic-mistake-our-planet-craig-s <p>We’ve already geoengineered the planet through the careless release of greenhouse gases. Now we need a plan to manage the risks we’ve set in motion</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/some-want-ban-geoengineering-research-would-be-catastrophic-mistake-our-planet-craig-s" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:00:01 +0000 admin 102341 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org ‘Profound impacts’: record ocean heat is intensifying climate disasters, data shows https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/profound-impacts-record-ocean-heat-intensifying-climate-disasters-data-shows <p>Oceans absorb 90% of global heating, making them a stark indicator of the relentless march of the climate crisis</p> <p>The world’s oceans absorbed colossal amounts of heat in 2025, setting yet another new record and fuelling more extreme weather, scientists have reported.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/profound-impacts-record-ocean-heat-intensifying-climate-disasters-data-shows" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:00:32 +0000 admin 102339 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Week in wildlife: rare gorilla twins, racing camels and a psychedelic spider https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/week-wildlife-rare-gorilla-twins-racing-camels-and-psychedelic-spider <p>This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world</p> <p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2026/jan/09/week-in-wildlife-rare-gorilla-twins-racing-camels-and-a-psychedelic-spider">Continue reading...</a></p> Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:00:31 +0000 admin 102340 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Why is Trump interested in Greenland? Look to the thawing Arctic ice | Gaby Hinsliff https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/why-trump-interested-greenland-look-thawing-arctic-ice-gaby-hinsliff <p>Forecasts suggest that global heating could create a shortcut from Asia to North America, and new routes for trading, shipping – and attack</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/why-trump-interested-greenland-look-thawing-arctic-ice-gaby-hinsliff" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Fri, 09 Jan 2026 06:00:31 +0000 admin 102338 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org ‘Toughest conditions imaginable’: Victorians urged to shelter inside from heatwave as tropical cyclone heads for Queensland https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/toughest-conditions-imaginable-victorians-urged-shelter-inside-heatwave-tropical-cyclo <p>Heatwave warnings in place for nearly all states and territories as Sydney braces for 43C forecast on Saturday</p> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/jan/09/australia-news-live-victoria-catastrophic-bushfire-fire-ban-heatwave-tropical-cyclone-floods-royal-commission-antisemitism-bondi-anthony-albanese-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p> </li></ul><p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/toughest-conditions-imaginable-victorians-urged-shelter-inside-heatwave-tropical-cyclo" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Thu, 08 Jan 2026 22:18:43 +0000 admin 102336 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org As a climate scientist, I know heatwaves in Australia will only get worse. We need to start preparing now | Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/climate-scientist-i-know-heatwaves-australia-will-only-get-worse-we-need-start-prepari <p>During black summer, my daughters were too young to know what was happening. Now, amid another Australian heatwave, they deserve answers</p> <p>When the forecasts for this week started to roll in, my mind immediately drifted back to Australia’s black summer.</p> <p>I had taken my daughters down to the pool in our estate in western Sydney, hoping for a brief reprieve from the relentless heat. The Gospers Mountain fire was raging in the Blue Mountains, but on that particular day the smoke didn’t seem too bad.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/climate-scientist-i-know-heatwaves-australia-will-only-get-worse-we-need-start-prepari" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Thu, 08 Jan 2026 21:34:09 +0000 admin 102337 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org ‘They are going after everything rural’: inheritance tax U-turn does little to dampen farmers’ anger at Labour https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/they-are-going-after-everything-rural-inheritance-tax-u-turn-does-little-dampen-farmer <p>At the Oxford farming conference there were signs the government has much to do to win back farmers’ trust</p> <p>Few symbols were more potent than the wooden coffin bearing the inscription “RIP British agriculture, 30th October 2024” that greeted Labour’s environment minister at the annual Oxford farming conference.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/they-are-going-after-everything-rural-inheritance-tax-u-turn-does-little-dampen-farmer" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Thu, 08 Jan 2026 18:14:32 +0000 admin 102335 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org