In wildfire-beset southern France, firefighters are facing a threat they’ve never seen: deadly “fire clouds”. Described by Nasa as the “fire-breathing dragon of clouds”, pyrocumulonimbus clouds can form during extreme heatwaves and can themselves spark more wildfires.

The appearance of this “incredible, unprecedented, unknown phenomenon” means we are “entering a new dimension” when it comes to fighting the effects of global warming, Sophie Brocas, the prefect of the Gironde region at the epicentre of the current blazes, told Le Monde.

How are they formed?
Pyrocumulonimbus clouds (also known as cumulonimbus flammagenitus clouds) are created when there is intense heat on the Earth’s surface – the kind of heat usually only caused by volcanic eruptions or large, intense wildfires. Rapidly heated air rises in a powerful updraught, accelerated by more air rushing in at ground level. Once high enough, it cools and condenses into giant thunderclouds, full of turbulence and separated electrical charges. Pyrocumulonimbus downdrafts can spread burning embers, and dry lightning from the cloud formation can starts new fires; the clouds can even form dangerous fire tornadoes. The result is so intense, they effectively create their own internal weather systems.

These fire clouds have become increasingly common in North America and in Australia, where the 2019-20 “black summer” bushfires killed at least 33 people, and destroyed more than 27 million acres of bush, forest and parks. But, until now, there have been no documented cases in France or northern Europe.

How can they be stopped?
They are convective and “completely unpredictable”, Eric Brocardi of the National Firefighters Federation of France told Agence France-Presse. “It’s a David-versus-Goliath scenario.” In the end, “salvation will come either from the sky – in the form of rain, though it would need to pour heavily for three days – or by finding a way to steer the fire towards a place where it will die out on its own. The sea, for example.”

Given that pyrocumulonimbus clouds form in extreme weather conditions that include high temperatures, strong winds and little moisture, climate change is only likely to increase their frequency, scientists have warned.

From now on, “Britain will value the hard hat every bit as much as the graduation cap,” said Andy Burnham in The Times this week.

The prime minister has unveiled “fundamental changes” to England’s curriculum and education system. From the age of 14, pupils will be able to combine technical subjects, such as manufacturing and AI, with core subjects, such as maths and English. They will also be able to get experience with local employers, to give them a clearer pathway into work. 

‘Westminster less involved’
Burnham is “on a mission” to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training (Neets), which has reached its highest level in more than 12 years. This overhaul “will not be of any benefit” to today’s Neets, said The Times’s sketch writer Tom Peck. But, in theory, it will help “prevent the emergence of the next generation”.

This also “gives Burnham a chance to distance himself again” from other politicians who have tried to reform technical education, said Politico’s London Playbook. “We’ve heard this type of thing a lot over the last few years” but the difference now is that “Westminster will be less involved”; the new routes will be shaped by local mayors, schools and employers. It’s all modelled on Burnham’s Greater Manchester Baccalaureate, or MBacc, which he launched as mayor in 2024, said the BBC’s education correspondent Hazel Shearing. The MBacc “may well be scalable” but “there will be challenges”. Will kids living in deprived areas, without thriving industries, have fewer options?

‘To no good end’
Telling kids to organise their curriculum around a “presumed occupational destination” means we “narrow their field of possibility before either they or we can know what they might become”, said Joshua Vallance, vice principal of Brixton’s Trinity Academy, in Schools Week.  Better-off children at independent or selective schools will still study languages, history and sciences “before deciding what to become”. Poorer children will be “asked to decide first”, with “fewer options”.

And, unless this new government “does something very radical in the Budget”, Burnham’s overhaul has to be “balanced by cuts elsewhere in the schools budget”, said Stephen Bush in the Financial Times. This imperils a “genuine public policy success” but “to no good end”. The Neet problem is “not a consequence of our education system”; it’s “rooted in the labour market”.

Red-crowned and white-naped cranes play in China’s Zhalong National Nature Reserve. The area has become a major breeding ground for rare cranes in northeastern China. 

Chi Shiyong / VCG / Getty Images

The end of the school year marks the start of the Summer Reading Challenge for four- to 11-year-olds. Kids up and down the country are being encouraged to sign up online or visit their local library to get involved. Here are some fun books to help spark their enthusiasm.

Monsieur Mustard, by Charley Rabbit
When Fabio Fangtooth goes missing from his restaurant, it’s up to the “charming mouse detective”, Monsieur Mustard, to figure out what’s going on, said The i Paper. This beautifully illustrated book is a “witty and inventive” read. For ages 5-9.

Detective Thingy Majiggy, by Cecelia Ahern
The bestselling author of “PS, I Love You” has written her first book for children. It’s about “a 10-year-old girl who can hold conversations with inanimate objects”, said The Telegraph. When Mia is accused of starting a fire at her school, can a “broken toaster” help to “prove her innocence”? For ages 7 plus.

The Common Criminals’ Club: Death Before Detention, by Alison Weatherby
This cosy murder mystery is set in a rural Irish Catholic boarding school. When a dead body is discovered in the kitchen, “Mae and her friends are determined” to find out what has happened, said The Guardian. “Funny” and “twisty”, with an “irresistible heroine”. For ages 9 plus.

The Not-So Great Escape, by Emma Green
When tragedy strikes, “risk-averse” 12-year-old Hedley finds himself on a road trip adventure with his younger sister Lilly, “troublemaker” Aiden, and a “stolen alpaca”, said the Financial Times. “Silly” and fun with a “heart-rending twist” at the end. For ages 9 plus.

Badenoch must reverse course on net zero before she destroys the Tories
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in The Telegraph
With “dystopian” fires raging in Europe, “Kemi Badenoch has chosen an abominable political moment to flirt with climate nihilism”, writes Ambrose Evans-Pritchard. In “her outrage” at “wind, solar, batteries and electric vehicles”, she’s “gone Trumpian on the existential issue of our time, competing with Nigel Farage” for “the backlash vote”. Yet climate change threatens the very things “conservatives profess to love: farming, natural food, tradition, the rural way of life”. To save her “once-great party”, she must “pull back from the brink”.

For parents staring down the barrel of six weeks’ childcare: take a tip from orangutans
Helen Pilcher in The Guardian
Scientists tell us that orangutan mothers “arrange playdates for their offspring”, writes Helen Pilcher. Other animals also make “time for play”, suggesting “it is far from frivolous”; it helps youngsters learn “how to communicate, cooperate” and “resolve conflicts”. This “applies to humans too”, including grown-ups: research shows playfulness can help “adults navigate the challenges that life throws their way”. So, if you’re wondering how to hang on to your sanity during the school summer holidays, “make room” for some “messing around”.

Why must people use disposable barbecues in a heatwave? It’s idiocy
Carol Midgley in The Times
Some “people in this country are very stupid”, writes Carol Midgley. Apparently, 3% of us “think that guide dogs are blind”. The “alpha morons” this heatwave summer are the “disposable barbecue brigade” who fill my local park with “discarded foil trays” and “scorched, black rectangles of earth, like environmental acne”. Please, “do feel free to risk a rampant fire, destruction and the death of wildlife just so you can cook… what, four burgers? Ever heard of bringing sandwiches?”