By Harriet Sime Deputy Travel Editor For The Daily Mail

Published: 00:01 BST, 5 October 2024 | Updated: 00:01 BST, 5 October 2024

Cabin bag and seat selection fees – they’re the sneaky costs that turn a seemingly bargain airfare into a pricey affair.

A study has found that these add-ons with low-cost airlines can, in fact, quadruple the cost of flights.

The report by Which? found these extras increased the price of a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Lyon from £29 to £124 per person. And a Wizz Air flight from London Gatwick to Milan was quoted as £40, but the added extras meant the price soared to £127, meaning additional fees accounted for 69 per cent of the final price.

The prices on some routes with Ryanair and Easyjet more than doubled.

Researchers found some British Airways flights proved cheaper than Ryanair and Wizz Air once these extra costs were factored in.

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Cabin bag and seat selection fees – they’re the sneaky costs that turn a seemingly bargain airfare into a pricey affair. Researchers found some British Airways flights proved cheaper than Ryanair and Wizz Air once extra costs were factored in

Which? is now calling for the government to ensure that these add-on airline fees are included in laws cracking down on sneaky ‘drip pricing’ tactics – charges that are added or ‘dripped’ onto the advertised price.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act) is due to come into effect in April 2025, but it is unclear whether add-on charges beyond unavoidable booking or transaction fees will be regarded as covered.

For many passengers, paying for cabin bags or seat selection is essential, but these extra charges are often not included in the headline price, making it difficult to compare the true cost of flying with different airlines.

Which? is calling for the government and regulators to make it clear that the price of any extra fees or add-ons are shown to consumers upfront at the start of the booking process.

The consumer champion is also calling for a ban on charging parents to sit next to their children on flights.

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A report by Which? found extras increased the price of a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Lyon from £29 to £124 per person

Ryanair currently forces parents travelling with under 12s to pay for a seat next to their children, costing £8 when Which? checked – though Ryanair says prices start from €4 (£3.34). Other airlines do not always guarantee that parents can sit with children, which may prompt travellers to pay to ensure their family can be together.

Other countries have taken steps towards explicitly prohibiting airlines from imposing additional costs for booking seats next to children under 12.

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said: ‘Sneaky dripped fees can hugely change the final price people pay for goods and services and this is particularly true with flights, where the difference between the advertised price and the final fare can easily reach hundreds of pounds for a family.

For many passengers, paying for cabin bags or seat selection is essential, but these extra charges are often not included in the headline price

‘Which? is calling on the government to ensure that additional fees for add-ons like seat selection and luggage are made clear at the very start of the booking process, to ensure travellers can easily compare the final price they’ll pay with different airlines. Unfair charges for parents to sit with children on flights should also be banned.’

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A Wizz Air spokesperson said: ‘As an ultra-low-cost carrier, we allow passengers to choose which services they wish to purchase so we can offer the most affordable travel opportunities in the entire industry. Optional add-ons are not required to fly, and we believe that customers should be offered the choice and flexibility to choose the right products.’

An Easyjet spokesperson said: ‘Easyjet customers only pay for the ancillary products they want, so we aim to provide customers with choice and this enables us to keep fares low.’

A Ryanair spokesperson said: ‘The price of Ryanair’s seat selection starts from €4, not the £8 price wrongly quoted by Which? We don’t charge “parents” to sit with children. Rather the child seats are provided free of charge when they sit beside one parent, who must reserve a seat for a fee of €4.’

Doctors are warning young people to be aware of signs of a heart attack after ‘alarming’ data showed the average age of victims is skewing younger.

The number of Americans 18-44 who suffered a heart attack rose by two-thirds in the past four years, many of whom led seemingly healthy lifestyles.

Some heart attacks strike suddenly, with the most common symptoms including sudden pain, heaviness or a tight sensation in the chest.

But cardiologists warn symptoms can start hours, days, or weeks before the actual heart attack, and some of the signs could be dismissed for other, less serious issues.

Dr Deepak Bhatt, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai in New York, told DailyMail.com that waking up sweating more than usual could be a warning sign.

Raquel Hutt, 24 years old and from New York City, shared online the first warning sign of her heart attack was a shooting pain in her left arm that she described as the worst pain she had ever experienced

Chloe Burke went into cardiac arrest at 21 years old while cheering at the University of Houston. She is now educating others about cardiac arrest 

Data shows roughly 0.3 percent of Americans aged 18 to 44 years had a heart attack in 2019, but last year that rose to 0.5 percent, or one in 200.

While that may still seem like a relatively low number, it represents a 66 percent increase in cases in just four years, which doctors call ‘alarming.’ It also means one in five heart attack patients is now younger than 40. 

Doctors have blamed a combination of obesity, rampant drug use, sedentary lifestyles and bad diets for the change. 

Dr Virginia Colliver, a cardiologist with Johns Hopkins Community Physicians-Heart Care, wrote: ‘Research doesn’t provide insight into why the uptick in heart attacks is happening to younger people. 

‘I suspect it has to do with more people having risk factors for heart disease at an earlier age.’

Risk factors among this group include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking. 

Diabetes, a family history of heart disease, an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise and excessive alcohol use can also be risk factors. 

Dr Colliver added that birth control pills and other hormonal contraception can raise the risk of a person developing a blood clot in the heart or legs and the medications can also raise blood pressure – all heart attack risk factors in younger women. 

She wrote: ‘So if you have a history of high blood pressure or clotting problems, other types of contraception might be a better fit for you.

‘But for most young women, it’s safe to take birth control medication.” 

A lesser-known symptom of an impending heart attack that can occur days or a week before is sweating and feeling out of breath even without working out.

Rina Devans, a mother from New York City, revealed on TikTok that a warning sign of her heart attack was pain in her neck and shoulders. The symptoms started two weeks before the attack occurred, she said

Data shows heart attack cases are on the rise, Dr Bhatt said, but doctors are still disagreeing over what could be causing the uptick 

Dr Bhatt told DailyMail.com: ‘Among people who have a heart attack, a proportion — about half — will have symptoms a week or two before.

‘The most common sign before a heart attack would be chest discomfort or some sort of chest pain, that the patient often links to low levels of physical exertion or having pulled a muscle.

‘But also on the list are symptoms like shortness of breath out of the blue or with low levels of physical exertion and, in rare cases, sweating without physical exertion.’

However, studies suggest young women having a heart attack are less likely to experience chest pain, resulting in delays in treatment. 

A 2012 study found 42 percent of young women who had a heart attack did not have chest pain.

Dr Bhatt also said that in some cases pain in the jaw and neck could be a warning sign of an approaching heart attack.

He said: ‘I’ve had a handful of patients referred to me from dental offices when in fact they are suffering from symptoms of a heart attack.

‘Most of the time, the pain in the jaw is a cavity, but for sure in some cases it can be a signal that a patient is at risk of a heart attack.’

He also referenced his 2022 study, which found up to 48 percent of patients experienced symptoms including pain in the neck, jaw and/or shoulder blades before a heart attack.

Doctors say this is a type of ‘referred pain’, or when pain from one part of the body is felt in another area.

This happens with the heart because it shares nerves with areas of the upper body including the jaw, neck and shoulders.

This means when pain signals are sent by the heart, it is possible they will be felt in other areas like the jaw.

Among young people to suffer this warning sign was 24-year-old Raquel Hutt from New York, who said she felt severe shooting pain in her left arm while using the bathroom, describing it as the ‘worst pain of my life’, before her attack occurred. 

Other warning signs that may strike in the days before a heart attack include nausea and vomiting, fatigue, dizziness and indigestion. These can also be warning signs that a heart attack is currently occurring.

Several doctors have made clips warning about the hidden symptoms for TikTok, including the above from Dr Kunal Sood, who is based in Maryland

About 805,000 Americans suffer from a heart attack every year, of which 375,000 are fatal.

People 65 and older are most likely to suffer the attacks, which are often linked to obesity, diabetes and smoking.

The attacks are often caused by small blood-clots that become lodged in an artery and cut off the supply of oxygen and nutrients to part of the heart.

During a heart attack, prompt treatment is essential to avoid severe damage to the organ and death.

Patients may be administered drugs like blood-thinners to break down clots and morphine to reduce pain.

In some cases, surgery may also be performed to re-open clogged arteries and restore blood flow to critical areas.

He was speaking in response to a video posted by chiropractor and top YouTube health expert Sten Ekberg, who also said that sweating without exercise could be a warning sign someone may suffer from the life-threatening event.

• Paul Pogba’s reduced salary at Juventus while serving a ban has been revealed
• The Frenchman has had his initial four-year doping ban reduced after an appeal
• LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday

By Ryan Walker

Published: 06:46 BST, 5 October 2024 | Updated: 06:47 BST, 5 October 2024

Paul Pogba has reportedly had to live on a ‘minimum wage’ at Juventus since being slapped with a four year doping ban that has now been reduced.

Mail Sport exclusively revealed on Friday that the French midfielder has had his initial four year drugs ban slashed to just 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Pogba was initially facing a likely retirement had the ban been upheld after he tested positive in August 2023 for DHEA which boosts testosterone and is on WADA’s banned list.

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However, the decision to reduce his ban means Pogba can now resume training with Juventus in January and will be able to play his first competitive fixture as of March 2025.

His career revival will also see the former Manchester United star return to the mega salary that he was handed by Juventus when he signed a four-year contract at the club.

Paul Pogba has reportedly been paid a ‘minimum wage’ salary by Juventus after being banned for droping

Mail Sport exclusively revealed on Friday that the French midfielder has had his initial four year drugs ban slashed to just 18 months 

Pogba had his mega-money contract in Italy slashed to just £1700-per-month after being banned

Since being banned, Pogba has seen his pay package cut to ‘minimum wage’ that will now receive a welcome boost to put him amongst Serie A’s top earners, as reported by Gazzetta.

It is believed that the 31-year-old has been living off a £1700-per-month salary instead of the usual riches that comes with being one of the sport’s biggest stars.

Should Juventus decide to keep the World Cup winner in their ranks then his wage will return to around £10.4m-per-year reflective of the deal Pogba signed for the club as a free agent.

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That wage works out at around £200,000-per-week which will be a welcome boost for the ex-Premier League star who previously decided to leave Old Trafford at the expiration of his contract.

However, it is yet to be seen whether Juventus will keep Pogba in their ranks now they have discovered when the superstar personality can be back on the pitch.

Pogba later released a statement celebrating the end of ‘the nightmare’ as his appeal against the original ban was successful.

‘Finally the nightmare is over. Following the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again,’ he said on Instagram.

The Frenchman will now soon return to his previous £10.4m-per-year deal agreed with Juventus

‘I always stated that I never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency regulations when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed to me by a doctor, which does not affect or enhance the performance of male athletes.

‘I play with integrity, and although I must accept that this is a strict liability offence, I want to place on record my thanks to the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s judges who heard my explanation.

‘This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold.

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‘Thank you again for all the love and support. I just cannot wait to get back on the pitch.’

A retired couple’s ­precious boat stolen by a gang to smuggle migrants from France to England has been returned to them after a Herculean battle against officialdom by the Mail.

The much-cherished red-and-white vessel, named Aidan and little bigger than a bathtub, was delivered to the pensioners at their picturesque ­village near Dunkirk in northern France amid tears, laughter – and much kissing of cheeks in the French style.

‘Merci, merci again,’ said an ­emotional Eric Blin, hugging me as he set eyes on Aidan for the first time since February.

‘We never thought our bateau would come back. She disappeared at night from our local canal and we were told by the French police and British ­Border Force that a smuggling gang had taken her to England.’

The retired welder bought Aidan on the internet for £2,200 as a present to his wife Nadia, a former laundress. They planned to spend this summer taking it out for picnics along the ­willow-lined canal near their home in Watten village, which leads 15 miles to the North Sea at Dunkirk.

Eric Blin bought Aidan on the internet for £2,200 as a present to his wife Nadia, a former laundress

They planned to spend this summer taking it out for picnics along the ­willow-lined canal near their home in Watten village, which leads 15 miles to the North Sea at Dunkirk

Mr and Mrs Blin have been reunited with their beloved boat thanks to the Mail – Mr Blin is pictured here with the Mail’s Sue Reid

That dream, however, was destroyed by the smugglers who snatched the boat to travel along the canal before making the perilous ­journey across the Channel to Dover with five migrants squashed on board.

The Mail’s search for Aidan (‘Nadia’ in reverse, painted by Eric on its hull) began when we first met the couple, both 62, during our investigation last spring into a spate of small boat thefts by migrant smugglers from the ­Watten waterway for Channel crossings to the Kent coast.

The village and its canal is now a key set-off point for people smugglers as they try to avoid French police patrolling the Dunkirk and Calais beaches to stop the myriad migrant crossings in small boats. The couple told us the story of their lost boat and we promised to find Aidan – which we knew must have been hidden somewhere in England –and return it safely to them.

After weeks of combing the ports, boatyards, beaches and inlets along the coastline of Kent and Sussex, we traced the vessel to a secretive and guarded ­Government compound three miles from Dover.

Using an overhead drone, we spotted it lying in a corner of the open-air complex, ­surrounded by ­hundreds of smugglers’ rubber dinghies seized by Border Force.

‘We did not know if she had been broken up for scrap. We were ­forgotten by both ­countries,’ Eric told us this week. ‘Bravo to the Mail for finding our lost boat and battling the authorities which did not seem to care about us.’

Eric had moored Aidan for the winter two months after buying it in August 2023. He tied the boat securely to the canal bank near the couple’s terraced home.

‘I thought she was safe,’ he remembered this week. ‘Then the smugglers came for her.’

The boat was stolen just before midnight on February 9, after a gang ­scouting the area picked it out, cut its rope and released it from the bank mooring.

Five migrants, including a child, were put on board for the overnight crossing to Dover. It is thought they paid a total of £6,000 for the journey.

The boat was stolen just before midnight on February 9, after a gang ­scouting the area picked it out, cut its rope and released it from the bank mooring

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On Tuesday morning this week, we put the boat on a low loader behind a four-wheel drive to travel back to France on a cross-Channel ferry

The stolen boat can be seen arriving at a slipway at Dover Harbour, ready to make the journey across the channel back to France

The smugglers were spotted by French police at 5am, a few miles from the point where the canal to Dunkirk from Watten village meets the North Sea.

Although the boat was ­unseaworthy, had only four lifejackets and was ­dangerously overloaded, officers did not halt the vessel as it made its ­dangerous journey.

It ploughed on through a calm – but bitterly cold – night towards ­British waters. At the border in the middle of the Channel, migrants on board were met and escorted into Dover by Border Force vessels during the morning of February 10.

We have seen Border Force ­photos, shared with the Blin ­family, of Aidan after its arrival in Dover. It is in a shambolic state, caked in mud and littered with the migrants’ debris including discarded insulated gold-coloured blankets given to them by the smuggling gang.

The boat was then dumped by the British in the lock-up and left to rot in months of rain and bad weather.

Aiden now has holes in its hull and damage to its deck, thought to have been caused by the prongs of a fork-lift truck used to move it from port to lock-up after arrival in England.

When the Mail first asked the Home Office in London what had happened to Aidan, we received evasive responses.

We asked political aides of the then Conservative government’s Home Office ministers to help find the boat and return it to the Blin family. They agreed to do so, but the snap General Election was called, throwing a promised ­rescue plan into disarray.

A first attempt by the Mail to tow Aidan behind a sturdy ­fishing boat across the Channel late last month ended halfway to France

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Aiden now has holes in its hull and damage to its deck, thought to have been caused by the prongs of a fork-lift truck used to move it from port to lock-up after arrival in England

Finally, we approached Border Force officers stationed in France who refused to answer our questions because they ‘don’t deal with the media’.

The wall of silence was ­impenetrable. It was hard not to ­conclude that Eric was correct – no one in officialdom on either side of the Channel cared a jot.

Frustrated, in July we hired a team of French lawyers to help retrieve the boat and return it. They navigated a tricky path negotiating with the French and British authorities on behalf of the Blin family.

Finally, after many weeks, we received permission from ­Border Force and the French police to collect the missing boat on behalf of Eric and Nadia from the lock-up in Dover.

A first attempt by the Mail to tow Aidan behind a sturdy ­fishing boat across the Channel late last month ended halfway to France. The little boat had been so badly damaged in ­English ­custody that it let in water and had to be pulled back to Dover to safety.

Our second attempt was a ­success. On Tuesday morning this week, we put the boat on a low loader behind a four-wheel drive to travel back to France on a cross-Channel ferry.

We then took it the 27 miles to Watten ­village for the happy reunion with the Blins.

There are not many good news stories around in this troubled world but this is one. We ­promised the ­pensioners, and their daughter Melissa, who helps refugee ­families in France, to rescue the boat and give it back to them. And this week, to their joy, we succeeded.

More than two decades after his breakthrough role in The O.C., Adam Brody is finding a new legion of fans with Netflix’s Nobody Wants This.

The 44-year-old actor plays newly-single, Noah, a witty basketball-playing rabbi who finds himself tangled in a relationship with Joanne — Kirsten Bell — an agnostic sex and relationships podcaster.

The pair must contend with their religious differences, as well as their respective chaotic family dynamics. 

In the series, Noah is also referred to as ‘hot rabbi,’ an apparent nod to Fleabag’s hot priest. And it’s proven even more popular than the hit BBC show, boasting more than 10 million views in the first four days alone of streaming. 

Fans have swarmed to social media to praise Adam Brody’s middle-aged sex appeal, intelligence and vulnerability. 

The 44-year-old actor plays newly-single, Noah, a witty basketball-playing rabbi who finds himself tangled in a relationship with Joanne — Kirsten Bell — an agnostic sex and relationships podcaster

In the series, Noah is referred to as ‘hot rabbi,’ an apparent nod to Fleabag ‘s hot priest

Fans have swarmed to social media to praise Adam Brody’s middle-aged sex appeal, intelligence and vulnerability

One wrote: ‘Adam Brody the absolute green flag you are.’ 

Another said: ‘Adam Brody healed all girls who have ever been told they were “too much”. I cried actually.’ 

A third declared: ‘Save me Adam Brody as hot rabbi, save me.’

‘Adam Brody is the perfect romance lead and we have severely underutilized [sic] that in the last 10-15 years’, a fourth said. 

Now, research has indicated exactly why Noah could be considered ‘perfect’, pinpointing three different characteristics.

Kindness and understanding, not always wanting the same things, and compromise are among the top three qualities repeatedly emphasised in studies. 

In one US study, researchers quizzed 184 participants on their most and least desired characteristics in a romantic partner. 

Both sexes agreed on the characteristics of kindness and understanding, having an exciting personality, and intelligence as being the most important. 

In another, published earlier this year, scientists in Brazil found regardless of sexual orientation, people prioritized intelligence and kindness over physical attractiveness, when choosing a partner. 

The 10-part series stars Brody and Bell as the leads, and comes from writer Erin Foster, daughter of David Foster and step-daughter of Katharine McPhee

One social media user wrote: ‘Adam Brody the absolute green flag you are.’ Another said: ‘Adam Brody healed all girls who have ever been told they were “too much”. I cried actually’

They asked 778 straight, bisexual and gay men and women to construct their ideal partner based on a set of predetermined traits: intelligence, kindness, physical attractiveness, health, and socioeconomic status. 

Participants were also presented with three budget scenarios: low, medium, and high. 

But despite the universal appeal of intelligence and kindness, the researchers also uncovered variations in how these and other traits were valued through the lens of sex. 

Straight men, for instance, rated physical attractiveness significantly higher than their counterparts.  

It comes as the series is being praised by critics for delivering the best and kookiest story in the romcom genre since 1989’s When Harry Met Sally.

The 10-part series stars Brody and Bell as the leads, and comes from writer Erin Foster, daughter of David Foster and step-daughter of Katharine McPhee, who converted to judaism before marrying her husband.

In the show, Noah tells Joanne there’s nothing worse for his professional image than falling for a ‘shiksa’. ‘

Technically, it’s a Yiddish insult that means you’re impure and detestable, but these days it just means you’re a hot, blonde non-Jew,’ Noah says to Joanne.

Part of the appeal, viewers say, is Noah’s intrinsic lack of availability. 

Like the ‘hot priest’ before him in Fleabag, Noah is not supposed to date a secular woman. 

And like Phoebe Waller Bridge’s character, Joanne is a committed atheist. 

They both represent forbidden crushes, forcing the protagonists to compromise. 

In one 2017 study, researchers concluded that holding on to the idea you shouldn’t have to compromise in a relationship is unrealistic and ‘compromises are unavoidable’. 

But Noah’s relationship with Joanne also highlights that couples are not always going to want the same things — another factor research repeatedly suggests makes the ‘perfect partner’. 

In an interview with Vanity Fair this week, Brody said fans can expect his characters to be ‘progressively more generous and self-aware’ as the actor himself gets older

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In the show, Noah tells Joanne there’s nothing worse for his professional image than falling for a ‘shiksa’. ‘ Technically, it’s a Yiddish insult that means you’re impure and detestable, but these days it just means you’re a hot, blonde non-Jew,’ Noah says to Joanne

One US study assessing the personality traits of 360 couples found both partners bring their own unique qualities to the table, and those qualities influence the relationship independently.

Writing in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the researchers said: ‘Each partner’s personality contributes independently to relationship outcomes but not in a synergistic way — a whole relationship is not greater than the sum of its two parts.’ 

Relationship psychotherapist Charisse Cooke also told Refinery29: ‘People often confuse compatibility with being the same. 

‘It’s often the differences in relationships that can cause problems and conflict. 

‘So we may imagine someone having the same interests as us protects us from misunderstandings or disagreements.’

But she added: ‘When dating someone with the same interests, there’s less room for growth. You may find that you stop trying new things.’

In an interview with Vanity Fair this week, Brody said fans can expect his characters to be ‘progressively more generous and self-aware’ as the actor himself gets older. 

‘This could either be because I’m old and I’m slowing down,’ he said, ‘or because I’m wise and I’m grounded and confident’. 

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If you were asked to visualise Antarctica, it’s likely a vast white landscape would spring to mind. 

But a concerning new study might have you rethinking that image in your head. 

Experts from the universities of Exeter and Hertfordshire have warned that Antarctica is turning green – with climate change to blame. 

Their analysis shows that vegetation cover across the Antarctic Peninsula has increased more than tenfold over the last four decades. 

‘Our findings raise serious concerns about the environmental future of the Antarctic Peninsula, and of the continent as a whole,’ said Dr Thomas Roland, who led the study. 

If you were asked to visualise Antarctica, it’s likely a vast white landscape would spring to mind. But a concerning new study might have you rethinking that image in your head. Pictured: a WorldView-2 Satellite Image of Robert Island (top) and the same image after the analysis, showing areas of vegetated land in bright green (bottom) 

Previous studies have shown that, like many polar regions, the Antarctic Peninsula is warming faster than the global average. Pictured: Green Island

Previous studies have shown that, like many polar regions, the Antarctic Peninsula is warming faster than the global average. 

In their new study, the researchers set out to understand how much of the area has ‘greened’ in response to this warming. 

The team analysed satellite images taken across the Peninsula over the last 40 years. 

Back in 1986, the images show that just one square kilometre of the Peninsula was covered with vegetation. 

However, by 2021, this area had increased to almost 12 square kilometres. 

Speaking to MailOnline, Dr Roland explained that while simple before-and-after photos would be ‘impactful’, they were not possible. 

‘Sadly we only have “very high resolution” images from 2013 and 2016,’ he said. 

‘Whilst the increases in vegetation we observe over this short window are in line with our overall greening trend (1986-2021) the visual difference is not that remarkable! 

‘In turn, a single image from the coarser resolution satellite we use for the main study (where we have hundreds of images over the full 35 year period), I suspect, would not be perceived as good enough “quality” as to be impactful.’

The team analysed satellite images taken across the Peninsula over the last 40 years, and found that vegetation cover has increased significantly

Back in 1986, just one square kilometre of the Peninsula was covered with vegetaion. However, by 2021, this area had increased to almost 12 square kilometres. Pictured: Norsel Point

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Greening accelerated by over 30 per cent in recent years (2016-2021) relative to the full study period (1986-2021) – expanding by over 400,000 square metres per year in this period. Pictured: Barrientos Island

The study also found that the greening is happening quicker and quicker. 

Greening accelerated by over 30 per cent in recent years (2016-2021) relative to the full study period (1986-2021) – expanding by over 400,000 square metres per year in this period.

‘The plants we find on the Antarctic Peninsula – mostly mosses – grow in perhaps the harshest conditions on Earth,’ said Dr Roland.

‘The landscape is still almost entirely dominated by snow, ice and rock, with only a tiny fraction colonised by plant life.

‘But that tiny fraction has grown dramatically – showing that even this vast and isolated ‘wilderness’ is being affected by anthropogenic climate change.’

Worryingly, the researchers say that as these ecosystems become more established and temperatures continue to rise, the extent of the greening will increase. 

Experts from the universities of Exeter and Hertfordshire have warned that Antarctica is turning green – with climate change to blame. Pictured: Ardley Island

Dr Olly Bartlett, co-author of the study, said: ‘Soil in Antarctica is mostly poor or non-existent, but this increase in plant life will add organic matter, and facilitate soil formation – potentially paving the way for other plants to grow.

‘This raises the risk of non-native and invasive species arriving, possibly carried by eco-tourists, scientists or other visitors to the continent.’

Based on the findings, the team is calling for ‘urgent’ research into the specific mechanisms behind the greening trend.  

‘The sensitivity of the Antarctic Peninsula’s vegetation to climate change is now clear and, under future anthropogenic warming, we could see fundamental changes to the biology and landscape of this iconic and vulnerable region,’ Dr Roland added.

‘In order to protect Antarctica, we must understand these changes and identify precisely what is causing them.’