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• Journal article
  Moss B, Liang C, Carpenter A, Verga LG, Scott S, Jones RJR, Manthiram K, Walsh A, Rao RR, Stephens IEL, Durrant JRet al., 2026,

  Publisher Correction: Operando ultraviolet–visible optical spectroelectrochemistry of surfaces (Nature Reviews Methods Primers, (2025), 5, 1, (73), 10.1038/s43586-025-00445-4)

  , Nature Reviews Methods Primers, Vol: 6

  Correction to: Nature Reviews Methods Primershttps://doi.org/10.1038/s43586-025-00445-4, published online 20 November 2025. In the version of the article initially published, Reshma R. Rao and Ifan E. L. Stephens were incorrectly listed with affiliation 1 when it should have been affiliation 2 (Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London, UK). In the “Collimation, colour balancing and light guides” section, the equation N=fD should have read N≈Df. In Fig. 1a, the label “σα(λ)” should have read “∆α(λ)”. In Fig. 5c, the colours in the key were switched and should have been a green dot for “PD — IRM” and the blue line should have been “J<inf>cat</inf>”. In Fig. 6a, the bottom label “Redox transition 3” should have been “Redox transition 1”. These corrections have been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.

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• Journal article
  Jahn S, Gaythorpe KAM, Dorigatti I, Winskill P, Hinsley W, Wainwright CM, Toumi R, Ferguson NMet al., 2026,

  Quasi-global, land-only, high-resolution and spatially averaged climate variables from downscaled CMIP6 models for climate impact research

  , Scientific Data

  <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Global climate models (GCMs) are essential tools for understanding the climate system and projecting its evolution under different scenarios. However, differences in model construction introduce uncertainties, and GCMs have coarse resolution and inherent biases, limiting their effectiveness for informing local or regional adaptation and mitigation planning. We apply the statistical Double Bias-Corrected Constructed Analogues (DBCCA) method to generate bias-corrected and downscaled climate model outputs at daily and 0.1° spatial resolution for 1985–2100, with a specific focus on supporting tropical health-related impact research. Our quasi-global, high-resolution outputs are based on six GCMs from Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) under two emission scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5), covering 12 land-only domains between 60 °N and 60 °S. Moreover, many impact researchers rely on accessible data aggregated to administrative units, often weighted by population, rather than gridded data, as these align more directly with policy- and decision-making. Based on our bias-corrected and downscaled model outputs, we also provide user-ready (population-weighted) spatially aggregated climate variables at administrative unit levels (0-2) for 110 countries prioritized for tropical disease research.</jats:p>

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• Report
  Clarke B, Keeping T, Gilford D, Dahl K, Cerezo-Mota R, Barnes C, Pinto I, Rodríguez KI, Yang W, Otto Fet al., 2026,

  Effect of climate change at least as large as El Niño in strengthening Hurricane Polo

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• Journal article
  Barnes C, Masselot P, Xi D, Clarke B, Rayner A, Chen X, Wang R, Raju E, Theokritoff E, Mistry M, Gasparrini A, Otto F, Vicedo-Cabrera AM, Konstantinoudis Get al., 2026,

  Heat-related urban mortality attributable to human-induced climate change in Europe from 2000 to 2025

  , Nature Health

  <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Anthropogenic climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat, with major implications for population health. Although previous studies have attributed heat-related mortality to climate change during individual events, the longer-term contribution of human-induced warming to urban mortality burdens across Europe remains poorly quantified. Here, we combine probabilistic climate attribution with city- and age-specific temperature–mortality relationships to estimate heat-related mortality in 854 European cities during the summers of 2000–2025 under factual and counterfactual climate conditions. We estimate 430,365 heat-related deaths over the study period, with just over half of the modelled burden attributable to human-induced warming. The proportion of estimated heat deaths attributable to human-induced climate change shows a marked rise over time, increasing from 39% in 2000 to 68% in 2025. Although summer 2003 remains the second deadliest summer in absolute terms, summers with similarly large expected mortality burdens have become more frequent in recent years. These findings show that anthropogenic climate change has already greatly increased expected heat-related mortality across European cities, underscoring the need for both rapid emissions reductions and targeted local adaptation.</jats:p>

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• Journal article
  Goerlitzer ESA, Wu Z, Crookes A, Hu S, Arul R, Sibug-Torres SM, de Nijs B, Rao RR, Ryan MP, Demetriadou A, Baumberg JJet al., 2026,

  Optically TrackedReversible Single-Atomic-MonolayerRedox in Plasmonic Nanocavities

  , Nano Letters, Vol: 26, Pages: 13272-13278, ISSN: 1530-6984

  <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Controlling redox reactions at the atomic scale is key to enabling next-generation low-power memristive and neuromorphic devices. Ultrathin metallic layers, such as atomic monolayer palladium (Pd), offer tunable redox behavior well suited for switchable components in nanoscale electronics. Here, we present an in situ plasmonic-electrochemical platform that probes redox processes within subnanometer gaps using a nanoparticle-on-mirror (NPoM) geometry. Atomically thin Pd layers are grown by underpotential deposition, and their redox is monitored via surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, revealing reversible transformations between metallic and dielectric Pd redox states. This confined plasmonic cavity enhances sensitivity to vibrational and electronic changes, allowing nondestructive optical readout of redox switching behaviors. By reducing the active switching volume to the monolayer limit while maintaining precise geometric control, this work establishes a powerful platform for probing redox dynamics at the atomic scale and points toward highly energy-efficient nanoswitches based on redox-active ultrathin materials.</jats:p>

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• Journal article
  Chen X, Blangiardo M, Gascoigne C, Konstantinoudis Get al., 2026,

  Modelling the spatially varying nonlinear effects of heat exposure

  , Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A Statistics in Society, Vol: 189, Pages: 2386-2401, ISSN: 0964-1998

  Exposure to high ambient temperatures is a significant driver of preventable mortality, with nonlinear health effects and elevated risks in specific regions. To capture this complexity and account for spatial dependencies across small areas, we propose a Bayesian framework that integrates nonlinear functions with the Besag, York, and Mollie model. Applying this framework to all-cause mortality data in Switzerland, we quantified spatial inequalities in heat-related mortality. We retrieved daily all-cause mortality at small areas (2,145 municipalities) for people older than 65 years from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health and daily mean temperature at (Formula presented) grid from the Swiss Federal Office of Meteorology. By fully propagating uncertainties, we derived key epidemiological metrics, including heat-related excess mortality and minimum mortality temperature (MMT). Heat-related excess mortality rates were higher in northern Switzerland, while lower MMTs were observed in mountainous regions. Further, we explored the role of the proportion of individuals older than 85 years, green space, average temperature, deprivation, urbanicity, air pollution, and language regions in explaining these discrepancies. We found that spatial disparities in heat-related excess mortality were primarily driven by population age distribution, green space, and vulnerabilities associated with elevated temperature exposure.

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• Journal article
  Konstantinoudis G, Vineis P, de Donato F, Chen X, Xi D, Gascoigne C, Sodano Bet al., 2026,

  Socioeconomic and geographical disparities in heat-related mortality in Italy: a nationwide small-area study

  , The Lancet Regional Health. Europe, ISSN: 2666-7762

  BackgroundSpatial variation in heat-related mortality remains poorly understood, particularly at fine geographical scales. We conducted a nationwide small-area study to examine the association between spatial variation in heat-related mortality and environmental, demographic, health, and socio-economic factors.MethodsWe obtained daily all-cause mortality data for people aged ≥65 years during the summers of 2011–2023 and linked them with municipality-level daily mean temperature estimates from the ERA5-Land reanalysis dataset. We applied a two-stage Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate small-area heat-related mortality and assess the contribution of community characteristics to spatial variability.FindingsHeat-related mortality showed marked geographical differences, with the highest rates in southern and southeastern Italy. Across municipalities, the relative risk at the 90th temperature percentile, relative to the minimum mortality temperature, ranged from 1.06 to 1.33. The heat-attributable fraction exceeded 6% in several southern municipalities, while excess mortality surpassed 80 deaths per 10,000 inhabitants in parts of the Po Valley, Tuscany, Apulia, and Sicily. National heat-attributable mortality peaked in 2022, with an estimated 17,828 deaths (95% credible intervals: 17,339, 18,285) among older adults. Municipalities with higher average temperatures, less green space, higher obesity prevalence, and more residents aged ≥ 85 years had higher heat-related mortality. Educational attainment and employment were among the strongest modifiers of spatial variation.InterpretationOur findings highlight substantial small-area differences in heat-related mortality across Italy and identify socio-economic deprivation as a key determinant of vulnerability. Heat is likely to disproportionately affect disadvantaged communities, reinforcing the need for adaptation strategies addressing social inequality.FundingImperial College Research Fellowship; Italian Mini

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• Journal article
  Sodano B, Gascoigne C, Xi D, Chen X, de Donato F, Vineis P, Konstantinoudis Get al., 2026,

  Socioeconomic and geographical disparities in heat-related mortality in Italy: a nationwide small-area study

  , The Lancet Regional Health - Europe, Pages: 101885-101885, ISSN: 2666-7762
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• Journal article
  Bouckley ER, Lewin SF, Lefauve A, 2026,

  Early onset of secondary shear instability in Kelvin–Helmholtz braids at high Reynolds number

  , Journal of Fluid Mechanics, Vol: 1043, ISSN: 0022-1120

  <jats:p> We study the onset of two-dimensional secondary shear instability (SSI) in the braid regions connecting primary Kelvin–Helmholtz billows in stratified shear flows. While strain induced by the billows stabilises the braids, it also compresses their tilted isopycnals, enhancing baroclinic shear that enables rapid perturbation growth. By modifying the classical analysis of Corcos &amp; Sherman (1976 <jats:italic>J. Fluid Mech.</jats:italic> 73, 241–264) in braid-aligned coordinates and adding an instability criterion based on the ratio of strain rate to shear, we develop an inviscid, time-dependent model for the braid evolution and the onset of SSI. We show that the criterion for instability can be achieved significantly earlier than the saturation of the primary billow at sufficiently high initial Richardson number <jats:inline-formula> <jats:alternatives> <jats:inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" mime-subtype="png" content-type="simple" xlink:href="S0022112026120126_inline1.png"> <jats:alt-text content-type="machine-generated">italic Ri</jats:alt-text> </jats:inline-graphic> <mml:math xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:mnf="http://cambridge.org/core/manifest" xmlns:cup="http://contentservices.cambridge.org" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:m="http://cambridge.org/core/metadata" xmlns:core="http://cambridge.org/core" xmlns:c="http://cambridge.org/core/content"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mtext mathvariant="italic" class="MJX-tex-mathit">Ri</mml:

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• Report
  Clarke B, Zachariah M, Davies B, Hock R, Immerzeel W, Jha R, Robinson TR, Keeping T, Barnes C, Otto F, Pandey S, Vahlberg M, Uprety M, Singh R, Arrighi J, Lord A, Ganguly S, Dhakal M, Rodriguez L, Saeed F, Ullah A, Pokhrel A, Baumgart N, Raju Eet al., 2026,

  Rapid warming in the himalaya exacerbates geohazard cascades beyond adaptation limits

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• Journal article
  Bao M, Zhan S, Zhou W, Gao Y, Yao Y, Jiang M, Cao XE, Gao W, Gong X, He Yet al., 2026,

  Breaking the Activity-Stability Trade-Off in Dry Reforming of Methane via Heteroenergetic Support Engineering

  , Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Vol: n/a, ISSN: 1433-7851

  ABSTRACT Nickel-based catalysts are promising for dry reforming of methane (DRM) owing to their high C─H bond activation ability and low cost, while highly susceptible to coke deposition and sintering. Here, we report a heteroenergetic Ce0.75Ti0.25O2-x support that simultaneously regulates Ni nanoparticle stabilization, DRM activity, and oxygen-mediated carbon removal. Neural-network-based molecular dynamics (NN-MD) simulations and electron microscopy show that partial Ti substitution in CeO2 transforms the strong Ni-CeO2 interaction and weak Ni-TiO2 interaction into an intermediate wetting regime with a Ni-support contact angle close to 90°, suppressing both particle migration/coalescence- and Ostwald ripening-induced sintering while preserving a coupled population of active interfacial and metallic Ni sites. Characterizations and Bader charge analysis further reveal that Ce0.75Ti0.25O2-x moderates Ni-support electronic coupling and improves oxygen vacancy concentration and lattice oxygen mobility. These coupled structural and chemical effects facilitate methane activation and transient carbon removal through synergistic Mars-van Krevelen and Langmuir-Hinshelwood pathways. As a result, Ni/Ce0.75Ti0.25O2-x achieves highly competitive DRM performance with near-equilibrium CH4 and CO2 conversions of 93.8% and 94.3%, respectively, at 750°C and remains stable over 120 h without noticeable deactivation. This work establishes heteroenergetic support engineering as an effective strategy that reconciles high activity with long-term stability in thermally demanding catalytic reactions.

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• Journal article
  Bao M, Zhan S, Zhou W, Gao Y, Yao Y, Jiang M, Cao XE, Gao W, Gong X, He Yet al., 2026,

  Breaking the Activity‐Stability Trade‐Off in Dry Reforming of Methane via Heteroenergetic Support Engineering

  , Angewandte Chemie, ISSN: 0044-8249

  <jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title> <jats:p> Nickel‐based catalysts are promising for dry reforming of methane (DRM) owing to their high C─H bond activation ability and low cost, while highly susceptible to coke deposition and sintering. Here, we report a heteroenergetic Ce <jats:sub>0.75</jats:sub> Ti <jats:sub>0.25</jats:sub> O <jats:sub>2‐x</jats:sub> support that simultaneously regulates Ni nanoparticle stabilization, DRM activity, and oxygen‐mediated carbon removal. Neural‐network‐based molecular dynamics (NN‐MD) simulations and electron microscopy show that partial Ti substitution in CeO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> transforms the strong Ni‐CeO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> interaction and weak Ni‐TiO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> interaction into an intermediate wetting regime with a Ni‐support contact angle close to 90°, suppressing both particle migration/coalescence‐ and Ostwald ripening‐induced sintering while preserving a coupled population of active interfacial and metallic Ni sites. Characterizations and Bader charge analysis further reveal that Ce <jats:sub>0.75</jats:sub> Ti <jats:sub>0.25</jats:sub> O <jats:sub>2‐x</jats:sub> moderates Ni‐support electronic coupling and improves oxygen vacancy concentration and lattice oxygen mobility. These coupled structural and chemical effects facilitate methane activation and transient carbon removal through synergistic Mars‐van Krevelen and Langmuir‐Hinshelwood pathways. As a result, Ni/Ce <jats:sub>0.75</

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• Journal article
  Chen J, Toumi R, Xi D, 2026,

  Future tropical cyclone rainfall constrained by increased atmospheric dryness

  , Nature Geoscience, Vol: 19, Pages: 1024-1030, ISSN: 1752-0894

  Tropical cyclone rain rates are projected to increase under warming, yet many climate models produce weaker rain-rate responses than expected from Clausius–Clapeyron scaling, which predicts that atmospheric moisture-holding capacity increases by approximately 7% per degree of warming. Here we use large-ensemble simulations, satellite observations and reanalysis data to identify what suppresses these rain-rate increases below Clausius–Clapeyron expectations. We show that future increases in tropical cyclone rain rate are constrained by the amplified absolute dryness of the warming atmosphere, quantified by the saturation deficit. Whereas atmospheric moistening elevates column water vapour at near-Clausius–Clapeyron rates and storm intensification further boosts rain rate, these gains are systematically offset by saturation-deficit-driven reductions in precipitation efficiency through enhanced evaporation. The negative relationship between precipitation efficiency and column saturation deficit is corroborated by satellite-based precipitation observations. Although precipitation efficiency correlates positively with storm intensity, attribution analyses reveal that increases in column saturation deficit can dominate intensity effects under warming, leading to net declines in precipitation efficiency and smaller rain rates. Our results highlight increased absolute dryness as the principal thermodynamic limiter of future tropical cyclone rain rate, uncovering a mechanism overlooked by prior projections focused solely on storm intensification and moisture increases.

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  Keeping T, Zachariah M, Clarke B, Bergin C, Kimutai J, Barnes C, Allen T, Harmsen E, Herrera D, Jiménez-González H, Jones J, McDowell W, Miller P, Ramseyer C, Spence-Hemmings J, Stephenson T, Taylor M, Arrighi J, Baumgart N, Izquerido K, Raju E, Santos Vega M, Young A, Vahlberg M, Singh R, Otto Fet al., 2026,

  Climate change is reducing early wet season rainfall in Puerto Rico and Jamaica

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  Sucharitakul G, Jennings N, Howe C, 2026,

  Nature Positive Futures. Event report

  , Publisher: Grantham Institute, Imperial College London
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• Journal article
  Konstantinoudis G, Riou J, 2026,

  Excess mortality attributable to the 2025 Iberian Peninsula blackout

  , Nature Communications, Vol: 17, ISSN: 2041-1723

  On 28 April 2025, a widespread power outage affected mainland Portugal and Spain for around ten hours, causing major disruptions and eight reported deaths.Health impacts of blackouts range from direct effects, such as medical equipment failure, to indirect effects such as disrupted healthcare. Here we show that the 2025 Iberian blackout is associated with increased mortality in Spain, but not in Portugal. We find little evidence of excess mortality on the day of the event itself. In Spain, however, mortality rises over the next two days (+167 deaths; 95% credible interval: +28 to +300; +2.4% relative increase), particularly among women aged 85+. We also observe regional differences, but their drivers remain uncertain and may include variation in outage severity, underlying vulnerabilities, or local health-system and infrastructure conditions. These findings highlight the underestimated health burden of blackouts and the need for improved preparedness in a changing climate.

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  Bergin C, Clarke B, Barnes C, Gregory C, Dahl K, Bouassa B, Frölicher T, Bruno J, Vahlberg M, Meija A, Boyer C, Otto Fet al., 2026,

  Climate change is driving unprecedented European ocean temperatures, with severe impacts for marine life

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  Zachariah M, Chaithra ST, Mondal A, Bose T, Gulzar A, Pinto I, Kimutai J, Vahlberg M, Moran M, Suchismita G, Ogra A, Raju E, Singh R, Ganguly S, Boyer C, Kadhasanoglu A, Meyer R, Otto Fet al., 2026,

  Flood impacts in Assam driven by high exposure and structural vulnerability, amid uncertain rainfall trends

  , Flood impacts in Assam driven by high exposure and structural vulnerability, amid uncertain rainfall trends
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• Journal article
  Wang Y, Ender E, Kumar S, Tseng C, Yang G, Ye B, Liang C, Yu Y, West N, Chauhan I, Ng JH, Halder S, Ji SG, Held G, Ryan MP, Moore KL, Walton AS, Rao RRet al., 2026,

  Active Phase of Nickel Electrocatalysts Driving Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution.

  , Adv Mater

  Nickel-based cathodes are widely used in alkaline water electrolysis, yet the nature and stability of the active surface under operating conditions remains unclear. In particular, the role of metal/oxo-hydroxo interfacial structures in governing hydrogen evolution activity is not well understood. Here, we employ a multimodal, depth-sensitive approach combining operando Ni L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy, depth-sensitive X-ray absorption measurements in total electron yield and Auger electron yield modes, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, isotopically labeled nano secondary ion mass spectrometry, and online electrochemical mass spectrometry to directly track the evolution of Ni/NiOxHy interfaces during the hydrogen evolution reaction. Using well-defined sputtered Ni thin films as a model system, we show that progressive reduction of near-surface oxide/hydroxide species is accompanied by a gradual loss of hydrogen evolution activity. Depth-resolved measurements reveal a predominantly metallic outermost surface under cathodic bias, while NiOxHy forms on the surface upon relaxation to open-circuit conditions. Importantly, mild anodic pre-conditioning regenerates subsurface NiOxHy species, resulting in a sustained increase in hydrogen evolution activity upon subsequent cathodic polarization. These results establish the crucial role of metal/oxo-hydroxo interfaces as active phases for hydrogen evolution and provide a framework for engineering robust, Earth-abundant HER cathodes capable of operating under dynamic, real-world electrolysis conditions.

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  Yan H, Pawlack J, Sivakumar A, Agyeman S, Wang H, Hernandez JB, Qadrdan M, Dehghan S, Walker S, Ramirez-Mendiola J, Torriti J, Munoz CCet al., 2026,

  Unlocking heat pump flexibility to deliver low-carbon heating and support the electricity grid

  , Publisher: Grantham Institute, Imperial College London

  Heating our buildings accounts for around 20% of UK greenhouse gas emissions, so decarbonising heat is essential for achieving net zero. Heat pumps and heat networks are proven, scalable options for cutting emissions but there are concerns that electrifying heating will worsen winter peaks in electricity use and make power system operation more challenging.This brief explores how far heat pump flexibility can be unlocked to deliver smarter, lower-carbon heating for homes while supporting energy networks. A suite of research studies funded by the Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC) examined how tariffs, controls, and technology choices affect heat pump demand, system impacts and comfort.The research found that carefully designed tariffs, used with sensible scheduling, could bring part of space-heating and hot water demand forward in the afternoon to take pressure off evening peaks. At a neighbourhood scale, borehole fields with water-to-water heat pumps as part of a district heating system can supply efficient, shared, low-carbon heat and act as thermal storage. Where heat pumps are used in district heating systems, the thermal inertia of buildings, pipework and thermal energy storage allows short-term demand-side flexibility. However, acceptable temperature ranges still limit how far, and how often, systems can be shifted.

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• Journal article
  Su Q, Halder S, Liang C, Utsunomiya T, Kondo Y, Celorrio V, Yamada Y, Rao R, Katayama Yet al., 2026,

  Tuning Interactions between Layered Manganese Oxide and Intercalated Cations to Enhance Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity

  , ACS Applied Energy Materials, Vol: 9, Pages: 9943-9951

  Layered manganese dioxide (MnO<inf>2</inf>) stands out for its ability to act as a host for cation intercalation, which can significantly enhance its performance for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the role of intercalated cations in enhancing this reaction remains unknown. Herein, by systematically investigating various cation-intercalated (K⁺, Fe³⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Cu²⁺) layered manganese oxides, we demonstrate that the intercalated transition metal cations serve as the primary active sites. We find that the oxidation state of cations within the MnO<inf>2</inf> layers is determined by their relative Lewis acidity compared to the host Mn. This correlation between OER activity and the resulting electronic redistribution suggests that relative Lewis acidity of intercalated cations can determine the electronic redistribution between intercalated cations and MnO<inf>2</inf> layers, which in turn regulates the oxidation of both components. Therefore, we propose that relative Lewis acidity serves as a descriptor for OER activity. This work highlights the critical role of host-imposed electronic limits, establishing a rational design principle for future layered material-confined systems.

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• Journal article
  Ender E, Wang Y, Tseng C, Taylor HE, Dwyer L, Li K, Becker H, Felisari L, Haigh SJ, Rao R, Moore KL, Walton ASet al., 2026,

  Surface Memory in Nickel HER Catalysts: Hydroxide Formation at Open-Circuit Potential

  , ACS Catalysis, Vol: 16, Pages: 14196-14204

  Grid-coupled electrolyzers must keep up with the variable nature of renewable power, placing nickel-based alkaline HER catalysts under rapidly changing potentials. Yet the surface chemistry of nickel-based electrodes during transitions between biased operation and open-circuit potential (OCP) remains poorly resolved. Here we resolve the morphological and chemical evolution of Ni electrodes during cycling between reductive bias and OCP. We combine in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with isotopically labeled NanoSIMS, complemented by microscopy methods, to map morphological and chemical evolution under controlled cycling. We find that reductive bias generates a transient surface that undergoes rapid hydroxylation upon return to OCP; the Ni(OH)<inf>2</inf> observed at OCP therefore reflects the preceding electrochemical history rather than serving as a direct degradation product or mechanistic intermediate. This “memory effect” links surface speciation to prior bias conditions and identifies OCP transitions as a critical regime for hydroxide growth and irreversible surface transformations. More broadly, the results underscore the need to account for non-steady-state operation when designing and benchmarking alkaline electrocatalysts for grid-coupled water electrolysis.

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  Barnes C, Hampe A, Ribeiro AFS, García-García D, Turco M, Mouillot F, Keeping T, Zachariah M, Colette A, Mejía-Silva A, Singh R, Arrighi J, Raju E, Otto Fet al., 2026,

  Climate change increases likelihood of compounding drivers of severe wildfire conditions in France and Spain

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• Report
  Biermann O, Lawrance E, Jennings N, Massazza A, Nalawade N, Parks R, Stewart-Ruano Aet al., 2026,

  Protecting mental health from extreme heat: recommendations for policy and action

  , Publisher: Grantham Institute, Imperial College London
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• Journal article
  Lamb C, Thompson E, Hardisty A, Sperazza S, Deng XA, Toumi R, Leckebusch GC, Whitaker Det al., 2026,

  Event Report - Understanding Research Priorities in Natural Catastrophe Insurance

  , Journal of Catastrophe Risk and Resilience, Vol: 04

  <jats:p>On the 11th of June, the Royal Meteorological Society, the Lighthill Risk Network and UCL hosted an afternoon workshop, focused on identifying and compiling the research interests of the natural catastrophe insurance community. The event was primarily organised by Conor Lamb, in his capacity as the Science Engagement Fellow for Insurance with the Royal Meteorological Society. In this article, the authors share valuable insight into the topics, questions, and discussions from the day's sessions.</jats:p>

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  Kew S, Zachariah M, Schumacher D, Seeber S, Hirschi M, Breinl K, Haslinger K, Lehner S, Humphrey V, Mohammed H, Lakatos M, Kovacs A, Molnar ZE, Cheval S, Dumitrescu A, Moderc A, Vlahovic Z, Blazic P, Fruhauf C, Bromser A, Rustemeier E, Zandersone D, Oldrich R, Dullart J, Pinto I, Clarke B, Keeping T, Garcia-Garcia D, Singh Ret al., 2026,

  Increasingly hot Europe faces more severe droughts and growing challenges for water and land management

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  Kimutai J, Keeping T, Kiswedsida G, Sidiki Alare R, Kouakou E, Mumo L, Nying'uro P, Masambaya F, Pinto I, Singh R, Vahlberg M, Ganguly S, Pundeer V, Koren G, Otto Fet al., 2026,

  Climate Change and urban pressures intensify flood risk on the Gulf of Guinea coast

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  Barnes C, Clarke B, Bergin C, McCarthy M, Lott F, Zachariah M, Keeping T, Konstantinoudis G, Rayner A, Mistry M, Gasparrini A, Otto Fet al., 2026,

  Climate change increases heat-health risks from 2026’s May and June heatwaves

  , Publisher: Grantham Institute, Imperial College London

  Climate change added between 3-4°C to maximum temperatures and is estimated to be responsible for about 42% of the deaths across both heatwaves.More than 2,700 people are thought to have died from heat-related causes during the May and June heatwaves in England and Wales. Of those, it’s estimated that 42% died as a result of the extra heat caused by human-induced warming.Researchers from Imperial College London, the Met Office and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine used historical mortality records and established peer-reviewed methods to model fatalities during both heat spikes. As Scotland and Northern Ireland were not impacted by such extreme temperatures, they focused on England and Wales.

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• Journal article
  Konstantinoudis G, 2026,

  Attributing heatwave mortality to human-induced climate change in Greece: a case-crossover and attribution analysis for 2000–2019

  , Environmental Health, ISSN: 0340-0131

  BackgroundHeatwaves increasingly threaten public health in the Mediterranean region, and Greece is among the hardest hit countries. Yet evidence on long-term adaptation, spatial vulnerability, and the contribution of human-induced climate change to heatwave-related mortality in Greece remains limited. MethodsWe analysed 2,144,957 all cause deaths in Greece (2000-2019) in people older than 65 years using a time stratified case crossover design. We derived population weighted daily maximum temperatures at NUTS3 level from ERA5 reanalysis and WorldPop. We applied six heatwave definitions (HD1–HD6) varying by duration (≥2 or ≥3 days) and thresholds (90th, 95th, 99th percentiles).We fitted Bayesian hierarchical Poisson models to estimate heatwave-mortality associations varying by space and time. We additionally adjusted for relative humidity and national holidays. We then combined these estimates with probabilistic climate attribution methods to quantify the number and proportion of heatwave-related deaths attributable to human induced climate change. ResultsHeatwaves raised mortality consistently, with relative risks from 1.08 (95% CrI (Credible Interval): 1.07–1.09; HD1) to 1.15 (1.12–1.19; HD6). Risks increased with heatwave intensity and duration, with particularly high risks observed among females and older adults. We did not detect a consistent temporal decline in risk or marked spatial heterogeneity. Human induced climate change accounted for 46-80% of heatwave related deaths across definitions. The proportion attributable to climate change rose over time. ConclusionsHeatwaves already impose a major mortality burden in Greece, with more than half driven by anthropogenic climate change and little evidence of population level adaptation. These findings call for rapid emissions reductions and targeted adaptation, including stronger heat health warning systems and protection of vulnerable groups.

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  Li Y, Zhao J, Cao XE, Li Set al., 2026,

  A large language model-based multi-agent methodology for intelligent materials screening: A case study on MOFs for CO2 capture

  , Separation and Purification Technology, Vol: 394, ISSN: 1383-5866

  Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) hold significant potential for CO2 capture owing to their tunable structures, large surface areas, and versatile chemistries. However, current screening strategies are often limited to specific application scenarios and overlook the intrinsic properties of materials, thereby limiting the transferability of findings. Here, an intelligent evaluation framework was proposed that leverages large language models (LLMs) to integrate semantic reasoning with numerical performance metrics. The approach combines molecular structure, elemental composition, and synthetic feasibility with molecular simulations and process modeling to optimize the design. Adsorption behavior is obtained from atomistic simulations, while cyclic performance is assessed through equilibrium-based process simulations. Notably, energy utilization efficiency is explicitly incorporated as a central performance indicator and assigned higher weighting, thereby emphasizing practical deployment considerations. These numerical indicators are further combined with semantic scores derived from an LLM-based multi-agent system, enabling a balanced, interpretable ranking of candidate MOFs. This dual-level strategy reconciles rigorous optimization with engineering feasibility, safety, and compliance. By aligning numerical robustness with semantic interpretability, the methodology addresses the scenario-dependence of conventional screening methods and provides a scalable pathway for intelligent material evaluation. Beyond CO2 capture, the framework is readily extensible to diverse adsorption processes and evaluation metrics, highlighting its potential as a next-generation paradigm for material screening and decision support.

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