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Data from missions showing critically low snowpack on mountains across the west raises alarm among expertsHigh above the jagged peaks of California’s Sierra Nevada, the view from the cockpit is breathtaking. At first glance, the mountains appear draped in a pristine white blanket. But as the flight crew gears up for a high-stakes mission, the sensors onboard this specialized aircraft prove that looks can be deceiving.“This is a distinct dry year,” says Tom Painter, CEO of Airborne Snow Observatories. Continue reading...

Temperatures soar in California and Arizona, while deluge continues across Western and Northern CapeHeat is expected to intensify across western parts of the US and Mexico this week as a ridge of high pressure pushes temperatures well above the seasonal norm. Daytime highs are forecast to reach 10-15C above average in some areas.The US National Weather Service has issued heat advisories for parts of California and Arizona, with extreme heat warnings in force on Monday and Tuesday in places such as Palm Springs, where temperatures could reach 40-43C (104-110F). More broadly, temperatures are expected to climb into the high 30s celsius before the heat shifts eastwards towards the midwest later this week. Continue reading...

Initial counting shows David Farley with a clear lead ahead of independent Michelle Milthorpe as Coalition support tanksGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne Nation appeared on track for its first ever lower house victory on Saturday night, with early results showing Pauline Hanson’s insurgent party taking the lead in the Farrer byelection.Irrigator David Farley looked well placed to beat independent Michelle Milthorpe in the closely watched race, confirming One Nation’s dramatic rise in public support since last year’s federal election and further weakening Angus Taylor’s depleted Liberal party. Continue reading...

Samuel Whitsed, 27, is believed to have travelled from Victoria to hike Bibbulmun Track near outskirts of PerthGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThree months after a hiker was last seen at a popular walking track, police have become increasingly concerned for the missing man’s welfare.Police have scoured dense bushland for a Victorian man after he disappeared from a popular hiking trail on the other side of the country. Continue reading...

Moscow steps up maritime presence in North Sea after UK threats to seize shadow fleet oil tankersBritain’s Royal Navy tracked and followed a Russian frigate every day last month as it sailed from the Atlantic to the North Sea as Moscow steps up its maritime presence after UK threats to seize shadow fleet oil tankers.The Russian navy’s Admiral Grigorovich escorted six Russia-linked vessels during April, including at least three under economic sanction passing east through the Dover strait, while being watched continuously by four UK ships and helicopters. Continue reading...

Ministers to mandate use of tools that record individuals’ cumulative exposure to harrowing incidentsPolicing in England and Wales faces a reckoning over the levels of trauma experienced by officers and staff as “trauma tracker” tools are to be mandated by ministers to ensure the psychological toll caused by exposure to death, abuse and neglect is recorded.A Home Office white paper published in January outlined a legislative push to make trauma monitoring systems mandatory across all 43 forces in England and Wales. Continue reading...

Powerful radar system is providing new data on city’s subsidence, which experts hope will draw more attention to itWalking into Mexico City’s sprawling central Zócalo is a dizzying experience. At one end of the plaza, the capital’s cathedral, with its soaring spires, slumps in one direction. An attached church, known as the Metropolitan Sanctuary, tilts in the other. The nearby National Palace also seems off-kilter.The teetering of many of the capital’s historic buildings is the most visible sign of a phenomenon that has been ongoing for more than a century: Mexico City is sinking at an alarming rate. Continue reading...