Cork ahead of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of EU

On 24 June 2026, two earthquakes measuring magnitude 7.2 and Magnitude 7.5 struck northern Venezuela, causing significant damage across the country. According to the latest bulletins from local authorities, the earthquakes resulted in 1,943 casualties and 10,571 injuries.

After the marine heatwave of the end of May 2026, the intense temperatures which affected western and central Europe during the third decade of June caused further warming of the surrounding seas.

Sargassum blooms are seasonal accumulations of floating algae which can occur across the Caribbean Sea. This bloom has been larger than usual between April and June 2026, raising concern because of the impact this has on tourism, fisheries, and coastal communities.

The Bijagós Archipelago, a system of 88 islands off the coast of Guinea-Bissau in West Africa, has been designated by UNESCO as the Bolama-Bijagós Biosphere Reserve. Its mangroves and surrounding waters support rich birdlife, fish, reptiles, mammals, and important green sea turtle nesting sites are highly sensitive to environmental change.

Between 23 and 25 June 2026, a broad area of clear weather brought blue skies across much of the United Kingdom and Ireland, providing us with an unusually cloudless view of the landscape from space. Such weather is relatively uncommon across these islands, where Atlantic weather systems frequently bring extensive cloud cover.