'Shock' of first England farmer hit by bird flu this season

Scotland is braced for a wet and windy weekend as two named storms hit in two days. Storm Austen is the first to sweep across the country, with the Met Office issuing a a yellow warning for rain , external in central and eastern areas from 06:00 on Friday until midnight. Forecasters say some places could experience 60-80mm of rain, with a risk of flooding and travel disruption.

A 35-year satellite altimetry record lets scientists hold this year's El Niño up against its strongest predecessors. But each El Niño has its own character, shaped by where in the Pacific the warmth builds and how the atmosphere responds. “The search for the ‘typical’ El Niño is very elusive,” said Josh Willis, project scientist for sea level missions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). “They’re all different in terms of where they land and how their impacts play out.”

Cambridge researchers have created a groundbreaking $10 optical sensor that delivers the precision of laboratory equipment in a device small enough for wearable technology. It identified foods, plastics, and medicines with 100% accuracy in tests and demonstrated the ability to monitor blood glucose, alcohol, and other health markers without invasive procedures.

The body in charge of Britain's electricity network has given assurances that the lights will stay on this winter after concerns were raised by some of its engineers. The National Energy System Operator (NESO) said the country's electricity system was prepared and "resilient to the challenges it may face" during the colder months. However, its winter outlook report comes after an independent investigation found engineers had "high levels of stress and concern" about their ability to ensure adequate supply due to differences between renewable and gas-fired power generation.