Heavy rainfall and the problems of flooding in towns have never been far from peoples’ minds or the news headlines over the past few weeks. Now scientists say that new research will help to accurately pinpoint which individual streets are most at risk from flooding during severe rainstorms.

Antarctica was once home to a diverse range of tropical plants including ferns, palms and rainforest trees, say scientists. They have uncovered the first direct evidence of a much warmer, greener continent in the Southern Ocean. They publish their findings today in Nature.