Help solve the two-hundred year gap in British weather records
Scientists are appealing to the public to help save historical rainfall records, so that climate scientists can better understand the causes of wet and dry weather. By recording this information about rain online, we can help unlock answers to questions about our weather and changing climate.
The Rainfall Rescue project aims to fill in the gaps in our historical rainfall observation network. Scientists estimate there are nearly four million hand-written rainfall records, logged since 1820, that have been scanned - but never digitised.
Early signs suggest coronavirus outbreak will impact UK air quality
Scientists have seen significant reductions in air pollution levels around the world, as the coronavirus outbreak impacts travel and work.
At the start of March, NASA revealed that levels of pollution in China had fallen significantly. While Italy, the country with the highest number of coronavirus cases, has also experienced a reduction in air pollution.
Early signs suggest that the UK may follow a similar pattern, with air pollution falling across major cities.
Why are Atlantic sea temperatures changing, and what does it mean for Britain?
Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis wreaked havoc across Britain this year, causing damage to thousands of homes and businesses, extensive travel disruptions, and several deaths. In some places, over a month’s worth of rain fell in twenty-four hours.
These hazardous weather systems are known as mid-latitude storms. They are swept in from the Atlantic, where cold polar air from the north meets warmer air from the south at roughly the same latitudes as Britain. Far from the shores of Britain, the Atlantic climate holds the answers for important questions about our weather, including how severe and how frequently future storms will hit.
Scientists search for new source of air pollutants by taking flight during Cape Verde dust season
Scientists have been flying over the Atlantic Ocean to investigate how desert dust and man-made pollution are interacting in remote marine environments, which could have knock-on consequences for the air quality in our towns and cities.
Researchers from the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the University of York are interested in a new source of nitrogen oxides pollutants, also known as ‘NOx’, which can cause lung disease and respiratory infection.
These chemicals are produced by a wide range of activities around the world, from traffic to agriculture. But scientists didn’t expect to see nitrogen pollutants at offshore locations so far away from the continent.