England on track for record heat-related deaths this summer, official data showsUKHSA estimates 2,877 fatalities during heatwaves in May and June, almost twice that recorded in 2025 seasonWire*·July 30, 2026
‘Grey lump with orange wings’: hummingbird hawk-moths descend on UK gardensBoom in hummingbird hawk-moth sightings put down to hot weather, strong winds and food scarcity in EuropeWire*·July 30, 2026
‘It’s irreplaceable’: Fury over Reform plans to expand quarry in ancient Kent woodlandForty hectares of Oaken Wood could be razed after it was identified as potential site of expansion by Reform-run councilWire*·July 30, 2026
Country diary: A trip down Dungeon Lane for Beatles nostalgia and coastal beauty<strong>Liverpool:</strong> Paul McCartney’s latest album has brought tourists here ,but there’s so much more to see than the signWire*·July 30, 2026
‘It makes you feel you’ve got a really dirty house’: what’s behind the UK’s plagues of flies?From Leicestershire to Carmarthenshire, neighbourhoods are struggling with wave after wave of houseflies. Why are they suffering while others are spared? And is there no alternative to nets and zappers?Wire*·July 30, 2026
TfL brings case worth up to £1bn against carmakers over Ulez complianceTransport for London claims polluting diesel vehicles had been able to enter clean air zone without having to payWire*·July 29, 2026
Shameful treatment of vulnerable families in heatwaveLetters: <strong>Fernando Quintana Marrero </strong>responds to a report about children housed in a building in London becoming sick after families were denied air conditioningWire*·July 29, 2026
The population of an endangered Australian bat suddenly dropped by up to 16%. No one knows why<strong>Exclusive:</strong> Scientists say about 5,000 fewer southern bent-wing bats have been recorded at a key maternity site for the speciesWire*·July 29, 2026
Half of England officially in ‘exceptionally serious’ droughtEnvironment Agency names seven regions affected by unusually hot and dry weather and shortage of waterWire*·July 29, 2026
Hotter summers may force RHS to move hydrangeas to north of EnglandExclusive: British garden staple becomes plant most frequently reported as suffering in heat, charity reportsWire*·July 29, 2026
Birdwatch: A song thrush connects me with the great-grandfather I never knewNo other bird speaks to us quite so directly, its serenade conjuring memories of old family talesWire*·July 29, 2026
Ships stuck in strait of Hormuz pose ‘super-spreader’ biodiversity threat, scientists warnBiologists say cargo ships stranded in Gulf may carry highly potent invasive species around the world as trade resumesWire*·July 29, 2026
Country diary: In poet John Clare’s garden, I contemplate my ancestor who lived here too <strong>Helpston, Cambridgeshire:</strong> I picture Henry as a young lad, hiding in flowerbeds, chasing butterflies, learning to love natureWire*·July 29, 2026
