ICELAND - A volcanic eruption has sent lava and smoke pouring out of the side of Mount Fagradalsfjall, near Iceland's capital Reykjavik. It comes after intense earthquake activity in the area. Local authorities said on Monday there was no imminent hazard to people in the region. The volcano is located in the country's southwest, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, which is known to be a seismic hotspot. Domestic flights were delayed after the eruption created a plume of smoke over the road connecting the capital to the country's largest airport.

USA - Parts of the US are expected to see record temperatures on Sunday, with warnings of "dangerous" heat levels into next week across the south-west. Nearly a third of Americans - about 113 million people - are currently under heat advisories, from Florida to California and up to Washington state. The country's National Weather Service (NWS) has urged people not to underestimate the risk to life. On Saturday, an all-time high of 118F (48C) was recorded in Phoenix, Arizona. It means temperatures have hit 110F (43C) for 16 days running, itself almost a record. Meanwhile, Death Valley in California - one of the hottest places in the world - is forecast to reach 129F (54C), nearing the hottest temperatures ever reliably recorded on Earth.

UK - Last year, officials working for an NHS Trust in Bath, Somerset, received the results of an assessment they had undergone a couple of months earlier. Alas, they had not done well. Out of a possible 159 points, they had been awarded just 49, meaning they failed even to qualify for an entry-level 'bronze award'.

USA - As expected, more and ever-wilder transgenic foods are being produced. Among the latest is Piggy Sooy, a soybean genetically engineered to contain pig protein. According to Moolec, the UK-based company that developed this latest Frankenfood, pig genes were spliced into conventional soya to create a soybean with 26.6% animal protein. The exact pig genes used is a trade secret. As a result of this genetic engineering, the interior flesh of the soybean is also a rosy flesh color. The company is also working on developing a pea plant that produces beef protein. Moolec claims these transgenic hybrids will provide similar taste, texture and nutritional value as meat, without the high cost of cultured or lab-grown meat alternatives.

USA - Have you noticed that we are being hit by an endless series of weather emergencies? Here in the middle of 2023, farms in the Midwest are being devastated by a seemingly endless drought, massive dust storms are happening as far north as Illinois, residents of Vermont just experienced the worst flooding that they have seen in nearly 100 years, and the Southwest is being baked by unprecedented heat. I realize that this is a very sensitive topic.

USA - The National Weather Service confirmed early Thursday morning that "multiple tornadoes tracked across Northeastern Illinois" Wednesday, causing extensive damage to homes, yards, businesses and more across Chicago suburbs including Elgin, Campton Hills, Rosemont, Huntley, Carol Stream, Hodgkins and more. "Between 5 pm and 7 pm on Wednesday, July 12, multiple tornadoes tracked across Northeast Illinois, some in very close proximity to one another," a tweet from the NWS said. "These were spawned by rotating thunderstorms known as supercells."

USA - A sizzling heatwave has sent temperatures soaring across much of America, causing the oceans off the coast of Florida to soar to almost 100 degrees. Millions flocked to the Sunshine State to bask in the rays over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, while just off the coast the scorching temperatures could spell doom for the region's picturesque coral reefs. Scientists have warned that the 'hot tub-like' conditions are disastrous for the reefs, with 'coral bleaching' already devastating a majority of the ecosystem in the state.

USA - The National Weather Service in the US has issued emergency flood warnings for Orange, Putnam and Rockland counties, north of New York City. Police have closed roads and issued a rare flash flood emergency, telling residents to avoid travel. Local resident Melissa Roberts, in Orange County, captured the flooding on camera - the water was up to her knees and cars were submerged. It's been reported that one foot (30cm) of rain fell in some areas.

USA - Aerial footage captured in the US state of Oklahoma shows cars struggling through the flood waters, and submerged fields. Severe storms swept through the area on Sunday morning. Local media reported damage to powerlines and debris across Oklahoma City, the state capital.

EUROPE - A deadly heatwave hitting Europe has forced cities to issue red alert warnings due to 'unbearable' temperatures that are set to intensify further and could equal the 48.8C record for the continent. British tourists across the Mediterranean are being warned of the life-threatening effects of the sweltering heat after an anticyclone weather system from the Sahara desert called Cerberus expanded northwards. Cerberus - named after Hades' three-headed dog in Greek mythology - will see temperatures rise to above 45C (113 F) in Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey by the end of next week.

SPAIN - The temperature of the ground in some areas of Spain has hit more than 60C during the deadly heatwave sweeping Europe, satellite recordings have shown. It was so hot that a heat map that highlights scorching temperatures in red turned even darker – to black. Temperature records have been broken on most of the continent, including France, Switzerland, Germany and Italy, where highs of 40C were recorded again on Wednesday. Sicily and Sardinia were forecast to be as high as 48C. (118 F)

SPAIN - Another searing 47C heatwave is already heading for Europe, forecasters have warned - even as the continent remains on red alert and in the grips of a deadly weather system from the Sahara desert. British tourists across the Mediterranean have been warned of the life-threatening effects of the sweltering heat after an anticyclone system called Cerberus expanded northwards. But as Cerberus exhausts itself, Italian weather forecasters are now predicting that another heatwave - named 'Charon', after Hades' ferryman - will push temperatures back up to 43C in Rome and as high as 47C in Sardinia next week.

RUSSIA - Torrential rain and flash floods have hit the southern Russian region of Krasnodar since Wednesday. The bodies of six people, including an elderly man and woman, have been found, and another woman remains missing after being swept away by strong currents. Russia's emergency services struggled to get food and water to victims around the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, where the country hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics. Officials said they were "working in emergency mode" to battle the "ruthless elements", which brought two months' worth of rain in one day.

INDIA - The northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh has been witnessing heavy rainfall over the last few days causing flooding and landslides in the hilly terrain. The gushing water is sweeping away bridges, homes and cars, and is causing widespread devastation in the state. The neighbouring Uttarakhand state is in a similar situation and water levels of several rivers in the region have crossed the danger mark. More than a dozen people have died in the past three days across north India due to the rains.

GERMANY - Berlin’s famous Friedrichstrasse is a long avenue dotted with glitzy stores, from Galeries Lafayette to Karl Lagerfeld. For the past three years, Friedrichstrasse has been pedestrian-only, covered with huge flowerpots, wooden tables and chairs occupying the tarmac once reserved for cars. Although the controversial green zone stretched for only a third of a mile, it was in the centre of the metropolis. The motor ban led to a furious backlash from shop owners, who complained of a sharp drop in customers. The controversy over Friedrichstrasse has come to symbolise the German people’s fightback against a radical green agenda introduced by the centre-Left coalition led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. This comes in tandem with a rise in support for hard-Right parties, which is ringing alarm bells.