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☆ Relentless heat wave scorches US South, air quality deteriorates over Midwest
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Meanwhile, in Chicago, children, the elderly and people with respiratory diseases were being cautioned to stay indoors for a wholly different reason: polluted air. "It is essential to have a way to cool down and interrupt your heat exposure." The stationary high pressure system across the South that is trapping the heat and humidity, known as a heat dome, has been lingering for the last few weeks, causing the sweltering weather. The heat wave claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy who was hiking in the Big Bend National Park in Texas on Friday when the temperature reached 119 degrees. Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Callaghan, LaToya Cantrell, Brendan O'Brien, Chizu Nomiyama, Mark Porter Organizations: U.S, National Weather Service, NWS, REUTERS, New, Big, Thomson Locations: Chicago, Arizona, Texas, Florida's, Dallas, New Orleans, Mobile , Alabama, Houston , Texas, U.S, Canada, United States, Arkansas , Tennessee, Oklahoma

☆ Perryton, Texas tornado: 3 people dead and dozens injured after tornado ripped through a town in the Texas Panhandle
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Aya Elamroussi Dave Alsup Melissa Alonso | Aya Elamroussi | Dave Alsup | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —At least three people were killed and dozens were hospitalized after a tornado ripped through a town in the Texas Panhandle on Thursday afternoon, nearly leveling some buildings and prompting power outages. A view of a damaged site in Perryton as the town gets struck by a tornado in Texas on Thursday in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. Greg Abbott has deployed state emergency resources to “meet urgent life-safety needs in Perryton, Texas,” according to a news release from his office. Sabrina Devers/TMX/ReutersOfficials in Beaver County, Oklahoma, sent fire, law enforcement and EMS units to help, according to the county’s emergency manager Keith Shadden. The sheriff’s office in Hutchinson County — which includes Stinnett — also sent rescue and emergency operations following the “devastating tornado,” according to a Facebook post from the office.

Persons: Paul Dutcher, CNN’s Alisyn, Kelly Judice, ” Judice, Sabrina Devers, ”, Wes Reeves, Greg Abbott, Keith Shadden, —, Judice, “, Brian Emfinger, Emfinger, ” Emfinger, Cole Underwood, there’s, Ronny Jackson Organizations: CNN, Texas Panhandle, Xcel Energy, Texas Gov, Reuters, National Weather Service, NWS Locations: Texas, Perryton, Perryton , Texas, Beaver County , Oklahoma, Stinnett , Texas, Hutchinson County, Oklahoma, Michigan

☆ Time-lapse video shows increasingly powerful solar storms raging as the sun becomes its most active in a decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A time-lapse video shows the sun getting more chaotic over the past four years. That's because solar activity could impact Earth, creating bursts of electromagnetic energy that can affect everything from the power grid to GPS signals. NOAA/InsiderAs solar activity ramps up, more sunspots and eruptions have been appearing on the sun's surface, sending solar winds into the universe that can hit our planet. Here's what this looks like:In the time-lapse video, solar flares appear as an intense brightening of a region on the sun. Meanwhile, the sun's surface appears gradually less homogenous, indicating more magnetic activity at the surface.

Persons: —, Mathew Owens, We're, aren't, Owens Organizations: Service, NOAA, University of Reading, NASA Locations: Riverton , Utah, New Mexico, Belgium

☆ Raging wildfire empties homes in eastern Canada, pollutes air in US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Eric Martyn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The fire, which is about 30 kilometres (19 miles) west of downtown Halifax, has already forced 18,000 people to evacuate their homes. No fatalities have been reported but about 200 homes, structures have been damaged, the CBC reported, citing the Halifax Regional Municipality. Forest fires also led to evacuations of about 400 homes in the province of New Brunswick over the weekend, officials said. "The stories and the images we're seeing coming out of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are heartbreaking," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa, pledging federal support for the Atlantic provinces. The Halifax wildfire was expected to cause poor air quality hundreds of miles to the south in parts of the U.S. East Coast and Midwest as smoke drifts across the regions.

Persons: David Steeves, Justin Trudeau, what's, Brendan O'Brien, Ismail Shakil, Sriraj Kalluvila, Marguerita Choy, Deepa Babington Organizations: HALIFAX, U.S, Nova, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, CBC, CBC News, U.S ., National Weather Service, Thomson Locations: Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canadian, Halifax Regional Municipality, New Brunswick, Ottawa, Atlantic, Bedford , Nova Scotia, West Bedford, Alberta, U.S . East Coast, Midwest, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania , New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Amazon is offering money to pick up your order, ChatGPT writes a “Succession” scene, and tips from an OnlyFans creator
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon Astro Amazon1. Internal documents revealed that Amazon plans to make Astro "more intelligent, more useful, and conversational." The project is internally called "Burnham" and is the latest example of Amazon's push to bring AI to its services and products. Internal documents signal that Amazon is pretty confident that this is a major upgrade to the home robot. Amazon is offering $10 for you to pick up your own order.

☆ 2023 layoff tracker: The latest on which companies have announced job cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

New York CNN —BuzzFeed, Lyft, Whole Foods and Deloitte all recently announced layoffs affecting thousands of US workers. With 11,000 job cuts announced in November and the 10,000 announced in March, Meta’s headcount will fall to around 66,000 — a total reduction of about 25%. The company announced in January that it was eliminating some 18,000 positions as part of a major cost-cutting bid at the e-commerce giant. IndeedJob listing website Indeed.com announced cuts of approximately 2,200 employees, representing almost 15% of its total workforce, the company said in March. The cuts come after the company announced several rounds of job cuts throughout the pandemic due to falling demand, followed by rapid hiring last year.

The northern and southern lights, which are usually confined to the Arctic and Antarctica, have generated awe and wonder for centuries. The northern lights were visible over St. Mary's lighthouse in Whitley Bay, England on Monday. The southern lights glowed over Lake Ellesmere on the outskirts of Christchurch, New Zealand on Monday. Over the next few years, the northern lights might appear further south more regularly, said Robert Massey, executive director at the Royal Astronomical Society. A National Weather Service employee took a photo of the northern lights in Maine on Sunday.

☆ A powerful solar storm is hitting Earth, sparking stunning northern and southern lights across the planet. Here's how to see them tonight.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A powerful G4 solar storm is hitting the Earth with winds as fast as 600 mph. Auroras seen in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, on March 24, 2023. NWS La CrosseThe spectacle also gave a treat to skygazers globally, with the lights seen across the UK, in the skies over Kyiv, Ukraine, and as far as Victoria, Australia. SANKA VIDANAGAMA/AFP via Getty ImagesThe powerful storm should continue until Monday evening. Storms like this aren't just prettyA view of the sun on April 21 shows the coronal mass ejection that caused the April 24 storm.

☆ Two killed as tornadoes, storms rip through Oklahoma
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 20 (Reuters) - At least two people were killed in McClain County, Oklahoma, as severe thunderstorms and tornadoes swept through several regions of Central U.S. late on Wednesday, local authorities said. The storms resulted in at least two fatalities with crews responding to several people injured and trapped in their homes, McClain County Emergency Management said in a Facebook post, urging residents to stay out of the affected areas. The National Weather Service (NWS) had issued warnings for severe thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes for Wednesday into the night across parts of the Central U.S. including Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa. Strong thunderstorms with severe weather potential were forecast for Thursday morning into the afternoon, according to the NWS. Almost 20,000 customers in Oklahoma remained without power as of early Thursday due to the storms, according to the website poweroutage.us.

CNN —A “large and extremely dangerous” tornado has been observed over Cole, Oklahoma, according to the National Weather Service. The tornado has rolled through southeastern Cleveland and west-central McClain counties in the central portion of the state. These storms are capable of producing large hail and damaging winds, with a limited tornado potential, along west of Hwy 75. These storms are capable of producing large hail and damaging winds, with a limited tornado potential, along west of Hwy 75,” the National Weather Service in Tulsa said. On Thursday, the severe storms threat shifts to the east to include eastern Texas, northwestern Louisiana, southeastern Oklahoma, southeastern Missouri and much of Arkansas.

☆ Dramatic image shows a 'plasma waterfall' on the sun that's 8 times the size of Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This is the latest in a string of stunning solar events as our sun nears a peak of activity. The solar plasma 'waterfall' is shown here on the southern hemisphere of the sun on March 9, 2023. About every decade, the sun's magnetic poles flip, which causes havoc with local magnetic fields that are bursting all over our star. NASA Solar Dynamics ObservatoryA massive coronal "hole" in our sun that spewed energy towards the Earth in recent weeks. NASA / Solar Dynamics ObservatorySpace weather is not just prettyScientists don't only look to the sun to see these beautiful structures.

☆ Southeast Florida swamped by more than two feet of rain
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A general view shows a flooded street in, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S., April 12, 2023 in this screen grab obtained from social media. John Haywood/via REUTERSApril 13 (Reuters) - Torrential downpours inundated Southeast Florida on Thursday, bringing total rainfall in the Fort Lauderdale region to more than two feet in recent days, with widespread flooding that blocked roads, closed schools and shut down an airport. Preliminary reports showed that about 25 inches (64 cm) of rain had fallen in Fort Lauderdale, making it a 1 in a 1,000-year weather event, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. Video footage on social media showed sheets of rain pounding the area as flood waters reached the tops of cars, and people wading through waters. "Like putting a faucet right over Fort Lauderdale, turning it on, and walking away."

☆ What is a red flag warning? What to know as fire weather conditions affect more parts of the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Chris Panella | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Here's what to know when you see a red flag warning in your area, and how to protect yourself. Red flag warnings indicate dry, arid weather and strong wind conditions that increase the possibility of dangerous wildfires. One map shared on Twitter by climate reporter Dave Levitan shows the latest range of red flag warnings stretching from New Mexico to Massachusetts. Be careful with cigarettes during a red flag warning. Lastly, the NWS has some basic guidelines to avoid igniting fires during a red flag warning:

☆ An imposing shelf cloud descended over Chicago, EarthCam footage shows, but the ominous-looking weather isn't the end of the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An imposing, ominous shelf cloud was spotted in the skies above Chicago. Video shows the cloud moving through the city, bring strong winds up to 60 mph with it. The National Weather Service of Chicago said the area was experiencing severe weather threats throughout this morning, with strong winds and rains. Derek Van Dam, a CNN meteorologist, tweeted that the "powerful" shelf cloud brought wind gusts of up to 60 mph to Chicago. As a shelf cloud passes over an area, there should be a drop in temperature, EarthSky reported.

☆ Looming spring storm to spawn blizzards, ice, tornadoes across central U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Other cities potentially in harm's way but at lower risk for tornadoes included Chicago, Nashville, Tennessee, St. Louis, Missouri, Madison, Wisconsin and Des Moines, Iowa. "There's a potential for some very strong tornadoes and some tornadoes that could be on the ground for quite some time, especially in northern Arkansas and western Tennessee," said John Feerick, senior meteorologist at private forecasting service AccuWeather. Feerick said the storm system would intensify through Friday as the sprawling low-pressure system at its core moves farther eastward, drawing up greater moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Dust storm warnings were in effect for portions of the Southern Plains. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A second giant 'hole' has appeared on the sun, and it could send 1.8 million mph solar winds towards Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

These 'holes' can send 1.8 million mph solar winds towards Earth. As this first 'hole' begins rotating away from us, a new giant coronal hole — about 18 to 20 Earths' across — has come into view. Coronal holes release solar winds into space which can damage satellites and reveal stunning auroras if they reach the Earth. The 'hole' is positioned close to the sun's equatorThe coronal hole came into view as the sun rotated. The solar winds can blast very fast solar winds, with speeds of more than 800 kilometers per second, Verscharen said.

That caused the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, to make a rare appearance in skies across the US. The colorful lights were seen as far south as Arizona, much further than what was forecast. They normally occur in the Arctic, but powerful eruptions on the sun caused them to stretch as far south as Phoenix, Arizona before sunrise on Friday, according to images shared by photographers and skywatchers on social media. "Most people when they're seeing that far south... they're seeing it on the horizon," Young said. NWS La CrosseAnchorage, AlaskaAuroras in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 24, 2023.

☆ California braces for next bout of heavy rain, snow and high winds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

High-wind warnings and advisories were posted for a vast region stretching from the Mexico border through Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay area. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued an excessive- rainfall notice for much of the Southern California coast, warning of an at least a 40% chance of showers exceeding flash-flood conditions. Heavy showers began drenching the Los Angeles region before dawn and triggered some street flooding but tapered off by early afternoon. Up to 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of rain was expected in coastal regions and valleys of Southern California, and as much as 6 inches in lower mountains and foothills, the NWS said. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles.

The Nor'easter left about 190,000 homes and businesses in New York and New England without power as of Wednesday morning, according PowerOutage.com, a tracking service. In California, about an equal number of customers had no electric service on Wednesday in the wake of the latest in a series of atmospheric river storms to churn through the state this winter. [1/3] A California plate is seen at an area affected by floods after days of heavy rain in Pajaro, California, U.S., March 14, 2023. Along California's coast and lower inland areas, the heavy rain and melting alpine snow triggered renewed flooding from rain-swollen rivers and streams, compromising levees. "It's a little too soon to say for sure if it's another atmospheric river, but the storm is coming," he said.

[1/7] Floodwaters from the Pajaro River are seen flowing under Highway 1, currently closed by officials, in Monterey County, California, U.S. March 14, 2023. read moreNine atmospheric rivers already lashed California in rapid succession from late December through mid-January, triggering widespread flooding, levee failures, mudslides and punishing surf. Massive flooding from failed levees on the Pajaro River in Monterey County this weekend prompted hundreds of evacuations and dozens of water rescues. Mandatory evacuation orders remained in effect for residents in 10 California counties on Tuesday, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta and Nathan Frandino in Monterey County, California; Editing by Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ California flood watch issued as next atmospheric river looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LOS ANGELES, March 9 (Reuters) - Flood watch notices were posted across northern and central California for Thursday ahead of an atmospheric river storm expected to douse much of the state with heavy rain, including mountain areas still buried from a near-record snowfall. But smaller, waterfront communities along several major rivers and their tributaries also braced for the possibility of overflowing streams swollen by heavy showers and runoff of melting snow. Elsewhere, the NWS issued "prepare now" alerts for residents along the Big Sur, Carmel, Salinas and Pajaro rivers. "It's really a combination of all this heavy rainfall coming and also rapidly melting snow." The looming deluge follows a three-week barrage of nine atmospheric river storms that struck California in late December through mid-January, triggering widespread flooding as well as hundreds of mudslides, rockfalls and sinkholes across the state.

☆ Southern California braces for wind and rain after rare snowfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Pete Schroeder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/8] Following a cold winter storm snow is shown on the San Gabriel Mountains behind the city of Los Angeles, California from Kenneth Hahn Park in Los Angeles, California, February 26, 2023. REUTERS/Mike BlakeFeb 26 (Reuters) - After a rare snowfall dusted Los Angeles on Saturday, Southern California is bracing for a series of weak storms that will bring wind and rain this week to coastal areas while Northern and Central California mountain communities could see more heavy snow. Over the past three days, the storm brought the rare sight of snowflakes in Los Angeles, more known for palm trees and sun. About 70,000 customers in California remained without power on Sunday, according to PowerOutage, which tracks disruptions. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power tweeted Sunday morning it had restored power to roughly 40,000 people since Saturday morning.

☆ Thousands without power as California storms bring rain, snow and cold
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] The Los Angeles river during a rare cold winter storm in the Los Angeles area, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 24, 2023. REUTERS/Aude GuerrucciFeb 25 (Reuters) - Nearly 85,000 households and businesses were without power in the Los Angeles area on Saturday, as storms continued to pummel parts of California, bringing snow to higher elevations and dumping rain and hail in the flatlands. In Southern California, "this is a rare case of a cold, significant storm event," Jackson said. On Saturday, scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms were expected to bring rain, hail and a mixture of snow and moisture called "graupel" to the area, the National Weather Service said. Reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, California; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Huge winter storm churns across northern U.S., threatening record snowfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

CHICAGO, Feb 21 (Reuters) - A massive winter storm spreading across the U.S. West into the Northern Plains and Midwest on Tuesday could produce blizzards, brutal cold, and record snowfall, making road travel treacherous and disrupting air travel. The National Weather Service issued winter storm, blizzard and high-wind advisories for a broad swath of the western and north-central United States. Some spots in the South may have temperatures that are over 100 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than some places in the Northern Plains, the forecast showed. While the U.S. East has experienced a relatively mild winter, the Northern Plains has had an extreme winter in terms of snowfall and temperatures, NWS meteorologist Matthew Bunkers in South Dakota said. Although the snow storm could wreak havoc on daily life, it was welcomed by skiers.

☆ Winter storm threatens record snowfall in parts of US
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Waves come to shore along the coastline as a winter storm approaches Oceanside, California, U.S., February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Mike BlakeCHICAGO, Feb 21 (Reuters) - A winter storm spreading across the U.S. West into the Northern Plains and Midwest on Tuesday could produce blizzards, brutal cold, and record snowfall, making roads treacherous and disrupting air travel. The National Weather Service issued winter storm, blizzard and high-wind advisories for large parts of the western and north-central United States. The agency said these areas will also be under a winter storm warning until Friday and advised people against traveling. Although the snow storm could wreak havoc on daily life, it was welcomed by skiers.

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