As we are now charging a small membership fee to new members for access to Premium items (from today 7th July 2026) to keep the trolls out and serious people in, I have scrapped the need for members to be Level 2 or higher to be eligible for a Prize Draw payout. Instead, only Premium members will have access to the draw. This will take place from the July 2026 draw. The Premium membership fee is based on the fact trolls never pay for the privilege and it also helps pay for the monthly prizes. PLEASE NOTE : IF YOU ARE A CURRENT FREE STARTUP MEMBER THIS WON’T AFFECT YOU - YOUR MEMBERSHIP REMAINS FREE. YOU HAVE ALSO AUTOMATICALLY BEEN UPGRADED TO PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP AND WILL REMAIN ELIGIBLE FOR THE PRIZE DRAW.

Climate change doesn’t create every hot spell from scratch. But it does change the odds. Think about it. We don’t get that many days that are very hot or very cold. Most days are closer to average. Plot them on a graph and they look a bit like a bell, with the very hot and very cold days at either end. Global temperature has increased by around 1.4C since pre-industrial times. That may not sound much. But now look at the second curve. The hot end has shifted quite a bit. That means temperatures that used to be rare are now closer to normal - more days cross the line into extreme heat. So heatwaves become more likely. And when they happen, they are more likely to be hotter and last longer, because they are happening in a world that is already warmer. - Justin Rowlatt, BBC Climate Editor

At least 11 people have died in a wildfire in southern Spain, with early indications suggesting four of the victims are British, according to a local official 😥 Heatwaves across Europe have dried out vast areas of land and made them particularly vulnerable to wildfires. "The fire danger remains at very high or extreme levels in much of the country," Spain's meteorological agency says, urging people to "take extra precautions". In June, Spain reached its highest daily average since 1950, and had days where it recorded its highest ever temperatures for that month. Temperatures as high as 42C (107.6F) were forecast in some parts of the country. Climate change is driving up temperatures around the world, and Europe is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service. This is causing increased summer heatwaves, greater pressure on Europe's water supply, and more intense wildfires. A wildfire in southern France has also forced thousands of people to evacuate as the country faces an early summer heatwave. The fires have also affected Spain where more than 2,200 hectares in the natural reserve of Les Gavarres in the north of the country have been destroyed. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cx2vz8lyql1t

BREAKING: nearly 1.2 million Americans are without power tonight across the Northeast, Great Lakes, into the Southeast due to severe storms 8:45PM CDT Is anyone here affected?

(From Google) The "Ring of Fire" is a meteorological pattern that develops when a large, stagnant dome of high pressure traps hot, dry air over a region. While the center of this dome bakes in extreme, record-breaking heat, disturbances ride along the periphery of the high, triggering clusters of severe, sometimes damaging thunderstorms in a ring-like formation. Think of it as a giant, boiling pot of water with a tight lid on it. Inside the lid, it is pure, stifling heat. Around the edges of that lid, steam and bubbles escape—and those bubbles are massive, severe thunderstorms I'll tell you that this verbiage did confuse me initially because to me, the ring of fire ("Pacific" ring of fire) is a specific geographic ring - so don't let the mixed terminology fool you. I'm still researching and getting more info about this. it's very interesting, and the term I've heard a LOT this week is "Derecho" which is super dangerous. I'll keep you fine folks updated on what I discover, but stay safe out there!