EurekAlert! In the Spotlight

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

This July, we're exploring the science of heat. Whether it's shaping weather patterns, affecting marine ecosystems, influencing human health, or driving new technological solutions, heat plays a powerful role in our changing world. Join us as we examine the latest research uncovering how heat impacts people, places, and the planet.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 20-Oct-2026 16:16 ET (20-Oct-2026 20:16 GMT/UTC)

25-Jun-2026

Heatwaves, air conditioning, and blackouts: Quantifying the real benefits of rooftop solar energy

CMCC Foundation - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Air conditioning is increasingly the go-to when heatwaves strike. However, not only does this lead to more emissions, it also puts increasing strain on the electricity grid – even culminating in deadly blackouts. On paper, solar panels would seem like the perfect solution: clean energy derived directly from the sun and readily available in the hottest summer months. But just how beneficial can they be? A new CMCC-led study has quantified the benefits of rooftop solar in reducing grid electricity consumption in Italy, revealing that expanded solar adoption could offset roughly half of the climate‑driven increase in grid electricity uptake for cooling.

19-Jun-2026

What we know about marine heatwaves in the Arctic

Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In recent years, marine heatwaves have been taking an ever-greater toll on the world’s oceans and their ecosystems. Amplified by increasing global warming, these events are occurring more frequently and lasting longer. The Arctic is not spared from this trend either, as it is warming faster than any other region on our planet. However, due to local processes and conditions, marine heatwaves in the Arctic differ fundamentally from those in non-polar oceans. A recent study, led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, summarizes how these events have developed over recent decades, what science knows about the driving forces behind them, and where there are still knowledge gaps to be filled.

Journal: Communications Earth & Environment

17-Jun-2026

HKUST study finds urbanization in the greater Bay Area intensifies extreme heat and heavy rainfall risks

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Prof. GAN Jianping, Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Ocean Science at HKUST and Director of the Centre for Ocean Research in Hong Kong and Macao, Dr. LAI Wenfeng, HKUST Postdoctoral Fellow and the paper’s first author, and other HKUST research team members find that urbanization has significantly increased both regional temperature and rainfall.

Journal: Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology

16-Jun-2026

Novel study defines “vertical marine heatwaves” in Chesapeake Bay, offers classification scheme for coastal resource management

Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study out of William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS is redefining how we visualize and track marine heatwaves in estuarine systems like the Chesapeake Bay, introducing a definition for “vertical marine heatwaves” as well as a visual classification scheme of full-column temperature conditions.

Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans

16-Jun-2026

Climate models are missing the first warning signs of deadly Middle East heatwaves, study finds

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research reveals that the world's leading climate models capture extreme heat only after crucial atmospheric warning signals have already begun

Journal: Weather and Climate Extremes

16-Jun-2026

Q&A: Can plants help reverse climate change?

Penn State

Heatwaves are arriving sooner and becoming hotter, with the United Kingdom recording May 25 as its hottest day in May since tracking began more than a century ago, only for the record to break again the next day. While humans can turn to artificial means of cooling, such as air conditioning or swimming pools, plants are left to cope with heat and frequently co-occurring droughts on their own. Sarah M. Assmann, Waller Professor of Biology at Penn State, is working to better understand how plants respond to environmental signals — and is applying that understanding to develop crops more resilient to environmental stress.

15-Jun-2026

Can your home beat the heat? Why some bees are more at risk from climate change than others.

Macquarie University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Bee species that nest in plant stems appear to be at the greatest short-term risk from increasing temperatures due to climate change, while those that nest in the ground are more able to evade extreme heat, according to new research from Australian evolutionary ecologists.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: Australian Research Council, Macquarie University, Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment, Monash University

11-Jun-2026

Could a controversial cooling strategy save our fisheries and coral reefs from marine heat waves?

Michigan State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Most people have experienced a heat wave on land. But heat waves can strike in the ocean too. Researchers say a controversial strategy to shield Earth from some of the sun’s rays would offer unequal protection for the oceans and communities that depend on them, leaving 25% to 75% of the world’s seas still at risk from overheating.

Journal: Environmental Research Climate