Extreme weather news and discussion

[weatheriscool]

Tropical Storm Cindy forms behind Bret in an early and aggressive start to Atlantic hurricane season
Source: AP

By DÁNICA COTO 2 hours ago

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tropical Storm Cindy has formed behind Tropical Storm Bret, in the first case of two storms in the tropical Atlantic in June since record keeping began in 1851, forecasters said Friday.

The historic event signals an early and aggressive start to the Atlantic hurricane season that began on June 1 and that usually peaks from mid-August to mid-October. Some forecasters blamed unusually high sea temperatures for the rare development.

“The Atlantic is awfully warm this year,” said Kerry Emanuel, a meteorologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, adding that it’s partly a result of global warming, natural variability and the ocean’s recovering from sulfate aerosols pollution that cooled it decades ago.

Studies show that a warmer world is producing wetter and more intense hurricanes, with scientists still trying to figure out if climate change alters how many storms brew. Because of more early and pre-season storms, the National Hurricane Center has started issuing advisories earlier in the year, with experts recently discussing the idea of declaring the start of the hurricane season earlier.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/tropical-sto ... 780dc077b2

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Tornado rips through massive Wyoming coal mining site, injures 8 people
Source: AP

an hour ago

CAMPBELL COUNTY, Wyo. (AP) — A tornado that ripped through the country’s largest coal mining site in northeast Wyoming left eight people injured and halted operations as first responders searched the massive open-pit site for employees and continued to assess the damage, officials said Saturday.

The tornado hit the North Antelope Rochelle Mine in Campbell County around 6 p.m. Friday during a shift change, initially complicating search and rescue efforts. But Peabody Energy, the operator of the mine with headquarters in St. Louis and South Brisbane, Australia, confirmed before midnight that all employees had been accounted for.

Six employees were still being treated in hospitals as of 11 p.m. Friday, the company said. No deaths were reported.

Melissa Smith, a meteorologist and hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Rapid City, South Dakota, said a storm system scattered tornadoes throughout Campbell, Natrona and Johnson counties.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-torn ... 4845372cdf

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[weatheriscool]

Indiana tornado kills one as severe weather causes damage and power outages across multiple states
Source: AP

14 minutes ago

SHOALS, Ind. (AP) — A tornado struck a home, killing one occupant and injuring another as severe weather hit parts of Indiana, Tennessee and other states, an official said.

The tornado that struck the home Sunday evening was part of a storm system that pushed through Martin County, Indiana, WXIN-TV reported. A tornado also touched down Sunday afternoon in Johnson County, south of Indianapolis, damaging at least at least 75 homes, authorities said.

Martin County Emergency Management Agency Director Cameron Wolf confirmed the death and injury, according to WXIN, which reported that the home was in a rural area where multiple trees were brought down by high winds.

Martin County emergency management officials did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking additional information about the casualties and the extent of storm damage.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/indiana-torn ... fa2b2088b7

[wjfox]

Millions expected to suffer as heat dome expands beyond Texas this week: Graphics

16 hours ago

Tens of millions of Americans across the south and central U.S. – many of them in Texas – have endured a brutal heat wave over the past couple of weeks as temperatures soared to record levels, including some above 110 degrees.

Forecasters expect the intense heat to continue in Texas for much of this week in and expand north into the Plains and east into the Southeast. Meteorologist Scot Pilie warned on Twitter that more temperature records could topple, leading to dangerous heat index values.

In all, as of Monday, more than 45 million Americans live where some level of heat alert is in effect, according to the National Weather Service.

Several Texas cities set or tied all-time record-high temperatures: Del Rio (115 degrees), Laredo (115 degrees) and San Angelo (114 degrees). The heat index, which is how hot it feels to the human body when humidity is factored in, reached an unofficial record of 125 degrees in Corpus Christi.

This cauldron of misery is courtesy of a sprawling heat dome that has parked itself over portions of Texas and Mexico this month, sending temperatures skyrocketing.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/graphics/ ... 350146007/

[caltrek]

Warming Causes More Extreme Rain, Not Snow, Over Mountains. Scientists Say that’s a Problem
June 28, 2023

Introduction:

(AP via Courthouse News) — A warming world is transforming some major snowfalls into extreme rain over mountains instead, somehow worsening both dangerous flooding like the type that devastated Pakistan last year as well as long-term water shortages, a new study found.

Using rain and snow measurements since 1950 and computer simulations for future climate, scientists calculated that for every degree Fahrenheit the world warms, extreme rainfall at higher elevations increases by 8.3% (15% for every degree Celsius), according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Heavy rain in mountains causes a lot more problems than big snow, including flooding, landslides and erosion, scientists said. And the rain isn't conveniently stored away like snowpack, which can recharge reservoirs in spring and summer.

“It is not just a far-off problem that is projected to occur in the future, but the data is actually telling us that it’s already happening and we see that in the data over the past few decades,” said lead author Mohammed Ombadi, a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory hydrologist and climate scientist.

As the world has warmed to the brink of the 1.5 degree Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) internationally agreed threshold to stem the worst effects of climate change, this study shows “every degree (Celsius) matters because it comes with an additional 15% increase” in extreme rain over mountains, Ombadi said. That per-degree rainfall boost in the mountains is more than twice the increase the rest of the world gets from warming air holding more water.

Read more here: https://www.courthousenews.com/warming ... -problem/

[caltrek]

Millions expected to suffer as heat dome expands beyond Texas this week: Graphics

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https://eu.usatoday.com/story/graphics/ ... 350146007/

It isn't just directly affecting people:

Midwest Drought: Corn and Soybeans Suffer as Forecasters Expect No Quick Relief for Farmers
by Bennet Goldstein
June 26, 2023

Extract:

(Investigate Midwest) Farmers are struggling all across the Corn Belt. Drought expanded rapidly throughout the Midwest in June — doubling within the first week after significantly less rainfall than normal. Forecasters say the region is not likely to get relief anytime soon.

Through September, arid conditions are expected to persist or even expand in eastern Iowa and Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin.

More than 80% of corn and soybean crops in Illinois and Iowa — which together produce more than a quarter of the nation’s total — face drought conditions. Farmers are gritting their teeth as their crops dry up and deteriorate.

“Although it’s probably too early to declare massive losses in crops just yet, that potential is certainly there unless we get some decent rainfall,” said Mark Fuchs, a hydrologist at the St. Louis National Weather Service forecast office.

Read more here: https://investigatemidwest.org/2023/06 ... -farmers/

[weatheriscool]

[caltrek]

The Unusual Factors Behind the Extraordinary Heat Across the Southern U.S.
by Umair Irfan
July 1, 2023

Introduction:

(Voz) The South is no stranger to heat, but the temperatures and humidity right now are testing even the hardiest denizens of Dixie as the hot weather stretches into a third week.

The heat wave along the Gulf Coast, stretching over Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico, is straining the limits of infrastructure and human survival.

According to the National Weather Service, extreme heat is the number one weather-related killer in the US. The recent weather has already proven dangerous and deadly in places like Texas, which set an all-time energy demand record this week as millions across the state switched on fans and air conditioners to cope with triple-digit temperatures. The heat in Arkansas followed tornadoes, high winds, and hail that knocked out power for 62,000 customers last week.

(See linked article for Twitter feeds).

The recent sweltering weather stands out for its timing, its severity, and its duration. Parts of Louisiana issued excessive heat warnings earlier in the year than they’ve ever done before.

The 100-degree-plus temperatures are a function of normal summer weather on top of unusual atmospheric patterns and global temperature cycles aligning in their hot phases. The southern US also has some unique features that are enhancing the heat. All the while, the planet as a whole is warming up.

Read more here: https://www.vox.com/climate/23780315/s ... e-el-nino

[Powers]

The Unusual Factors Behind the Extraordinary Heat Across the Southern U.S.

According to the National Weather Service, extreme heat is the number one weather-related killer in the US.

What else could it be, extreme cold?