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Hundreds of firefighters battle blazes as strong winds drive fires towards Bordeaux and smoke prompts health warnings in Madrid
Unrestrained wildfires in Spain and France have forced more than 250,000 people to flee, authorities from both countries have said, as they struggle to contain the blazes.
About 70,000 people were evacuated from central Spain, while 197,000 people fled in France, including tens of thousands from the wine region city of Bordeaux.
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Major incident declared over blaze that has intensified amid strengthening winds
A major incident has been declared over a wildfire that has been raging in the Cairngorms national park for more than a week, police have said, with a whole village having been evacuated.
Officers from Police Scotland said there had been a significant change in weather conditions, with strengthening winds making a fire that has been burning out of control for 11 days yet more difficult to contain.
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Campaigners urge government to introduce right of access to water, particularly as heatwaves become more common
Almost three-quarters of riverbanks in England have no public access, according to data released by the Right to Roam campaign.
Across the country, the public cannot use riverbanks or gain access to the rivers themselves in most of the river catchments from the west of Cornwall up to the Tweed, which flows through northern England and Scotland.
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Warning in place until Sunday morning in southern and central regions after drought declared in parts of Wales
Heat alerts are in place across parts of England, with possible highs of 30C (86F) and officials saying temperatures are likely to have an impact on health and wellbeing.
The yellow heat health alerts issued for the East Midlands, east of England, London, south-east, south-west and West Midlands are in place until 9am on Sunday.
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Exclusive: Eight companies expect to be covered by the ban for 2025-26, the Guardian can reveal
Water company bosses’ total pay rose over the past year despite a government bonus ban and public outrage over pollution and bills, the Guardian can reveal.
One chief executive, Mark Thurston of Anglian Water, received £1.9m – including a £500,000 “retention payment”, despite the bonus ban.
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North Devon: The cool water was full of them – and we found out later that one of them, the compass jellyfish, should be avoided
On a scorching hot day, my friend and I went surfing at my local beach. We partnered up to carry the boards down to the water – mine coral-coloured, his blue – and we clambered across the dunes, with the sand burning the soles of our feet. As we jumped into the cool water, we realised we were not alone. At first, we saw one or two, but by the point we were knee-deep, we realised we were surrounded. Jellyfish of all shapes and sizes were floating around us, purple-y ones, brown ones.
We later learned that the beautiful moon jellyfish is recognisable by its dome shape and the fact it’s completely translucent apart from purple circles across the centre. These are harmless and are commonly washed up on UK beaches.
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Black-crowned night heron one of many species thriving at Holnicote Estate where river ‘reset’ has transformed area into lush oasis
A rare black-crowned night heronhas been spotted on an estate in the south-west of England where an innovative river “reset” is transforming the area into an oasis for birdlife.
The heron was caught on camera in a jungly corner of the Holnicote Estate, where conservation experts have been restoring the landscape by allowing a river to return to its natural course.
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Fish being moved to oxygenated flowing water further downstream as water levels drop across country
Along the Odet River in Brittany, fisher Mathieu Le Bouter and a dozen volunteers are catching hundreds of trout and young salmon – not for sport but to save them.
They are only a few miles from the source of the river, which springs from the Black Mountains in Finistère and runs for about 40 miles (65km) into the Atlantic Ocean, but the water is barely up to their knees.
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Officials have long lobbied for peak that rises 2,918 metres above sea level to be given coveted designation
More than four decades have elapsed since Evangelos Geroliolios made his first ascent to the home of the ancient gods. At the top of Mount Olympus, on the rocky peak of Greece’s highest mountain, he felt unalloyed awe.
“I’ve never forgotten that unique moment, that unique feeling up there on the throne of Zeus,” recalled Geroliolios, who as mayor of Dion-Olympus now spends a great deal of his time administering the area around the site.
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As temperatures dip, the puffer’s appeal inflates. But quality and filler are factors to consider before buying new
Change by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprint
Got a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at [email protected]
Whether you call it a parka, puffer or Tassie tuxedo, the insulated jacket has become a cold-weather closet staple.
A 1920s version by Australian mountaineer George Finch was constructed from hot air balloon fabric and eiderdown, but most modern designs are a mix of petroleum-based synthetics as well as animal and plant fibres, with varying environmental and ethical impacts.
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