A new study reveals a surprising consequence of climate change: Cities may experience less rainfall overall yet face more severe extreme floods, due to shorter, more intense rainstorms. The research finds that 26% of the world’s urban areas, currently home to approximately 1.5 billion people, are projected to experience declining precipitation alongside intensifying extreme rainfall by the end of the century. Using advanced climate and hydrological simulations focused on central Israel, the researchers show that weak runoff events become weaker while extreme ones become stronger, and that urbanization amplifies this effect, highlighting the need to adapt urban planning and drainage infrastructure to these changing rainfall patterns.

New research documents otter recolonisation in northwest Himalaya while highlighting pressing conservation barriers for this near‑threatened semi‑aquatic mammal.

Every commute, delivery, and business trip burns fuel—and much of the carbon released into the atmosphere is a byproduct of exactly that movement. Reporting in The Innovation, researchers turn large-scale mobility data into a near-real-time carbon meter. Daily intercity mobility networks, built from mobile-phone signaling data covering 318 million users in China, tracked national CO2 emissions in lockstep (r = 0.89) through the COVID-19 lockdown upheaval of early 2020. Combined with population and location data, machine-learning models predicted city-level emissions across 366 cities with R2 up to 1.00, and generalized to Italy, the US, and Mexico with R2 of 0.91–0.99 across two independent emission inventories. Mobility networks also reveal functional city clusters—regions defined by real movement rather than administrative borders—offering new units for coordinated climate governance.

Hyalomma ticks have attracted increasing scientific attention because of their role in transmitting Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) and their expanding geographical range in Europe, potentially linked to climate change. To monitor their occurrence in Hungary, researchers launched a nationwide citizen science programme in 2021, inviting members of the public to report unusual ticks found on people, pets and livestock. Over the five-year monitoring period, public participation led to the identification of 29 Hyalomma ticks across Hungary. Reports could be submitted through a dedicated website and, since April 2025, via the free PragmaTick mobile application, available in 22 languages. The programme received 1,014 submissions, recorded more than 107,000 website visits, and the application was downloaded 2,500 times. Eighteen of the identified ticks were submitted to the laboratory, where five were confirmed as Hyalomma marginatum and thirteen as Hyalomma rufipes. Notably, five specimens were found at the same buffalo farm over two consecutive years, pointing to a possible local concentration of these ticks. However, further monitoring is needed to determine whether either species has become established in Hungary. All 18 laboratory-examined specimens tested negative for CCHFV. Genetic analyses provided further insights into the diversity and geographical relationships of the two species. Overall, the findings highlight the value of citizen science in detecting and monitoring potentially important disease vectors. By combining public participation, accessible reporting tools and laboratory investigations, the programme offers an effective approach to early detection and ongoing surveillance of emerging vector-related risks.

A climate chamber, virtual environments and technology that monitors the body and brain. Using these resources, researchers at Umeå University will identify ways to protect older adults’ mental well-being during heatwaves at home in northern Sweden.