Cities Birth More Thunderstorms Than Rural Areas

Hate thunderstorms? Atlanta may not be for you, as scientists recently found such hot-and-humid metros in the Southeast can birth more summer thunderstorms than rural areas.

In the study, researchers marked the location of every thunderstorm born in northern Georgia and northeastern Alabama during a 17-year period. There were nearly 26,000 thunderstorms detected between 1997 and 2013. The region the city of Atlanta, as well as country hayfields and pastures.

https://www.livescience.com/49880-cities-birth-more-thunderstorms.html

Amazing 'Red Lightning' Photographed from Space

A red sprite photographed by space station astronauts on Aug. 10, 2015, above Acapulco, Mexico.

Credit: NASA/JSC

Like a giant jellyfish floating through the atmosphere, "red sprites" hover above thunderstorms in two new photographs snapped from space.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) captured two rare photographs of red sprites from above on Aug. 10. Red sprites are strange luminous phenomena that occur alongside more familiar lightning strikes. They're rarely seen from the ground because they occur above storms; they're also dim and hard to detect with the naked eye.

"They're very exciting to look at, they create these fabulous visual images, but there is a lot that we still don't understand about them," said Ryan Haaland, a professor of physics at Fort Lewis College in Colorado who is involved in an ongoing project studying sprites. [Images: Red Sprite Lightning Revealed in Stunning Photos]

https://www.livescience.com/51968-red-lightning-photographed-from-space.html

Lightning Nearly 3 Times as Deadly as Tornadoes This Year

Credit: Vasin Lee | Shutterstock.com

Death by lightning strike may seem rare, but lightning has killed nearly three times as many people this year as tornadoes have, the National Weather Service (NWS) reports.

https://www.livescience.com/56061-lightning-kills-more-people-than-tornados.html

New Zealand Quake's Strange Side Effect: What Are Earthquake Lights?

The magnitude-7.8 earthquake that rattled New Zealand early Monday morning local time (Sunday morning EST), killing at least two people and stranding many others in the region, also had a strange side effect: eerie blue and green flashes of light in the sky during the shaking.

https://www.livescience.com/56869-what-are-earthquake-lights.html

New Satellite Beams Back Its 1st Photo of Lightning from Space

A new weather satellite promises to deliver unprecedented data on Earth's lightning, and it has already captured its first spectacular images of storms from space.
Today (March 6), the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the first observations taken by the satellite's Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) instrument.

This image combines an hour's worth of lightning data obtained on Feb. 14, according to NOAA. Brighter colors show where more lightning energy was recorded, with the most intense storm system located over the Gulf Coast of Texas on that particular day. [See More Spectacular Images from the GOES-16 Satellite]

https://www.livescience.com/58135-goes-16-lightning-mapper-photo.html

Drone vs. Lightning: Guess Which One Wins?

What would happen if a drone got caught in an electrical storm?
That's the question YouTuber Tom Scott asked when he brought two DJI Phantom 3 drones to the University of Manchester’s High Voltage Laboratory. The British university's lab can generate lightning on command, thanks to an impulse generator that can create a bolt of more than 1 million volts. The drones were no match for the lightning, and were fried when caught in the middle of the bolt.

https://www.livescience.com/58697-what-happens-when-lightning-strikes-drones.html

Do Giraffes Get Struck by Lightning More Than Other Animals?

Two months ago, Reddit user infernograve woke from a vivid dream. As wakefulness crept back, the dream did not recede, rather, it stuck in his mind, piquing his curiosity and prompting a burning question. He subsequently logged into Reddit's popular AskScience subreddit to share it:
"Do giraffes get struck by lightning more often than other animals?"

The question is now the most popular ever asked on the forum.

So do giraffes get struck by lightning at higher rates? Intuitively, the obvious answer is "yes." Standing between fourteen and nineteen feet tall when fully grown, giraffes tower above the savannah and open woodland landscapes where they dwell. Of course, lightning doesn't always strike the tallest object in an area, but taller objects are more susceptible due to the shorter gap between the object and the lightning's point of origin.

https://www.livescience.com/59605-does-lightning-strike-giraffes-more-than-other-animals.html

Lightning

Lightning is essentially a giant spark of static electricity, though much about how and why it forms remains unknown and the subject of scientific research. It is known that lightning occurs in thunderstorms when there is a separation of electrical charge within the storm clouds, which can cause cloud-to-cloud lightning, the majority of lightning that occurs in a storm. A charge separation can also form between thunderstorm clouds and the ground, leading to classic cloud-to-ground lightning. Thunder is the acoustic shock wave that results from the heat that a lightning strike produces. NASA research suggests that lightning flashes 40 times a second around the globe.

https://www.livescience.com/topics/lightning

Tornado Clean Up effort

Onto the 1100 block of East Livingston Street, tree damage was common and the roofs of several of the homes were damaged. A large hardwood tree was knocked onto the second floor of one of those homes, producing significant roof damage.
To the northeast, an outbuilding associated with a business on Grand Lake Road was destroyed. On the other side of Grand Lake Road, significant debris wrapped around a fence on Montgomery Field. Trees were also uprooted on adjacent May Street.
The most significant damage occurred at the Crown Equipment Corporation. A significant portion of the roof was removed and exterior walls on the southwest side of the building also collapsed. Damage was also noted on the east-facing side of the building.
Businesses along Havermann Road were also affected, most notably C-Town Wings. Front windows were blown out there. At the Dollar General, considerable structural damage -- including roof collapse and exterior wall failure -- occurred. The damage to both businesses was consistent with EF-2 tornadic winds.
Several businesses within a strip mall along Havermann Road also were damage, particularly a sports store where the front doors were blown in and a portion of the roof collapsed.
Some trees were downed near Howick and Riley roads.

 

http://www.whio.com/weather/three-tornadoes-touched-down-mercer-county-officials-said/nhYVDijxQ6d60HnMqJjnLL/

Drought expanding through Maine communities

PORTLAND (WGME) – Some people may be loving our recent weather, but while they're soaking up the sun, others are probably wish their wells and farms were soaking up some rain.

The U.S. Drought Monitor was updated Thursday. Hydrologists analyze multiple factors to assess our status. Rainfall deficits, stream flow, and rainfall deficits all get taken into account when determining drought conditions.

Moderate drought conditions have been expanded down through coastal Maine into York County, while abnormally dry conditions expanded to nearly cover the entire state.

http://wgme.com/news/local/drought-expanding-through-maine-communities

Snowstorms & Extreme Cold

A winter storm occurs when there is significant precipitation and the temperature is low enough that precipitation forms as sleet or snow, or when rain turns to ice. A winter storm can range from freezing rain and ice, to moderate snowfall over a few hours, to a blizzard that lasts for several days. Many winter storms are accompanied by dangerously low temperatures.

Winter storms can cause power outages that last for days. They can make roads and walkways extremely dangerous or impassable and close or limit critical community services such as public transportation, child care, health programs and schools. Injuries and deaths may occur from exposure, dangerous road conditions, and carbon monoxide poisoning and other conditions.

Winter storms and colder than normal temperatures can happen in every region of the country.

Winter storms can occur from early autumn to late spring depending on the region.

https://www.ready.gov/winter-weather

Weekend rain, severe weather risk to end mild weather in central US

Residents of the central United States will once again have to contend with rain and a threat for severe weather this weekend.

Aside from gusty winds, the warm weather through Friday across the Plains and Midwest will be virtually perfect for pumpkin picking, sporting events or any other outdoor plans.

Friday's gusty winds and an increase in thunderstorm activity around Texas will be signs that the mild stretch of weather will be ending this weekend.

The same push of cool air set to bring some welcome rain to Northern Californialate this week will sweep across the central U.S. this weekend with a band of rain and thunderstorms. The entire weekend will not be a washout in any one given location, but outdoor plans will be in jeopardy on at least one day.

The weekend will start with showers spreading across the Plains with thunderstorms becoming more numerous on Saturday afternoon and evening.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/central-us-mild-week-to-fade-to-weekend-rain-severe-weather-risk/70003035

Extreme methane rainstorms appear to have a key role in shaping Titan's icy surface

Titan, the largest of Saturn's more than 60 moons, has surprisingly intense rainstorms, according to research by a team of UCLA planetary scientists and geologists. Although the storms are relatively rare—they occur less than once per Titan year, which is 29 and a half Earth years—they occur much more frequently than the scientists expected.

        

"I would have thought these would be once-a-millennium events, if even that," said Jonathan Mitchell, UCLA associate professor of planetary science and a senior author of the research, which was published Oct. 9 in the journal Nature Geoscience. "So this is quite a surprise."
The storms create massive floods in terrain that are otherwise deserts. Titan's surface is strikingly similar to Earth's, with flowing rivers that spill into great lakes and seas, and the moon has storm clouds that bring seasonal, monsoon-like downpours, Mitchell said. But Titan's precipitation is liquid methane, not water.
"The most intense methane storms in our climate model dump at least a foot of rain a day, which comes close to what we saw in Houston from Hurricane Harvey this summer," said Mitchell, the principal investigator of UCLA's Titan climate modeling research group.
Sean Faulk, a UCLA graduate student and the study's lead author said the study also found that the extreme methane rainstorms may imprint the moon's icy surface in much the same way that extreme rainstorms shape Earth's rocky surface.


Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-10-extreme-methane-rainstorms-key-role.html#jCp

Hurricane News and Storm Tracking

By The Washington Post

The former Hurricane Ophelia slammed western Ireland with winds of more than 50 mph and torrential rain on Monday with landfall for the weakened - but still dangerous - remnants of a system that reached Category 3 strength farther east than any Atlantic storm in recorded history.

Sky turns orange across UK

 

 

 

 

 

 

London (CNN)The sky turned orange across parts of the UK on Monday as dust and smoke from fires in southern Europe swept north.

The reddish tint was a side effect of the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia and the wildfires that have been raging across Portugal and northwest Spain since Friday.

 

Smoke and debris from the fires -- along with sand from the Sahara desert -- are being carried north by the storm's strong winds. Particles of smoke, dust and sand bend light to give it a reddish hue.

A red-hued sun has been seen before in the UK, but it's this combination of events that has made Tuesday's phenomenon particularly striking.

UK weather: Met Office issues severe weather warnings as ice, wind and snow sweep across Britain

As a cold snap expected to last two weeks settles over the whole of Britain, the Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for some areas impacted by ice, wind and snow on higher ground.

Large parts of Scotland and some of northern England were told to brace for conditions “likely to cause some local disruption to travel”, while yesterday some areas of higher ground saw up to 10cm (4 inches) of snow.

Alexi Boothman, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said temperatures were markedly lower than the average for this time of year.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-weather-britain-braces-for-two-week-cold-snap-as-snow-sweeps-in-8949408.html

 

Cold weather brings warning of rise in dodgy plumbers

It's estimated that Britons have been forced to stump up £2.6bn to pay for work to rectify botched plumbing jobs Getty Images

The number of callouts for boiler-related problems increased by 72 per cent from the first week of
September to the first week of October, the AA reported this week.
That's hardly surprising given the cold weather we've experienced, which has forced millions to fire up their heating. Callouts are expected to increase further as temperatures are predicted to take a tumble this weekend.

But those who turn to tradespeople in an emergency are risking making things worse by not using qualified or registered plumbers. New research shows that two-thirds of people choose a plumber on cost, without worrying if they are registered with an approved contractors' scheme or have any professional credentials.


http://www.independent.co.uk/money/spend-save/cold-weather-brings-warning-of-rise-in-dodgy-plumbers-8874819.html

Why does humidity make hot days feel more miserable?

If you’ve ever wondered why it can sometimes feel stiflingly hot as your clothes quickly dampen on a summer afternoon, humidity is the likely culprit.
Because of humidity, which is a measure of the air’s water vapor content, the body’s perspiration evaporates from the skin at a much slower rate.

“Evaporation is a cooling process,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek. “If you step out of the pool or a lake, you get a chill because the air is very dry, and that water almost instantly starts to evaporate off of your skin so that it cools it.”
According to the MIT School of Engineering, the rate at which water or sweat evaporates depends on the level of water currently in the air.


https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/why-does-humidity-make-hot-days-feel-more-miserable/70002207

 

 

A Tale of three Tornados

AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions was the only weather provider that issued real-time, advanced, and detailed warnings ahead of three separate costly weather events.
On August 24, 2016, tornadoes – unforecast by some – cut a wide swath of damage from southwest Ontario to central Indiana. Again, AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions’ SkyGuard® tornado warnings proved to be the “gold standard” for enterprises wanting to protect their people, property and profits.
For those relying on the U.S. National Weather Service and for those relying on governmental weather officials in Canada, there was one set of outcomes:
“Tornado warnings must be improved” -The Peterboro (Canada) Examiner, September 5, 2016
“Residents and a local politician are among those criticizing Environment Canada’s tornado warning methodology after two different twisters ripped through Windsor, Ont., and the neighbouring bedroom community of LaSalle on Wednesday night.” -Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, August 25, 2016
“I just held onto my buddy and I was thinking in my head, ‘we don’t have a chance’!” -Worker in heavily damaged factory in Windsor, Ontario, where no advanced warning for the tornado was given.

https://corporate.accuweather.com/stories/a-tale-of-three-tornadoes

 

 

 

 

Hurricane Patricia

Record-breaking Hurricane Patricia had stronger maximum sustained winds at its peak intensity than previously thought, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Thursday.
The NHC report says that maximum sustained winds topped out at 215 mph (185 knots) on the morning of Oct. 23, 2015, when Patricia was spinning off the coast of Mexico in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This is 15 mph higher than the 200-mph winds stated in advisories issued by the NHC when the hurricane was ongoing, which already made it the strongest hurricane on record in either the eastern Pacific or Atlantic Ocean basins.


In addition, the NHC says that the official estimated lowest atmospheric pressure on the morning of Oct. 23 for Patricia has been adjusted to a lower value of 872 millibars (previously estimated to be 879 millibars). This pressure is the lowest on record in the Western Hemisphere, and the second lowest on record for the world just behind the 870 millibars observed in Supertyphoon Tip in 1979.  In general, a lower pressure means a more intense hurricane in terms of its winds and overall destructive potential. Conversely, a higher pressure indicates a weaker system.
(MORE: Stunning Meteorological Images of Patricia)
Another change in the NHC report is that Patricia made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with top winds of 150 mph. Patricia was originally estimated to be a Category 5 with 165-mph winds at landfall. The point of landfall was near Playa Cuixmala in Jalisco state of southwest Mexico on Oct. 23 at 6:15 p.m. CDT.
Although the core of Patricia's strongest winds impacted a sparsely populated area north of Manzanillo, it still caused severe damage in a small area. More than 10,000 homes were damaged or destroyed and about 100,000 acres of farmland suffered significant damage. Strong winds stripped the vegetation off of most of the trees in the area and concrete power poles were knocked down. The report says that two small villages, Emiliano Zapata and Chamela, suffered the most extreme damage.