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Cold War spy satellites

May 30, 2026 by usatoday24

Ander Izaguirre is the author of Return to the country of Elkano. It is a book that mixes travel chronicle with adventure narration. The story begins in Guetaria, where he returns after touring the Basque country by bicycle, taking as the backbone of history the figure of Juan Sebastián Elcano, considered the first person to complete a complete circumnavigation of the world. An idea is repeated several times in the book: the world has always been much more connected than we think. The starting point, in this case, is something that happened more than 500 years ago. What could the life of a person who crossed the planet five centuries ago be like when there are still people today who do not go beyond the borders of their country or their hometown? In its pages it talks about the connections between empires and geopolitical struggles to control trade routes. Sometimes, it is difficult to understand how in those days a person could travel thousands of kilometers and metropolises could trade with each other. But, personally, I find it much more complicated to imagine JUlius Caesar traveling along the Nile or Cleopatra living in Rome on the edge of the new year count with its Julian calendar. We are talking about a handful of years prior to the supposed birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Imagine if we go back further. As much as 4,000 years. That is, around the year 2,000 BC In two leaps we have begun to ask ourselves how our world could be interconnected just 500 years ago to how it would be more than 4,000 years ago. And to that question, some archaeologists believe they have found an answer. A river highway in Mesopotamia And our colleagues Motorpassion They bring us the story of one of those discoveries that will delight history fans. For many years it has been known that mesopotamian cities They have been using an intricate system of tunnels and water management for their irrigation for thousands of years. The invention was so effective that by adding all the conduits that have been active at some point, it is believed that it may have the same distance as there is between the Earth and the Moon, according to National Geographic. These tunnels were used, as we say, to move water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers but also to serve as a refuge for the inhabitants of these cities, both from the scorching heat of the desert and from possible enemy invasions. This has been, until last year, what was thought. And using spy images and the use of LiDAR, research has continued to advance until making sense of a new use of these channels. According to the researchers who have developed Identifying the preserved network of irrigation canals in the Eridu region, southern Mesopotamia, published by the University of Cambridge, These canals would also serve as a river highway to trade between towns. In the 1960s, the United States launched a spy satellite project called CROWN. These satellites took photographs of the terrain in the middle of the Cold War and the declassified file has allowed researchers to detect subtle changes in the terrain that are impossible to detect from the ground. The photographs revealed small differences in the vegetation, which shows commercial roads and passenger traffic for millennia. But using LiDAR, researchers have also managed to bring to light some cities that were hidden, as was the case of an extension near Abarkuh where those famous canals were discovered. The great discovery, however, has been to verify that these canals were not only used to transport water through complex hydraulic systems or to cool the environment. Everything indicates according to the latter research which were also used to move goods, resources and wealth between city-states such as Ur, Uruk, Lagash or Eridu. With this discovery, it is considered that we are facing one of the oldest and most extensive logistics networks in history and the key to understanding how grain, copper, wood or precious stones were traded then thanks to flat-bottomed ships that would move through these canals and not only through the visible bed of the Tigris and Euphrates. Photo | Semhur and Ali sabih kadhim In Xataka | When there was a lunar eclipse, Babylon trembled. Texts from 4,000 years ago announced all misfortunes

From Cold War bunkers to bunkers wherever

May 25, 2026 by usatoday24

In 1961, Switzerland required by law that practically every new building incorporate access to nuclear shelters. Decades later, the country still has more places in bunkers than inhabitantsa European rarity that for years seemed like a paranoid exaggeration and that today many governments are beginning to look at with different eyes. Europe looks underground again. For decades, European bunkers were treated like uncomfortable relics of the Cold War, spaces buried under modern cities that survived converted into warehouses, parking lots, swimming pools or simple historical curiosities. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has changed radically that perception. Governments, architects, urban planners and citizens have returned to thinking in terms that seemed to have disappeared from the continent: shelter, civil protection, urban survival and the ability to resist prolonged bombings. The most striking thing is that Europe is not only rebuilding former military shelters; is starting to convert any space underground available in potential emergency infrastructure. Garages, subway stations, tunnels, basements or sports centers become part of a new defensive geography where the priority is no longer winning a war, but ensuring that cities can continue functioning under attack. Finland never stopped preparing. I remembered the new york times that while much of Europe dismantled its civil protection systems after the end of the Cold War, Finland decided to keep intact a culture of refuge deeply linked to its history with Russia. In Helsinki, thousands of underground spaces spread under the city can become operational shelters in just 72 hours. The most surprising thing is that many operate daily such as playgrounds, parking lots, swimming pools, concert halls or sports facilities. Finnish logic has always been clear: if another war comes, civil protection cannot be improvised. The Russian invasion of Ukraine made that mentality, for years seen as a kind of Nordic obsession inherited from the 20th century, come to light. seem almost prophetic. Suddenly, families who had never thought about shelters began asking where the nearest one was, architects began debating underground protection again, and European governments began to study the finnish model as if it were a practical manual on how to survive near Russia. Germany and discovery. Latest German turn reflects the extent to which the perception of war has changed in Europe. Berlin once had about 2,000 shelters public during the cold warbut today it only preserves a few hundred partially usable for a population of more than 80 million people. Reuters counted last week that the important thing about the new German plan is not only the investment of billions in civil protection, special vehicles or warning systems, but the implicit acceptance of an uncomfortable reality: the State no longer believes it is possible to guarantee universal refuge for the entire population. Instead of rebuilding huge networks of bunkers like those of the 20th century, Germany is opting for a much more more flexible and pragmatic based on mobile alerts, improvised shelters and rapid reaction capacity. The symbol of this new strategy is not an armored concrete door, but a notification on the mobile phone indicating to the citizen which is the nearest basement or station. The war in Ukraine changes the idea of security. The Ukrainian experience has destroyed many Western certainties about modern warfare. For years, many European experts assumed that future conflicts would be technological, precise and limited, making large civil refuge infrastructures unnecessary. Ukraine showed exactly the opposite: massive attacks on cities, drones over residential areas, bombings of civil infrastructure and millions of people taking refuge in metro stations once again became part of the European landscape. That finding appears constantly in the German and Finnish debate. Architects who previously considered shelters obsolete recognize now that Russia has returned to Europe a form of war much closer to the classic bombings of the 20th century than to the surgical conflicts imagined after the end of the Cold War. The uncomfortable question. Behind the return of the bunkers there appears a politically explosive issue: that of who can protect themselves really if a war breaks out. Germany is beginning to publicly assume something that it avoided verbalizing for decades: there will never be enough places for everyone. Seen this way, the debate no longer revolves solely around building shelters, but about priorities, access and real response capacity. Who receives the alert first? Who manages to arrive on time? What happens to the elderly, sick or people without mobility? Even during the Cold War, European shelters could only cover a limited part of the population, but then they worked too as a political symbol: They represented the idea that the State remained capable of protecting its citizens even under nuclear threat. Today that illusion is weakening and civil protection is beginning to be understood more as social resilience than as an absolute guarantee of survival. The underground returns to the board. Ultimately, the Berlin case sums up this transformation perfectly. Under the German capital there is still a gigantic network of tunnels, bomb shelters, adapted stations and military structures built between the Third Reich and the Cold War. For years they were archaeological or tourist spaces managed by historical associations as Berliner Unterwelten. Now some are beginning to be partially reconditioned for real civil protection uses. The significant thing is that no one is talking about resisting a total nuclear exchange, but rather about surviving to drone attacksconventional missiles or localized bombings similar to those seen in Ukraine. Europe is thus entering a scene unprecedented since the end of the 20th century: the return of shelter mentalitynot as an ideological symbol of opposing blocs, but as a practical response to the feeling that war has once again become a tangible possibility within the continent. Image | GetArchive In Xataka | There is a 50-ton “nuclear reactor” in a bunker in Fuenlabrada: it has been donated by Amancio Ortega In Xataka | A secret Nazi bunker in Germany hides the most sought-after treasure on the entire planet: hundreds of tons of rare earths

the new front of the technological cold war

May 6, 2026 by usatoday24

The great Achilles heel of the energy transition in Europe is not in sight. It’s not the photovoltaic panels or the windmills, but the hidden chips and processors that make them work. Aware of this risk, the European Union has decided to shield its electrical network with a drastic measure. Companies that want to set up renewable projects with community money will have to look for alternatives: Chinese technology is, for the moment, out of the game. The veto, in detail. Brussels has made public his plan to veto European financing for renewable energy projects that use key equipment manufactured in countries considered “high risk”: China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. The target of this prohibition has a very specific name: investors (or converters). Simply put, these are critical electronic devices that act as processors for photovoltaic plants. Its function is to transform the direct current generated by solar panels into the alternating current that finally reaches our homes and businesses. The measure, de facto, is already underway. financial institutions They have until May 15, 2026 to notify the Commission of the projects they have in their portfolio. As of November 1, the veto will be total for any new facility that aspires to receive community funds, especially those coming from the European Investment Bank (EIB). And why now? As pointed out Expansionthe Community Executive has framed this decision under the umbrella of “economic security” and protection against strategic dependence, distancing itself from those who see it as a mere protectionist industrial policy. The scope of this guideline is capital. As detailed pv magazineis not only limited to traditional solar parks, but extends to vital Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). This is a blow to the Asian giants, which usually sell integrated solutions that combine batteries and power electronics. To this fence must be added a strict “anti-cheat law”: the regulation does not contemplate significant exceptions and will affect even those inverters that are physically manufactured in Europe, as long as the parent company is controlled by entities from these risk countries. The ghost of the national blackout. The forcefulness of the EU responds to a tangible fear. The Commission bases its veto on intelligence reports and classified information provided by several Member States that warn of a very serious threat: cyberattack and “remote shutdown.” Since the investors are connected to the internet and manage critical operational data of the electrical grid, a foreign actor could use them as a Trojan horse. Siobhan McGarry, Commission spokesperson, has been blunt: “In practice, this could involve a remote shutdown of Member States’ networks, causing national blackouts.” This is not science fiction. The great blackout that Spain and Portugal suffered on April 28, 2025 empirically demonstrated the vulnerability of the network. Although acts of deliberate sabotage were ruled out at the time, the official report from the European grid (ENTSO-E) concluded that the collapse was directly linked to a large voltage swing caused by the unexpected disconnection of photovoltaic inverters. This precedent has revived in Brussels the ghosts of 5G and the decision to corner firms like Huawei and ZTE in the telecommunications sector. A shot in the foot for Spain? Brussels’ theory is firm, but it collides with an uncomfortable reality: the overwhelming dependence on the Asian giant. According to data provided by SCMPChina currently controls 80% of the global inverter market, with brands such as Huawei and Sungrow leading the world ranking. In Spain, the scenario is even more monopolistic. As revealed by the European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC)that close to 70% of the inverters installed in our country are of Chinese origin. Huawei alone accounted for 36.5% of installations in 2023, followed by Sungrow (29.7%) and GoodWe (14.5%). Despite warnings from Brussels, the Spanish Government maintains a divergent position and continues to certify dozens of Huawei devices for use in sensitive networks, assuring its allies that they do not pose a risk. However, the shock wave of the European veto is already breaking projects at the national level. As we explain in Xatakathe Generalitat of Catalonia has recently had to backtrack on the award of its public network macro project (XCAT) to the alliance formed by Sirt and Huawei. The fear of having to dismantle the infrastructure in less than a year to comply with new European regulations has left a 127 million euro contract up in the air. Unfounded fear of costs? There are many open questions. Will this veto paralyze renewable deployment in Europe due to lack of supply or cost overruns? The European industry assures that there is no reason for panic. According to the ESMCthe current production capacity in the EU exceeds 100 GW annually (compared to a demand of about 65 GW). Furthermore, the Commission points to Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States as reliable alternative suppliers. Regarding the economic impact, the data dismantles the myth of a drastic increase in prices. As stated Euronewsthe cost of inverters barely represents 5% of the total budget of a solar park. An analysis by Wood Mackenzie It is estimated that replacing Chinese components Western technology will only increase the total cost of large-scale projects by 2%. A “minimal extra cost”, according to Brussels, in exchange for shielding the network. The “boomerang effect.” This strategy of Western isolation has a silent but gigantic parallel consequence. By expelling China from European energy and telecommunications networks, Beijing is being forced to create a 100% autonomous technological ecosystem. Chinese entities, such as Tsinghua University or Huawei itself, are registering an unusually high volume of patents in photolithography to be able to manufacture its own cutting-edge chips without depending on the European ASML. In parallel, they are building solid alternatives to Western Artificial Intelligence standards (like NVIDIA’s CUDA monopoly). By closing the door, Europe and the United States could be incubating a totally uncontrollable and independent global technological competitor. Outrage in Beijing. As expected, China’s reaction has been immediate. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the EU (CCCEU) has … Read more

Do you think we’ve had a cold winter? Arctic sea ice has things to tell you

April 12, 2026 by usatoday24

It’s easy to look out the window on a January morning, see the frost on the car, feel the icy wind on your face and think: “What a winter we’re having.” Our perception of the weather is often terribly local; However, while we shelter ourselves to combat the seasonal coldthe global thermometer tells a very different story. And if we want to know how “cold” this winter has really been, the best place to ask is not our street, but the top of the world, that is, the Arctic. A technical tie. Every year, during the dark and frigid months of the northern winter, the Arctic Ocean freezes, expanding its ice sheet until it reaches its maximum annual extent. Something that normally occurs between February and March. but this year control data of this ice expansion have pointed out that the winter limit of Arctic sea ice was reached on March 15, 2026 with an extension that reached 14.29 million square kilometers. This is a number that in isolation may seem like a large amount of ice has formed, but the reality is that 2026 has tied statistically with the historical minimum recorded in 2025. It’s a problem. Although this year’s extent is nominally lower by just 0.02 million km² compared to last year, the NSIDC considers any fluctuation within a margin of 40,000 km² a “technical tie”. In other words: we have never had two winters with so little ice in the Arctic since satellite records have existed since 1979. It’s a problem. To understand why we should worry, we have to look back. Here climatologists usually use the average of the period 1981-2010 as a base reference, and if we compare the maximum of 2026 with that historical average, the reality is that we are missing a piece of ice the size of 1.3 million square kilometers. We are talking about a reduction of between 8% and 10% of the frozen surface, and to put it in perspective, it is as if a block of ice equivalent to the surface of Spain, France and Germany combined had disappeared. Something that confirms a trend that already points to a loss of this maximum limit of 12% per decade since the end of the 70s, since the ice is not recovering, but is systematically retreating. It’s not just quantity. The drama of the Arctic is not only read in two dimensions, but also in three, since thickness is essential in this situation. And to measure it the mission comes into play ICESat-2 from NASA, which has already ‘seen’ how much of the current ice, especially in the Barents Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk, It’s much finer than in past decades. Thinner ice is bad news, since it means it is much more fragile and fractures sooner in spring storms and, more critically, melts much faster in summer. Its consequences. This last point is fundamental, since seeing how the winter maximum falls is bad news, since the structural weakness of that ice guarantees that, when summer arrives, the thaw will be more aggressive. And if we continue advancing in this chain of events, we find in the end that the dark ocean will be able to absorb a greater amount of solar heat, which will heat the waters even more and make it difficult for ice to form in the following winter. In the end we are seeing a textbook vicious cycle. Images | Cassie Matias In Xataka | China has turned the Arctic into its own “Panama Canal.” And that explains the US obsession with Greenland

A polar air mass will descend over Spain just before Easter. AEMET is already talking about polar cold and significant snowfall

March 23, 2026 by usatoday24

The key day will be Wednesday the 26th. It will be then when, at the gates of Holy Week, a mass of polar air will enter the national territory leaving cold and snow during the last week of march. And yes, that’s what matters to us right now; but the general context is much more complicated. But let’s talk about the cold. Starting on Wednesday, an undulation of the polar jet will push the anticyclonic ridge towards the north of the Atlantic and a very deep polar trough will descend over Europe. This will generate several storms. In Spain, the models they don’t agree. While the European model is committed to a colder and more intense scenario; The American believes that the irruption will be limited to the north, the east and the Balearic Islands. Be that as it may, we are talking about an isotherm of -4 degrees in the heart of the peninsula, more than significant snowfall in the Cantabrian Mountains, the Pyrenees and the Iberian system (at least in the north). This is just what we hope for. And skepticism is more than justified: the 2025-2026 storm season has broken all records totaling (to date) 19 named systems. Furthermore, this winter has been the third wettest of the 21st century and January was the wettest month since records began. The uncertainty is, understandably and unjustifiably, greater than normal. We must not forget that “Holy Week” is synonymous with millions of trips, thousands of outdoor activities throughout the country and hundreds of sectors that critically depend on it. But it’s not a surprise either. According to AEMET climate dataBetween the end of March and the beginning of April, it rains some day in 70-80% of recorded years. That is to say, the distinctive thing this year will not be the rain, but the cold. The good news. If we pay attention to the medium-term models, everything seems to indicate that the anticyclone It will recover ground around April 1 or 2. That is, we can expect the weather to be more stable in the second half of Holy Week. Of course, the uncertainties are great and, as the old saying goes, “you should not sell the bear’s skin before hunting it.” Interesting days are coming. Image | Tropical TidBits In Xataka | The snowiest ski resort in Europe right now is not in the Alps or the Pyrenees: it is in Granada

a signature of the cold war

March 3, 2026 by usatoday24

Sometimes, decisions in international politics are not made in offices, but in documents signed decades ago. In fact, a clause drafted in the middle of the Cold War can become the decisive factor in a 21st century crisis. A document from the past that has been transformed into a strategic tool. Escalation and division. The offensive of the United States and Israel against Iran has opened a political rift on the European continent. France, Germany and the United Kingdom have coordinated a joint position that leaves no room for doubt, one in which they even contemplate proportionate actions to neutralize Iranian attacks at source and protect their interests in the Gulf. Faced with this bloc, Spain has opted for a explicit uncheck linedefending de-escalation and strict respect for international law. The fracture with the great forces of Europe is not just rhetoric, because it has now materialized in operational decisions that directly affect strategic infrastructures on Spanish soil. All “yes”, except one. Thus, while the great European powers they have made it clear that will allow the use of its capabilities and bases to support Washington, Spain has activated a legal mechanism signed almost 40 years ago during the Cold War, in 1988, which conditions any use of the Rota and Morón bases to objectives framed in collective defense or in a recognized multilateral framework. The key “paragraph.” He article 2 of the Convention It is clear in this sense, since it grants the United States the use of certain support facilities and authorizations in Spanish territory “for objectives within the bilateral or multilateral scope of the agreement.” However, it also points out that any use that goes beyond those objectives will require authorization prior to the Spanish Government. Hence, the Executive has maintained that a unilateral operation against Iran doesn’t fit in that case. That clauseborn in the context of the NATO referendum and the reaffirmation of sovereignty over the bases, has now become the “ace in the hole” that has allowed Madrid deny replenishment of American tankers and block direct support for the offensive. Rota and Morón: sovereignty, not automatic transfer. The bilateral agreement makes it clear that the bases They are of Spanish sovereignty and that the United States operates support facilities under national command. This implies that transit or resupply flights are for the purposes of the treaty and have express authorization. Thus, yesterday and after the Spanish refusal, Washington retired for a fortnight of tanker aircraft deployed in Morón and Rota, moving them to other European bases. The message is twofold: Spain does not authorize offensive use outside the agreed framework and the United States reorganizes its device accordingly. The European contrast. As we said, Paris, Berlin and London have shown willingness to coordinate responses even of an offensive nature if they consider that their interests or those of their allies are threatened by Iranian missiles. The difference, therefore, is not ideological, but strategic: the big three have chosen to align with Washington in active defense against Tehran. Spain, on the other hand, has insisted in that any action must be protected by the United Nations Charter or by a multilateral organization such as NATO or the EU. There is no doubt, the result is a unique and historic position within the Western bloc. Consequences and international perception. Plus: the decision has generated conflicting readings. For the Government it is clear that it is a reaffirmation of legality and sovereignty. For critics and defense experts, it means a distancing of the common allied position, one that may have medium-term implications in the strategic relationship with the United States, whose link with Spain is articulated to a large extent via Rota. If you like, also in security policy, each gesture is interpreted as a signal. And on this occasion, the signal sent by Spain has been unequivocal: without international legal coverage, its bases will not be a platform to attack Iran. Image | Navy, US Defense In Xataka | Iran has just attacked a base in Europe: the paradox of Spain is that it condemns the war, but the US does not need to ask to use its bases In Xataka | The great paradox of Spain is 7,000 million euros: nobody wants to take up weapons, but they are making money by selling them

the reality of extra autonomy is a bucket of cold water

January 31, 2026 by usatoday24

One of those novelties that were seen in the past CES 2026 was the technology of solar panels integrated into the body of the vehicle by the hand of Solarstica startup emerged from Hyundai Motor Group. The idea of using solar energy to charge batteries is not new, but its technology is innovative and above all, His promises are most promising. (pardon the redundancy). It is in the testing phase on real models such as the IONIQ 5 and the ST1, because it is not a mere concept: they are serious. In addition, he won the prize of Vehicle Tech & Advanced Mobility. Up to 80 extra kilometers per day. Solarstic affirms that integrates solar panels on the hood and roof so that, combined, they can generate up to 500 watts of power, which can extend the range of an electric vehicle up to 50 miles per day (80 km), a more than respectable figure to cover daily trips. They also explain that for long-distance trips you can “recharge around 30% of the battery while driving.” It’s not glass. Not even a sticker. The idea goes from forgetting the classic and heavy glass of traditional panels, which takes its toll on the vehicle’s center of gravity and its aerodynamics, in favor of lightweight polymers in encapsulated form. To integrate them into structural elements (they are not mere adhesives) such as the hood or roof, injection molding is used, which allows for more complex and curved shapes. It also has its advantages in passive safety: in the event of a collision or run over, a polymer hood would absorb energy compared to a glass one, which is rigid and at risk of breaking. It hasn’t been easy. To the technical challenge of manufacturing in the form of polymer encapsulation with high pressure and the risk of solar cells breaking (which have solved with a protective layer and lowering the injection pressure) durability and aesthetics come together. Polymers exposed to the sun tend to degrade, losing transparency in favor of a yellowish tone that reduces efficiency. In addition, a simple wash could also deteriorate them and not only aesthetically: if the polymer is scratched, the light is scattered and does not reach the cell. So they are testing with anti-scratch and anti-degradation coatings. Finally, they have opted for a more discreet black finish that hides the solar cells in plain sight. Your face sounds familiar to me. The concept of using solar energy: Lightyear One and its promise of 70 km of autonomy per day. The fine print: a prohibitive cost that ended up accelerating its end to focus on the Lightyear 2 and finally, bankruptcy of the Dutch company. Sono Motors also tried it with its Sono Sionbut financing was difficult for them and they ended up canceling the car to focus on selling their panel technology to buses and trucks. Aptera seems to be able to bring the adventure to a successful conclusion: have confirmed that 2026 is the year for the first deliveries of its ultra-efficient three-wheeled solar vehicle. It’s a niche model, not an SUV. However, more established brands such as Mercedes Benz (with its Vision EQXX with sunroof or with solar paint) either Toyota and its Prius They have also tried it. It’s time to talk about numbers. Theory and practice. We are going to take a car that we know well because we have tested: the Hyundai Ioniq 5which consumes about 17 kWh per 100 km. To achieve 80 kilometers of autonomy, it would therefore be necessary to generate about 13.6 kWh. With a 500 W system (note, peak power), it would take just under 28 hours of perfect sun per day. This figure seems more plausible in a week parked in full sun than for a single day, or in an extremely efficient model like the Aptera and not in a two-ton car. Or a calculation based on the savings of auxiliary systems. This point is very interesting. In fact, never charging it could happen in a specific scenario: living in a sunny place like Cartagena (the sunniest city in Spain according to the vacation rental website Holidu with data from ‘World Weather Online’) and do about 10 kilometers a day. In Pamplona for example, taking a summer day and assuming about 5 hours of peak sun, it would be 2.5 kWh, which is enough for just under 15 kilometers. The figures fit with what we have seen before and show a reality: the car will not be able to be powered only by solar charging as we know it. Where that extra comes in handy. When we try the Vision EQXX In a couple of journeys we are talking about an increase in autonomy of 13 and 43 kilometers respectively. The second took place on a sunny day in June. And when our colleagues from Motorpasion They tested the Toyota Prius Plug In In 2021 we are talking about an extension, in the best of cases and with its capacity at 100%, of 6.1 kilometers. Its theoretical charging power was 180 W (practical, 140W). There they came to a conclusion: the solar panels will never be able to recharge the main battery up to 100%. Although boosting autonomy sounds great, we have already seen that for most people who do not live in paradise and drive more kilometers, this can be a little push that can be used to power the air conditioning or maintain the battery when parked. Of course, Hyundai has the scaling capacity that Sonos or Lightyear lacked and if they manage to make that solar module last a decade, it will be a magnificent ace in the hole. Not so much to charge the car for free, but because that extra can be used to cool the cabin without using up the main battery. In Xataka | The electric car promises that maintenance will be zero. Now it also promises affordable battery changes In Xataka | Toyota’s weapon to … Read more

with a large amount of water but no trace of polar cold

January 26, 2026 by usatoday24

January is going to say goodbye with great weather instability that we are already experiencing in our flesh throughout the entire Spanish territory. If we look at the weather maps for this week that begins today, the conclusion is quite unanimous. both in the AEMET as in the European ECMWF prediction model: stability has been broken. Starting today we enter a regime of humid winds accompanied by rainfall well above average on the Atlantic slopewith special impact on Galicia and the central system. Rain, a lot of rain. If we look at the forecasts on a national scale, we are facing very marked rainfall this week. And we are not talking about normal rains, but rather accumulated ones that in the northeast could exceed the usual average for these dates by 60%. Something that responds to saying goodbye to the storm Ingrid to give way to the storm Joseph that will affect Galicia above all. Galicia is one of the points where accumulations are expected to reach 90 liters per extra square meter of anomaly with peaks of up to 150 liters per square meter in orographic points. But mountain systems such as the Sierra de Gredos, the Pyrenees and the high areas of Andalusia will also receive significant amounts of water and snow due to the orographic enhancement of the southwest winds. The AEMET. In a post on his blog, The public agency points out that this week will be marked by the passage of “fronts associated with Atlantic storms, which would leave rain in most of the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.” Likewise, it points to the great intensity that they will have in Galicia, which will undoubtedly bear the brunt throughout this week. The thermal paradox. One of the key points that highlight the predictions is in the thermometer. Anyone could imagine very low temperatures accompanying this amount of precipitation that is expected, but the reality is very different, since we are not facing a polar cold wave. The models indicate in this case that since the winds come from the Atlantic, the air arrives warm and loaded with humidity. This will keep temperatures above the climatic measurement as the maximum temperatures will be between 10 and 16ºC, while the minimum temperatures will remain between 8ºC and 12ºC, avoiding severe frosts in low areas. The snow. In this sense we can rest assured, since according to the AEMET, the snow will be limited mainly to the mountain systems of the peninsula. However, we must be attentive to Wednesday, January 28 and Thursday, January 29, since a specific drop in elevation after the passage of a cold front could leave snowfall in areas of the northern plateau and medium-low elevations, although it will be a transitory episode within a generally mild environment. Why does this happen? To understand this carousel of storms you have to look at the index of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Currently, it is in a negative phase, which means that the Azores anticyclone weakens or shifts, allowing storms to circulate at lower latitudes (i.e. over Spain) instead of deviating towards northern Europe. Images | AEMET In Xataka | We have always believed that London is very rainy and that Barcelona is not. The only problem is that it’s a lie

The price of electricity, the cold and the fear of a blackout have brought a 19th century job back to London: chimney sweeps

January 25, 2026 by usatoday24

When you hear about chimney sweeps, the image that comes to mind is that of men (or boys) from the late 19th century with smudged faces, shirts full of soot and a large broom on their shoulders. That’s the topic. The photographs that Google shows when we search for the word and the one it illustrates your entry on Wikipedia. Today the reality is very different. In the middle of 2026, not only are there still professionals dedicated to the trade, but they use cutting-edge technology and in cities like London they are experimenting a resurgence thanks to the price of energy. His appearance is nothing like that of the famous Bert de ‘Mary Poppins’but they continue to play a key role… and above all they are in demand. Chimney sweeps in 2026? Exact. And at least in London they are not an extemporaneous and decadent group, the memory of a bygone era. On the contrary. As I counted a few days ago The New York Times The profession is still very much alive there, it has been able to adapt to the needs (and resources) of the 21st century and above all it is experiencing a resurgence thanks to the cost of energy. The clearest proof is left by National Chimney Sweeps Association (NACS, for its acronym in English): in 2021 it had 590 members, today its membership base is already around 750. The union includes dozens of women and some businesses claim that in winter they receive between 70 and 80 calls a day. What do they do? Essentially the same as its predecessors from the 19th and 20th centuries, although in a very different context and with very different resources. To remove soot from chimneys they still use brushes that Bert from ‘Mary Popins’ would perfectly recognize, but that is only part of an arsenal that also includes digital cameras, industrial vacuum cleaners and smoke detection equipment. “Almost like chimney technicians,” points out Martin Glynnfrom NACS. Companies are even using drones to scan rooftops. Nothing to do with the habits that once made the profession infamous, such as employing orphans to climb chimneys and clean ducts. It sounds like terrifying science fiction, but this practice was common in the 18th and 19th centuries. In fact in 1875 the death of a child that got stuck in Fulbourn generated such a stir that the Government approved a law that banned “climbing children.” Are there still chimneys? Yes. British chimney sweeps were not immune to key changes, such as the popularization of central heating in the second half of the 20th century or the Clean Air Act (‘Clean Air Act‘) of 1956, but the union has been able to endure and today lives in a much kinder time, even one of vindication. I told it just a year ago in The Telegraph Steven Pearce, descendant of a long line of chimney sweeps who started in the trade decades ago, convinced that the profession’s days were numbered. “At first I only accepted it as a weekend job because we thought the trade would disappear with the 1956 law, when the Government gave local authorities the power to control the burning of coal and boiler fumes,” Pearce relates. “But that didn’t happen, in fact the last five years have been better than ever in business. It’s the busiest time I’ve seen in 45 years.” He is not the only one which confirms the rebirth of the profession. What is the reason? In 2026 English homes may not rely on coal and wood for heat, but they will still light their fireplaces. And not only because of the popularization of stoves. NACS itself admits that demand for its services has been driven by two factors: the increase in energy prices of recent years and a turbulent international context, in which the electricity supply seems a vulnerable flank to enemy attacks. The group also remembers that people simply “like to sit in front of a fireplace” to read, have a glass of wine, watch a movie and unwind. As if that were not enough, a good fire also helps reduce dependence and expense on central heating. What does the regulations say? Of course there are restrictions on the domestic use of coal, but The New York Times remember that even in areas like London the burning of authorized fuels They emit very little visible smoke. What they do generate is soot, which explains why the Government advises that chimneys be cleaned every year with professional help. “People think: ‘We’re going to have a plan B, a fireplace, a stove in case the power goes out,’” Glynn adds.president of NACS. “If you have the option of burning wood or smokeless fuel you can still cook and have some heating. There is a big increase in demand, people are lighting fireplaces again.” How does the future look? Steven Pearce assures that his clients continue buying stoves and admits that it is difficult for him to believe that people are going to do without the installations, even if they are prohibited. “I can’t imagine those who have spent £3,000 to £5,000 installing them not using them.” In fact, he maintains that in recent years he has seen “a great resurgence in the purchase of multi-fuel fireplaces and stoves, which burn wood, charcoal and smokeless materials.” It’s not all advantages: your ‘bill’ is PM2.5 emissionparticles invisible to the naked eye but which do represent a harmful “air pollutant”. Images | Wikipedia, Jorbasa Fotografie (Flickr) and NACS In Xataka | While the whole world looks at oil, Venezuela’s true treasure is hidden in the basements of London: its gold

AEMET warns that, after the cold, something much more problematic comes

January 15, 2026 by usatoday24

The Mediterranean asks to speak and the polar jet seems ready to give it all the prominence: if everything goes as planned, after a very cold weekend, What is happening? That the polar jet is contorting again and, this time, it is going to turn so far south that a good part of Spain is going to be in the cold zone. We will change the warm and humid air masses of the Gulf for cold masses that, since they are not arctic, will also have a lot of humidity. For practical purposes, that does not stop the “train of storms” that was affecting us; but its temperature. Therefore, the “storms, fronts, wind and rough seas“will be accompanied, once again, by a drop in temperatures: snow is, in fact, expected in the north of the Sahara. That and a strong storm in the middle of the Mediterranean. But let’s start with the cold. During the weekend (accompanied by that contortion of the jet) orA mass of cold air will invade Spain: Not only will the minimum temperatures drop and frost will return to a large part of the country, but the maximum temperatures will suddenly collapse. The great Mediterranean storm. Although on Saturday the 17th there will be movement in the Gulf of Valencia and the Balearic Sea, the strong will begin on Monday the 19th. That day, the undulation of the polar jet has a good chance of setting up a very powerful cyclogenesis. A cyclogenesis is an intensification of a low and, the Mediterranean knows a lot about that: the arrival of cold air at altitude over a fairly warm sea only needs a good shot of humidity to transform into a very intense storm. These days we will have all the elements on the table. And what can we expect? The models are beginning to converge in a full-fledged winter storm in the Balearic Islands and the Mediterranean coast. Although, as Martín León explains“it could leave abundant rain and snow in medium-high areas in the eastern part of the Peninsula”; The truth is that the position and intensity of the storm is still unclear. And those uncertainties will make the difference between a cold calm or a real winter storm. Image | ECMWF In Xataka | The soils of Spain are already saturated with water. And now a new train of storms threatens something worse

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